Crypto tumbles

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Certainly, and centrally, the greenback has cemented its status as the world's go-to reserve currency in times of turmoil.

The dollar index tracks the USD's value against other major fiat currencies. Early today, that index touched above 100, a level not seen in two years, CoinDesk said. Just this month, the dollar has risen 1.5%. It's up 4.3% since the start of the year.

The USD and Bitcoin have a demonstrable inverse correlation, according to Delphi Digital's macro strategist Kevin Kelly, pointing to 2017 as an awful year for the greenback. "That coincided with a huge run in Bitcoin," Kelly said.

BTC's run-up last year at this time also coincided with dollar weakness.

Bitcoin slumped into the weekend, lurched, languished and lost still more ground. As of Monday, at 7:55 a.m. (EST), BTC was struggling to hold $41K. Talk of $50K has subsided. The biggest digital asset has shed 11% in the past week.

And to think April was once known for being a historically positive month for crypto.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, Elon Musk said he would not join Twitter's board after all. Twitter shares tumbled in pre-market trading.

Dogecoin, a Musk favorite, declined 6% over the past 24 hours.

Another huge purchase of Bitcoin by the Luna Foundation Guard can't seem to compete macro-factor-wise with a surging greenback fueled by hawkish monetary policy spurred by inflation exacerbated by the prospects for a protracted war in Eastern Ukraine and a global pandemic that is not letting up.

Yes indeed, economic and political uncertainties are "stalking the risk assets," said Noelle Acheson, head of market insight, Genesis Global.

Investors are choosing to wait on the sidelines until there are enough signals to take directional bets with some conviction, Acheson told CoinDesk.

It's not like things could possibly get much worse. But did they?

U.S. stock futures fell early today after polls showed French President Emmanuel Macron in a frighteningly tight race with his far-right, nationalist rival, Marine Le Pen, following an initial round of voting. The two are set to face off in the final vote later this month. Five years ago, Macron defeated Le Pen, considered an extremist, in a landslide.