Bitcoin and Ethereum lead major cryptocurrency market rally

The cryptocurrency market is experiencing significant volatility and growth, led by Bitcoin and Ethereum. Bitcoin has broken the $82,000 resistance level, with market attention shifting toward a major Deribit options expiry on September 25. This event involves approximately $16 billion in open interest, with a put/call ratio of 0.56, indicating a heavy bias toward call options.

Ethereum has recorded its best third-quarter performance in history, posting gains of approximately 60.62%. This rally is supported by over $10 billion in cumulative spot Ethereum ETF inflows and more than $15 billion in corporate treasury purchases during the quarter. As of late September 2026, Ethereum is trading around the $2,700 level, testing key technical resistance zones.

Institutional interest remains a primary driver, highlighted by reports of BlackRock’s ETHA leading significant single-day inflows into spot Ethereum ETFs. While Bitcoin maintains high market dominance, the surge in Ethereum’s price and DeFi ecosystem value—reaching approximately $88 billion—signals a robust period for major altcoins.