The cryptocurrency market showed a broad-based recovery on September 18, 2026, with most major digital assets trading higher in early market data. Bitcoin was at $77,273, up 1.13%, while Ethereum gained 1.21% to $2,477.12. The rebound comes after heightened volatility following the U.S. Federal Reserve's latest interest-rate decision and the setback to U.S. crypto legislation.
Bitcoin's market capitalisation stood at about $1.53 trillion. Despite the latest rise, the world's largest cryptocurrency remained down 11.61% year-to-date and 33.15% year-on-year. Its monthly performance was positive at 11.75%, while the weekly gain stood at 0.18%.
Altcoins extend gains
The strongest moves in the latest snapshot came from several major altcoins. Cardano jumped 6.62% to $0.21620, while Avalanche gained 4.28% to $7.94 and Polkadot rose 3.84% to $1.12.
Solana climbed 3.12% to $104.79, taking its monthly gain to 23.17%. XRP gained 2.08% to $1.32294, while Binance Coin rose 1.73% to $751.90.
Polkadot has also recorded a particularly strong monthly move, rising 43.22% over the past month, although it remains down 36.97% year-to-date and 74.15% from a year earlier.
The standout performer in the supplied market data was Uniswap. The token was trading at $8.62, up 10.68%, with a 43.81% weekly gain and a 137.72% monthly surge. Unlike most of the major cryptocurrencies listed, Uniswap was also positive year-to-date, with a 53.43% gain.
Fed, regulation and risk sentiment remain key
The latest recovery follows a volatile week for crypto markets. The Federal Reserve recently raised its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points, while maintaining a relatively hawkish outlook. Bitcoin subsequently traded around the $76,000-$77,000 range as investors assessed the implications for liquidity and risk assets.
