Bitcoin (BTC-USD) opened at $77,395.89 on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, 1.5% below Tuesday's opening price. By 7:13 a.m. ET, the price had slipped further to $76,597.13.

Ethereum (ETH-USD) opened at $2,417.66 on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, down 2.0% from Tuesday's opening price, and fell further to $2,373.76 by 7:13 a.m. ET.

The declines came in the wake of another round of U.S. airstrikes against Iranian targets, escalating the violent war between the two countries. Iran retaliated against the latest strikes by attacking U.S. military bases with rockets and drones. Geopolitical flare-ups of this kind have historically coincided with bouts of risk-off trading, in which investors pull back from volatile assets like cryptocurrencies and rotate toward traditional safe havens — a pattern consistent with gold's strength over the past year, which the article's gold tracker below covers in detail.

The renewed fighting has pushed oil prices (BZ=F) higher again, keeping inflation concerns elevated ahead of a critical Federal Reserve meeting later this month. The latest pressure on energy prices is increasing the probability of a rate increase, which is likely weighing on crypto prices since cryptocurrencies do not pay interest. That dynamic has become more pronounced as U.S. spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds, approved in January 2024, deepened the link between crypto and mainstream capital markets, making bitcoin and ethereum increasingly sensitive to shifts in rate expectations alongside stocks and other risk assets. Beyond the Fed decision, investors will be watching the trajectory of oil prices and any further escalation or de-escalation in the U.S.-Iran conflict for signals about the broader rate outlook.

Current price of bitcoin and ethereum

Bitcoin

Bitcoin's price this morning was 1.5% lower than Tuesday's opening price. Here is how the opening bitcoin price has changed versus last week, month, and year:

• One week ago: -1.5%
• One month ago: +23.3%
• One year ago: -29.2%

Bitcoin's all-time high was $126,198.07 on Oct. 6, 2025. Its all-time low was $0.04865 on July 14, 2010. Despite Wednesday's dip, bitcoin remains up more than 23% over the past month — a reminder that short-term geopolitical moves can occur within longer rallies.

Ethereum

Ethereum's price this morning was 2.0% lower than Tuesday's open. Here is how the opening ethereum price has changed versus last week, month, and year:

• One week ago: -1%
• One month ago: +31.2%
• One year ago: -44%

Ethereum's all-time high was $4,953.73 on Aug. 24, 2025. Its all-time low was $0.4209 on Oct. 21, 2015. Like bitcoin, ethereum has outperformed over the past month, gaining more than 31% even after Wednesday's decline.

Bitcoin, ethereum, and other cryptocurrencies are rapidly evolving. Follow the latest developments from Yahoo Finance here.

Crypto and taxes

You generally owe taxes when you sell cryptocurrency for more than you paid for it. This also applies when you exchange one digital asset for another: converting bitcoin into ethereum, for example, is not "just a trade" in the eyes of the IRS — it is a taxable event if the value changes.

Crypto taxes are not paid at the time of the transaction; they are reported on your tax return for the year in which the transaction took place. If you sold crypto for a profit at any point during 2025, that activity is reported when you file your 2025 return in early 2026.

How much tax you pay depends on two main factors:

• How long you held the asset before selling
• Your overall taxable income and filing status

Holding an asset for less than a year usually means higher rates, while longer holding periods tend to carry lower rates. The distinction matters more than most people realize — a few days can make a difference of as much as 17% or more, so timing matters.

Learn more: Yes, crypto is taxed. Here's when you have to pay.

More on crypto from the Yahoo Finance team

• How to trade crypto: A step-by-step guide
• Do you need a bitcoin credit card?
• Can you buy crypto with a credit card?
• President Trump called for a strategic bitcoin reserve. How it would work
• How to buy a house with crypto
• How to buy ethereum — and what to know before you do
• How to buy solana: A step-by-step guide

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Source: Yahoo Finance