The cryptocurrency market remained broadly positive on September 21, 2026, with Bitcoin holding above the $81,000 level and several major altcoins extending their recent gains. Bitcoin was trading at $81,444, up 0.36%, while Ethereum gained 0.79% to $2,665.06 in the latest market snapshot.
Bitcoin's market capitalisation stood at around $1.64 trillion. The world's largest cryptocurrency was up 4.20% over the past week and 5.64% over the past month, although it remained down 6.92% year-to-date and 27.75% year-on-year.
Altcoins continue to strengthen
The broader market also showed gains. BNB rose 0.85% to $778.50, while Cardano gained 1.22% to $0.23058. Solana climbed 0.67% to $111.82, with its monthly gain reaching 18.91%.
Polkadot gained 0.94% and was up 13.84% over the past week, while Litecoin advanced 0.19%. Cosmos rose 1.96%, although it remained down more than 58% from its year-ago level.
Avalanche was the main exception among the larger tokens in the snapshot, falling 1.06% to $11.22. Despite the daily decline, Avalanche had gained 48.39% over the past week and 49.57% over the past month.
Uniswap continued to stand out. The token was trading at $8.74, up 0.11%, but had gained 33.36% over the past week and 102% over the past month. Its year-to-date return stood at 54.83%, while its year-on-year performance had turned positive at 5.80%.
What is driving crypto prices?
Bitcoin's recent recovery has come despite a complicated macroeconomic backdrop. Reuters reported that Bitcoin had rebounded sharply from its late-August lows and moved above $80,000, while investors continued to assess the impact of U.S. monetary policy, Treasury yields and regulatory developments.
