As geopolitical tensions rose following the US capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, the Bitcoin price remained largely calm over the weekend.
According to experts, cryptocurrency markets were not affected by this development in the short term; however, the situation may change when traditional markets open on Monday.
Michaël van de Poppe, founder of the crypto investment company MN Fund, stated in an assessment on the X platform that he does not expect the operation in Venezuela to lead to a widespread correction in Bitcoin. Van de Poppe described the operation as “planned and coordinated” and said that it is largely “behind the scenes” for the market. The analyst added that he considers it likely that Bitcoin will trade above $90,000 again next week.
However, not all market commentators are equally optimistic. Crypto market analyst Lennaert Snyder, pointing to rising geopolitical tensions, warned that higher volatility could be seen in Bitcoin next week as large companies return to the market.
An analysis published in the India-based economic newspaper Economic Times stated that geopolitics will once again be at the center of markets at the beginning of 2026. Riya Sharma, the newspaper’s senior digital editor, noted that this military operation, in which the US is directly involved, is forcing investors to reassess risks, and wrote that volatility could be seen in oil, precious metals, currencies, and stocks on Monday. According to Sharma, increased geopolitical risk generally leads to a shift of capital from risky assets to safe havens; this could cause sharp short-term reactions on Wall Street.
Bitcoin showed a slow recovery over the weekend, rising above the $90,000 level following the operation on January 3rd. The US arrest of Maduro and his wife did not appear to have a significant impact on prices. Maduro was later reportedly taken to Manhattan, New York, and placed in a detention center where Sam Bankman-Fried was previously held.
*This is not investment advice.
