Bitcoin near $65K as Ether hits one-month high

Bitcoin closed just under $65,000 this week, rising about 3% from the prior week’s finish. Ether climbed nearly 7% and reached its highest closing level in more than a month. The weekly update tracked those moves alongside other major tokens.

Year-to-date performance shows both coins remain well below last year’s peaks. Bitcoin is down roughly 26% for the year and sits about 48% below its October 2025 record high. Ether has fallen about 36% so far in 2026 and is roughly 61% below its August 2025 record close. XRP, launched in 2012 and issued by Ripple, was included for comparison and has been overtaken in market share by newer tokens.

Bitcoin was the first decentralized digital currency, with the first recorded transaction in early 2009. Ether is the native token of the Ethereum blockchain, which launched in July 2015. Both assets have experienced frequent price swings while growing into widely held digital assets.

Regulatory and product developments have changed how investors access these tokens. On Jan. 10, 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved spot Bitcoin ETFs from issuers including Grayscale, iShares, Fidelity, ARK 21Shares, Bitwise and CoinShares/Valkyrie. Spot Ether ETFs from issuers such as Grayscale, Franklin, Bitwise, iShares and Fidelity began trading on July 23, 2024. These products provide additional ways for investors to gain exposure to the cryptocurrencies.

The update used an index and a logarithmic price scale to compare Bitcoin, Ether and XRP from Nov. 9, 2017, emphasizing percentage changes and long-term growth rather than absolute price levels. On that index, Bitcoin currently leads, though Ether and XRP have led at times. The weekly note published the latest closing prices and percentage moves without projecting future direction for any token.