Bitcoin Hits Seven-Week High; Ether Tops $1,900

Bitcoin climbed roughly 5% over the past week to its highest closing price in seven weeks. Ether rose past $1,900, its strongest close in more than seven weeks.

Bitcoin is down about 24% year-to-date and sits roughly 47% below its October 2025 record high. Ether has fallen about 35% year-to-date and is roughly 60% below its August 2025 record close.

An index that compares Bitcoin, Ether and XRP on a logarithmic scale plots performance since Nov. 9, 2017. The logarithmic view highlights relative percentage changes over time and shows Bitcoin currently leading the group.

Regulatory and product developments have expanded investor access to these assets. On Jan. 10, 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission approved spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds from issuers including Grayscale, iShares, Fidelity, ARK 21Shares, Bitwise and CoinShares Valkyrie. Spot Ether ETFs launched on July 23, 2024 from issuers such as Grayscale, Franklin, Bitwise, iShares and Fidelity.

Those exchange-traded funds provide exposure to Bitcoin and Ether without direct custody of the underlying tokens. Market participants say ETF availability can influence trading flows, while prices also move in response to macroeconomic data, regulatory developments and on-chain activity.

A cryptocurrency is a digital asset that uses cryptography to secure transactions, limit the creation of new units and record transfers on a distributed ledger. Major coin prices remain volatile; the weekly gains are short-term movements within a broader multi-month decline for both Bitcoin and Ether.