The Pentagon has issued a warning to U.S. lawmakers that clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz could take at least six months and may continue through the midterms. The Pentagon warned that gasoline and oil prices may remain elevated through the midterm elections. High energy costs could keep inflation at bay, leaving the Federal Reserve with limited room to cut interest rates, a negative backdrop for risk assets such as Bitcoin. The market capitalization of USDT, the largest dollar-pegged stablecoin, has reached a record high of $188.88 billion. Meanwhile, speculation in non-serious tokens such as M $ 4.5872 is reaching fever pitch, with overcrowding in bullish bets. The price of bitcoin has risen to $77,507.38, indicating a bullish shift in its relative performance compared to gold.