Bitcoin Posts Highest Opening in Over Three Months, Briefly Exceeds $81,000
Key Takeaways
- •Bitcoin opened at $78,982.27, its strongest opening price in more than three months, and briefly traded above $80,000 during the morning session.
- •Ethereum opened at $2,482.37, up 0.8% from the previous day’s open, before easing to $2,475.53 by 8:17 a.m. ET.
- •Yahoo Finance said the recent crypto rally was driven in part by the U.S. Treasury’s decision to double the size of its long-term bond buyback program to $4 billion per session.
- •Market sentiment also improved on expectations that crypto legislation may eventually advance after a White House meeting with President Trump, Coinbase, and Robinhood representatives.
- •Bitcoin remained below its October 2025 all-time high, while ethereum also stayed well under its August 2025 peak.
Bitcoin (BTC-USD) opened at $78,982.27 on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, 1.6% higher than Monday's opening price — its highest opening level in more than three months. As of 8:17 a.m. ET, the price had risen further to $79,038.31. Bitcoin also moved above $80,000 during the morning session, touching a high of $81,023.41 before pulling back.
Ethereum (ETH-USD) opened at $2,482.37 on Tuesday, up 0.8% from Monday's opening price, then edged lower to $2,475.53 as of 8:17 a.m. ET.
Like gold, cryptocurrencies have been on a run over the past week or so, with broader market attention focused on policy and liquidity signals. Yahoo Finance identifies two main drivers behind the move:
- The U.S. Treasury's announcement that it will double the maximum size of its long-term bond buyback program to $4 billion per session.
- Positive sentiment that crypto legislation will eventually pass, following last week's White House meeting between President Trump and representatives from Coinbase and Robinhood.
Current price of bitcoin and ethereum
Bitcoin
Bitcoin's price this morning was 1.6% higher than Monday's opening price. Measured against its opening price, bitcoin stands:
- 22.4% higher than one week ago
- 23.2% higher than one month ago
- 30.4% lower than one year ago
Bitcoin's all-time high is $128,198.07, recorded on October 6, 2025. Its all-time low is $0.04865, dating to July 14, 2010.
Ethereum
Ethereum's opening price this morning was 0.8% higher than Monday's open. Measured against its opening price, ethereum stands:
- 29.8% higher than one week ago
- 33.4% higher than one month ago
- 48.1% lower than one year ago
Ethereum's all-time high is $4,953.73, set on August 24, 2025. Its all-time low is $0.4209, dating to October 21, 2015.
What is Ethereum and how does it work?
Ethereum is the blockchain, while ether is the cryptocurrency that runs on it. When people say they are "buying ethereum," they are usually buying ETH — the digital asset used to run applications and store value. Investor approaches vary: some trade over short time frames, others accumulate their holdings gradually, and still others focus on earning a yield by locking up their ETH to help run the network, a process known as staking.
How to buy Ethereum
Ether, the native cryptocurrency of the Ethereum platform, remains significantly more volatile than the S&P 500 for many investors, though Yahoo Finance describes it as a foundational piece of a modern digital portfolio rather than a moonshot. The outlet outlines six steps for getting started:
- Choose your Ethereum investment strategy
- Pick the right platform
- Complete identity verification (KYC)
- Fund your Ethereum purchase
- Execute the trade
- Secure your investment
Price charts
Whether for newcomers tracking the value of bitcoin and ethereum or for more seasoned crypto investors, Yahoo Finance's BTC-USD and ETH-USD price charts provide a visual history of how each asset's value continues to move and evolve.
Source: Yahoo Finance
