Crypto Market Price LIVE: Can BTC and ETH Extend Their Q3 Lead in Q4?

• Ethereum gained 70.9% in Q3, marking its strongest quarterly rise since Q1 2021.
• Bitcoin advanced about 44% in Q3, marking its strongest quarter since early 2024.
• BTC and ETH opened Q4 nearly flat, preserving their Q3 lead over stocks and gold.

Ethereum gained 70.9% in Q3 and Bitcoin rose about 44%, leaving both well ahead of major U.S. equity indexes and gold.

Bitcoin and Ethereum entered Q4 after posting strong third-quarter gains, closing September near $83,646 and $2,685, respectively. 

Those levels capped quarterly gains of roughly 44% and 70.9%, respectively. The final results improved on Coin Edition’s September 24 report, when BTC was up 40.99%, and ETH had gained 66.43%.

Consequently, ETH widened its quarterly advantage during the final six days rather than giving back its lead. That 70.9% increase marked Ethereum’s strongest quarter since Q1 2021. Meanwhile, Bitcoin also recorded its strongest quarterly performance since early 2024.

Crypto Outpaces Stocks and Gold as Treasury Yields Surge

The performance gap becomes clearer when crypto returns are compared with major traditional assets across the same three-month period. According to reports, oil rose approximately 40% during Q3, driven largely by geopolitical disruptions and supply concerns.

Even so, oil’s gain remained about four percentage points below Bitcoin’s quarterly return and well behind ETH’s advance. Gold futures also posted a much smaller increase, rising 3.30% to finish Q3 at $4,155.60 an ounce.

Meanwhile, U.S. equities recorded more modest gains. The Nasdaq Composite advanced 2.5%, while the S&P 500 added 2% and the Dow declined 2.7%. At the same time, government bonds came under pressure as Treasury yields climbed sharply during the quarter.

The 10-year Treasury yield rose 87.2 basis points to 5.292%, marking its highest quarter-end level since 2002, while the 30-year yield finished at 5.638%. These movements represent changes in yields rather than investment returns, preventing a direct performance comparison with cryptocurrency prices.

Q4 Opens With Q3 Gains Intact but Limited Follow-Through

Despite the strong third-quarter performance, the opening Q4 session preserved crypto’s existing performance advantage without producing another substantial expansion. Bitcoin traded above $83,700 during Asian hours on October 1, gaining about 0.4% after briefly exceeding $85,500 the previous day.

Ethereum followed a similar pattern, trading between $2,677 and $2,720 while gaining roughly 0.5% over 24 hours. Those prices remained close to September’s closing levels. Therefore, BTC and ETH entered October carrying their Q3 gains rather than materially widening them.

Meanwhile, the broader macro backdrop remained restrictive. The dollar index climbed to a three-month high near 101.66 after gaining approximately 2% during September. At the same time, elevated Treasury yields continued to shape the cross-asset environment as the fourth quarter began.

EXPANSION CASE

If Bitcoin reclaims $85,500 and Ethereum holds above $2,720, Q3 momentum could extend into Q4. Moreover, sustained strength above both levels would support further crypto outperformance against major traditional assets.

FAILURE CASE

However, if Bitcoin falls below $83,646 and Ethereum loses the $2,677–$2,685 zone, the continuation setup would weaken. Consequently, Q4 could shift toward consolidation or a deeper retracement instead of immediate expansion.

BOTTOM LINE

Overall, Bitcoin and Ethereum entered Q4 after substantially outperforming major U.S. stock indexes and gold during Q3. However, October’s opening session mainly preserved that advantage.

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