Bitcoin Falls 33% Year-to-Date; Ether Down 47%

Bitcoin has declined about 33% year-to-date and this week traded at levels not seen since September 2024. Ether has fallen roughly 47% year-to-date and closed this week at its lowest point since April 2025.

Bitcoin sits about 53% below its October 2025 record high. Ether is approximately 68% below its August 2025 record close. Those percentages reflect the distance from each token’s most recent peak prices.

Bitcoin was first used in 2009 as a decentralized digital currency. Ether, the native token of the Ethereum blockchain, was introduced when the platform launched in July 2015. XRP, created in 2012 and issued by Ripple, is included in long-term comparisons because it was among the largest tokens when tracking began.

An index that charts Bitcoin, Ether and XRP together uses a logarithmic scale and starts its comparison on November 9, 2017. That index shows periods when each token led the group; Bitcoin is currently ahead on that measure.

Regulatory and product developments have changed how investors access these assets. On January 10, 2024, the SEC approved a group of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds from issuers including Grayscale (GBTC), iShares (IBIT), Fidelity (FBTC), ARK 21Shares (ARKB), Bitwise (BITB) and CoinShares Valkyrie (BRRR). Spot Ether ETFs launched on July 23, 2024, from issuers such as Grayscale (ETHE), Franklin (EZET), Bitwise (ETHW), iShares (ETHA) and Fidelity (FETH).

Price charts show divergence in performance since each token’s peak. The assets have different technical features and historical price paths, and those differences have shaped trading patterns and product offerings.

Cryptocurrency is a digital asset designed to act as a medium of exchange that uses cryptography to secure transactions, control the creation of units and verify transfers. Market data for Bitcoin and Ether through mid-2026 show continued volatility and the year-to-date declines reported above.