US Stocks Outshine Gold, Silver, and Bitcoin as Best War Hedge

The 2026 US-Iran war saw a surprising winner when it came to hedging assets: US stocks.

A recent analysis by CryptoRank found that during the conflict, which lasted from February 28 to June 17, 2026, before a July flare-up reopened hostilities, US equities outperformed traditional safe-haven assets like gold, silver, and Bitcoin (BTC).

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq climbed to records while precious metals collapsed. Gold dropped 22% and silver 37% despite classic safe-haven demand.

Bitcoin peaked near $82,000 mid-war but ended it below its pre-war price. In contrast, US stocks proved the strongest hedge during the conflict, with the S&P 500 trading about 9% above its pre-war level and the Nasdaq roughly 14% higher.