Crypto News September 29: BTC Down, ETH Up. Which Coin Jumped 3872%?

Crypto News Now: BTC Falls, Anthropic $2T IPO, World Foundation Sells

Cryptocurrency news today, September 29, 2026: The crypto market cap held near $2.94 trillion, up 0.1%, as Bitcoin slipped 2% and Ethereum gained 0.6%. Sentiment cooled to 73, still in Greed.

Crypto Market Update Today: Prices, Volume & Trends

According to CoinGecko data recorded on September 29, 2026, at 4:00 AM UTC, the global crypto market capitalization stood at $2.94 trillion, up 0.1% over 24 hours. Total trading volume was $156.98 billion. 

Bitcoin’s (BTC) dominance remains strong at 56.8%, while Ethereum (ETH) holds 11.1%. The largest gainers in the industry over the past day are tokenized assets and real-world asset (RWA) 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 29 September 2026 at 4:00 AM UTC)

• Bitcoin (BTC) price today is $86057.06, down 2% over the last 24 hours. Its trading volume reached approximately $38.84 billion, while its market capitalization stood at around $1.66 trillion.  

• Ethereum (ETH) price today is at $2663.30, up 0.6% over 24 hours. Ethereum recorded about $15.77 billion in trading volume, while its market capitalization stood near $325.3 billion.  

Top Trending Crypto Coins Price in 24 Hours

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

• Quant (QNT): $240.05, down 7.1%, with $1.06 billion in trading volume.

• Firo (FIRO): $1.25, down 0.1%, with $154,615 in trading volume.

• NEAR Protocol (NEAR): $4.63, down 10.7%, with $1.38 billion in trading volume.

• Hedera (HBAR): $0.1185, up 25.3%, with $1.53 billion in trading volume.

• Bitcoin (BTC): $83,031.05, down 0.3%, with $38.84 billion in trading volume.

Bitcoin stands out because its trading volume was far higher than that of the other listed tokens, while Hedera recorded the largest 24-hour gain and NEAR Protocol the steepest decline.

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

• meme + coin (MOIN) price today: $0.02036, skyrocketed 3872.2%, trading activity $99.54M.

• KAIO (KAIO) price today: $0.03225, climbed 7.7%, trading activity $2.57M.

• Numeraire (NMR) price today: $14.50, jumped 44.8%, trading activity $155.26M.

MOIN recorded the largest percentage increase among the listed assets, rising more than 3,800%. However, percentage 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):

• RHEA price (RHEA): $0.1129, down 26.1%, with trading volume near $11.16 million.

• Tread.fi price (TREAD): $0.8991, lower by 31.8%, with trading activity close to $2.05 million.

• GreenHood price (HOOD): $0.02031, slipped 25.4%, trading activity around $114,403.

TREAD recorded the sharpest decline among the listed tokens, falling more than 31%. The contrast between TREAD and MOIN demonstrates how quickly liquidity and sentiment can shift in smaller cryptocurrency markets.

Stablecoins and DeFi Market Update 

(As per CoinGecko on 29 September 2026 at 4:00 AM UTC)

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

• The stablecoin market capitalization reached $292 billion, down 0.1% over 24 hours. Stablecoin trading volume was approximately $96.8 billion.

• The DeFi market, which refers to blockchain-based financial applications such as decentralized exchanges and lending protocols, decreased 2.6% to a market capitalization of $85.9 billion. DeFi trading volume reached approximately $8.63 billion, giving the sector a global dominance of 2.9%.

Crypto Fear and Greed Index Today

Source: Alternative Me

The Crypto Fear and Greed Index stood at 73, indicating Greed, on September 29.

That was down from 74 on September 28, and below the 78 level recorded a week earlier, which indicated Extreme Greed. However, the current reading remains higher than last month's level of 69, which also indicated Greed.

The one-day dip and the drop from last week's Extreme Greed suggest that market optimism has cooled slightly. However, sentiment remains firmly in the greed zone, well above neutral territory.

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. Chainflip Blocks Bitget Hacker: The Bitget attacker tried to launder stolen funds through Chainflip, but a broker rejected the deposit and returned the funds through the original path.

2. Anthropic Weighs $2 Trillion IPO: TheEnergyMag reports Anthropic is considering an IPO at a $2 trillion valuation, after spending $7.3 billion on computing power costs. The figures come from a single media report.

3. Spain Clarifies Crypto Reporting Rule: Spain's tax agency AEAT clarified that self-custodied crypto is exempt from Modelo 721. The form applies only to assets held abroad with third-party custodians above 50,000 euros.

4. Relay Repays Sandwich Attack Victims: Relay disclosed an API flaw that leaked pending orders, letting MEV searchers earn about $136,000 through sandwich attacks. It will automatically repay affected users about $312,000 in total.

5. Staking SEI ETF Gets Oct 23 Date: REX Shares and Osprey Funds updated their staking SEI ETF filing with the SEC, setting October 23 as the effective date. The fund offers spot exposure.

6. Aave Considers Token Burn: Aave founder Stani Kulechov says a token burn mechanism is under consideration for Aavenomics 3.0. Details on method, scale and funding have not yet been shared.

7. tZERO Adds Goldman Sachs Fund: tZERO will bring its regulated broker-dealer services to the Goldman Sachs FTIXX fund, giving eligible US participants access through its Lynq Real-Time Settlement Network.

8. Polygon Staking Yield Rises to 7.7%: Polygon Foundation expects staking yield to rise to 7.7% from October 1. Under PIP-92, 27.3 million POL from network fees will boost staker rewards over two months.

9. Arbitrum Launches Security Program: Arbitrum Foundation launched a Security Program that subsidizes smart contract audit fees for builders. Partners include OpenZeppelin, Trail of Bits, Cyfrin and Nethermind.

10. ETHFI Ends EigenLayer Restaking Ties: ETHFI will end its last ties with EigenLayer this quarter, as weETH becomes a standard liquid staking token. Restaking now earns far less than liquid staking.

11. Coinbase Wins Clearinghouse Approval: Coinbase won CFTC approval to register Coinbase Clearing LLC as its own clearinghouse. It will support USDC collateral and 24/7 settlement for fully collateralized contracts.

12. Crypto PAC Spends $11.4M in Ohio: Defend American Jobs reported spending $11.4 million in Ohio's Senate race, backing Republican Jon Husted and opposing Democrat Sherrod Brown. The group is tied to Fairshake.

13. Blockchain.com Plans $500M IPO: Blockchain.com plans an IPO this year to raise about $500 million at a $4 billion to $6 billion valuation. Plans may still change.

14. World Foundation Reports $49M OTC Sales: World Foundation says World Assets completed OTC WLD sales worth $49 million over the past month, all with one-year lock-ups. Remaining settlements are expected this week.

15. SEC Updates Token Buyback Guidance: The SEC updated its crypto FAQ, saying token buybacks with no central entity behind them typically do not form an investment contract, journalist Eleanor Terrett reported.

Comparative Insight: What Changed Today?

The market moved from pullback to stability. Total market cap held at $2.94 trillion, shifting from a 1.7% fall on September 28 crypto update to a 0.1% gain on September 29. Bitcoin's dip widened from 1% to 2%, while Ethereum recovered from a 1.2% loss to a 0.6% gain.  Trading volume rose sharply, from $97.96 billion to $156.98 billion. DeFi turned from a 0.3% gain to a 2.6% decline, and sentiment eased from 74 to 73, still Greed.

What Does This Crypto Market Move Mean Today?

The September 29 crypto news shows a market cooling slowly rather than reversing. Total market cap edged up 0.1% to $2.94 trillion, yet Bitcoin fell 2%, and DeFi dropped 2.6%, while the Fear and Greed Index eased to 73 from 74. 

The key difference lies between large-cap coins and small tokens. BTC and ETH moved within a narrow range, but MOIN and TREAD recorded extreme swings. 

For readers, liquidity, trading volume, sentiment, and the durability of sharp token moves say more than percentage changes alone. Real-world asset tokens led gains, a sector worth watching.

CoinGabbar's Market View

The September 29 crypto market update points to a mixed but still optimistic market. Total market cap held steady, Ethereum edged higher, and sentiment stayed in Greed, yet Bitcoin, DeFi, and stablecoins softened slightly. 

Huge gains in small tokens, such as MOIN's 3,872.2%, can mislead without context on liquidity and market size. Crypto remains a high-risk asset class, so this is not a clear signal to buy. 

Investors should watch Bitcoin's price trend, Ethereum's relative strength, market-wide volume, sentiment, and stablecoin flows, and avoid chasing sharp spikes. This is general information, 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.