Crypto News October 1: Bitcoin, Ethereum, DeFi Rise as Core PCE Cools

Crypto News Now: Bitcoin, CLARITY Act, Fed, PCE, Chainlink and More

Cryptocurrency news today, October 1, 2026: The global crypto market cap rose 0.2% to $2.96 trillion on October 1, 2026. Bitcoin and Ethereum edged higher, sentiment stayed in Greed at 71, and smaller tokens saw sharp swings.

Crypto Market Update Today: Prices, Volume & Trends

According to CoinGecko data recorded on October 1, 2026, at 11:00 PM UTC, the global crypto market capitalization stood at $2.96 trillion, up 0.2% over 24 hours. Total trading volume was $108.3 billion. 

Bitcoin’s (BTC) dominance in the industry remains strong at 56.8%, while Ethereum (ETH) holds 11.1%. The largest gainers in the industry over the past day are Decentralized Identifier (DID) and Optimism Superchain Ecosystem Cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) Price Analysis

(Note: BTC and ETH are often viewed as less volatile historically, but still risky. The data recorded from Official CoinGecko Data on 1 October 2026 at 11:00 PM UTC)

• Bitcoin (BTC) price today is $83776.93, up 0.3% over the last 24 hours. Its trading volume reached approximately $34.7 billion, while its market capitalization stood at around $1.68 trillion.  

• Ethereum (ETH) price today is at $2687.82, rises 0.4% over 24 hours. Ethereum recorded about $13.8 billion in trading volume, while its market capitalization stood near $328 billion.  

Top Trending Crypto Coins Price in 24 Hours

Several trending assets also posted notable moves over the last 24 hours.

• Concordium (CCD): $0.003616, down 1.7%, with $157,224 in trading volume.

• Edel (EDEL): $0.028, up 19.7%, with $2.81 million in trading volume.

• Official Trump (TRUMP): $2.05, up 1.2%, with $223.15 million in trading volume.

• Backpack (BP): $1.29, up 6.0%, with $16.95 million in trading volume.

• NEAR Protocol (NEAR): $5.38, up 8.9%, with $1.53 billion in trading volume.

NEAR Protocol stands out because its trading volume was far higher than that of the other listed trending tokens, while Edel recorded the largest 24-hour gain and Concordium was the only coin in the group to post a decline.

Top 3 Crypto Gainers in 24 hours (Ranked by 24-hour percentage gain):

• Moonriver price today (MOVR): $2.16, skyrocketed 78.8%, trading activity $191.87M.

• Talus price today (US): $0.02608, climbed 49.4%, trading activity $14.21M.

• Qubic price today (QUBIC): $0.0₆668, jumped 37.4%, trading activity $5.73M.

MOVR recorded the largest percentage increase among the listed assets, rising nearly 79% on the back of the highest trading activity in the group. However, gains of this magnitude should be considered alongside market capitalization, liquidity and trading volume, because smaller or less-liquid tokens can experience unusually large price movements.

Top 3 Crypto Losers in 24 hours (Ranked by 24-hour percentage loss):

• Lobster price: $0.03627, down 48.7%, with trading volume near $11.26 million.

• The Index price (INDEX): $0.02087, lower by 25.2%, trading activity close to $3.16 million.

• Kled AI price (KLED): $0.01625, slipped 12.2%, trading activity around $952,360.

Lobster recorded the sharpest decline among the listed tokens, falling nearly 49% while also posting the highest trading volume of the three. The contrast between Lobster and MOVR shows how quickly liquidity and sentiment can shift in smaller cryptocurrency markets.

Stablecoins and DeFi Market Update 

(As per CoinGecko on 1 October 2026 at 11:00 PM UTC)

The broader market weakness did not extend equally to stablecoins and decentralized finance.

• The stablecoin market capitalization reached $291 billion, down 0.2% over 24 hours. Stablecoin trading volume was approximately $88.8 billion.

• The DeFi market, which refers to blockchain-based financial applications such as decentralized exchanges and lending protocols, increased 0.6% to a market capitalization of $88.6 billion. DeFi trading volume reached approximately $7.9 billion, giving the sector a global dominance of 3%.

Crypto Fear and Greed Index Today

Source: Alternative Me

The Crypto Fear and Greed Index stood at 71, indicating Greed, on October 1.

That was down from 73 on September 30 and level with the 71 reading recorded a week earlier. The current reading remains notably higher than last month's level of 62, which also indicated Greed but with less intensity.

The one-day decline suggests that market optimism has cooled slightly, while the flat weekly reading shows sentiment has held steady over the past seven days. Overall, sentiment remains firmly in the greed zone and has strengthened over the month.

Major Crypto Market Events Today

Source: Forex Factory

Top Cryptocurrency News Today

Beyond market prices, several developments could influence crypto sentiment, regulation, infrastructure, and institutional activity.

1.  US Core PCE Cools: US August core PCE eased to 3% year-on-year, the lowest since February and below the 3.3% forecast, while the monthly reading was 0.2%, under expectations

2. Base Launches Cobalt: Base has launched its third mainnet upgrade, Cobalt, adding Validity Transactions and new B20 asset features, with plans to cut block times to 200 milliseconds.

3. Chainlink Unveils Fulcrum: Chainlink unveiled Fulcrum at Sibos 2026, an institutional financing platform that coordinates repurchase transactions across public and private chains using CCIP, Data Streams, and CRE.

4. DogeOS Testnet Opens: DogeOS opened its public testnet on September 30, giving Dogecoin an EVM-compatible environment where developers can test finance, gaming, and business applications before mainnet launch.

5. Crypto Lobbying Surges: Crypto industry lobbying exceeded $13 million in early 2026, with nearly $8 million aimed at the CLARITY Act, which failed to win 60 Senate votes.

6. Hyperliquid Token Unstaking: Hyperliquid Labs will unstake 3.75 million tokens today for team distribution on October 7; they come from an OTC deal and won't hit open markets.

7. Ostium Recovery Plan: Ostium launched a two-phase recovery plan for 3,666 wallets hit by the July 15 vault attack, fully compensating 3,321 wallets with losses up to $1,000.

8. Open USD Goes Live: Open Standard launched Open USD, a stablecoin issued by Stripe's Bridge, with reserves at BlackRock, Lead Bank and BNY, and Coinbase access due October 1.

9. CFTC Event Contract Rules: The CFTC sent two event-contract rulemaking documents to the White House regulatory office, one excluding casino-style gambling products from swaps and another covering event contracts.

10. Vyper Verification Grant: The DAO Security Fund and Ethereum Foundation are backing formal verification of the Vyper compiler, with $100,000 committed to prove compilation preserves source code semantics.

11. Japan On-Chain Study: Japan's Finance Ministry formed an On-Chain Application Study Group to examine real-time government bond settlement, with talks starting October 8 and findings due by year-end.

12. Dutch Box 3 Tax: The Dutch Box 3 bill, awaiting Senate review, may tax Bitcoin on annual actual returns, including unsold gains, though the final system could still change.

13. Singapore Crypto Growth: Singapore's crypto activity rose 55.4% to $284 billion by June 2026, Chainalysis says, making it the largest crypto economy across Central, South Asia and Oceania.

14. Soneium Joins OP Enterprise: OP Enterprise now supports Soneium with fully managed operations, including infrastructure, monitoring and a 99.9% monthly uptime target, while Soneium keeps chain ownership and roadmap.

15. Pharos Agent Upgrade: Pharos Network unveiled a brand refresh and Agent Native upgrade at Korea Blockchain Week, with PoS staking and gas sponsorship testing planned for Q4 2026.

Comparative Insight: What Changed Today?

The crypto market held steady on October 1, with global market cap flat at $2.96 trillion, up only 0.2% versus 0.8% on the September 30 crypto update. Trading volume fell from $113 billion to $108.3 billion. Bitcoin rose from $83,342 to $83,777, while Ethereum climbed from $2,674 to $2,688. 

DeFi gained 0.6% after a 2% rise, and stablecoins slipped 0.2% from flat. Bitcoin dominance edged up from 56.6% to 56.8%, while sentiment held in Greed at 71.

What Does This Crypto Market Move Mean Today?

The October 1 cryptocurrency market update shows a market holding steady with mild upward momentum rather than a sharp directional shift.

The global market cap rose 0.2% to $2.96 trillion, Bitcoin and Ethereum moved slightly higher, and DeFi gained 0.6%. The Fear and Greed Index slipped from 73 to 71 but remained in Greed, while Bitcoin dominance held at 56.8%.

The key distinction is between large-cap assets and smaller tokens. BTC and ETH rose 0.3% and 0.4%, while MOVR surged 78.8% and Lobster dropped 48.7%.

For readers, liquidity, trading volume, and sentiment offer more insight than percentage changes alone.

CoinGabbar's Market View

The October 1 update points to a stable but cautious market. Bitcoin and Ethereum edged higher, DeFi improved, and sentiment stayed in Greed, though the slight cooling from 73 to 71 suggests optimism is not accelerating.

Investing remains risky. Crypto is volatile, and Greed-zone readings can reverse quickly. Extreme gains like MOVR's 78.8% should not be chased without checking liquidity and market size, since such moves often fade. 

Large-cap assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum carry comparatively lower risk but are not safe. Readers should focus on Bitcoin's price trend, trading volume, stablecoin flows, and sentiment, and invest only what they can afford to lose. This is not financial advice.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency markets are highly volatile, and individual digital assets can experience substantial price fluctuations or losses. Readers should conduct their own research (DYOR) and consult a qualified financial professional before making financial decisions. Availability of cryptocurrency services and assets may vary by jurisdiction.