Crypto this week (28 Sep–4 Oct 2026): Bitcoin ends the quarter up 42.7%, in seven numbers

Some weeks feel like turning the last page of a chapter. Between 28 September and 4 October 2026, the third quarter of the year ended, bitcoin reacted within minutes to two US economic reports and ended the week 2.4% higher, and regulators in the US and the EU put new ideas on paper. Here is the week in seven numbers: a percentage, three counts, an amount of money and two dates, each one checked and sourced.

Key points: what happened in crypto this week?

• Bitcoin closed the week at $86,490 (€76,842), up 2.4% in dollars and 3.5% in euros. Ether rose 1.4% in dollars.
• Over July to September, bitcoin rose 42.7% on CoinMarketCap's daily prices, after three quarters of falls in a row. On the same prices, it was its biggest quarterly rise since late 2024.
• US spot bitcoin ETFs took in a net $241.1 million, a third straight week of inflows, while a net $138.0 million left ether ETFs.
• The US SEC proposed rules on how funds and advisers may hold crypto. Comments close on 7 December 2026.
• EU regulator ESMA asked for changes to MiCA, including stricter rules on influencer marketing and powers to block fraudulent websites.

1. 42.7%: bitcoin's rise over the quarter

A quarter is three months, and the third quarter (Q3) runs from July to September. On CoinMarketCap's daily prices, bitcoin (BTC) went from $58,562 when July opened to $83,554 when September closed on Wednesday 30 September. That is a rise of 42.7%. Ether (ETH) rose 70.9% over the same three months, from about $1,570 to about $2,684.

The rise came after three quarters of falls in a row: on the same prices, bitcoin lost 23.3%, 22.0% and 14.2% in the three quarters from October 2025 to June 2026. It was bitcoin's biggest quarterly rise since the last quarter of 2024, when it rose 47.5%. CoinDesk, citing the data firm CoinGlass, called it ether's best quarter since the first quarter of 2021.

Why it matters to you: a quarterly figure depends on where you start counting, and a large three-month rise can sit next to a small weekly one. Neither tells you what comes next.

2. 29,000: the jobs figure that met a bitcoin spike

Two US data releases set the tone. On 30 September, a US inflation measure called PCE (the personal consumption expenditures price index) came in softer than forecast: prices were up 3.4% on a year earlier. Bitcoin jumped more than 2% to above $85,500, then gave the move back within two hours. CoinDesk linked the fade to the 10-year US Treasury yield (what the US government pays to borrow for ten years), which rose to 5.30%, its highest since 2002.

On Friday 2 October, the US jobs report showed only 29,000 jobs added in September and unemployment at 4.2%. Right after it, bitcoin hit the week's high of $87,146 (€77,538), then, in a CoinDesk headline's words, "reversed big early gains". It rose again on Sunday, with no single verified cause, and closed at $86,490 (€76,842): 2.4% higher in dollars and 3.5% in euros. The euro gain was bigger because the dollar strengthened against the euro. Ether rose 1.4% in dollars and 2.5% in euros, ending at $2,726 (€2,422).

Why it matters to you: the US central bank, the Federal Reserve, raised its main interest rate by 0.25 percentage points to 3.75–4.00% on 16 September, and markets were watching for a further rise. Bitcoin reacted within minutes to both reports, and both moves faded: a single day's spike is not a trend.

3. $241.1 million: a third week of money into bitcoin funds

An ETF (exchange-traded fund) is a fund that trades on a stock exchange like a share. A "spot" bitcoin ETF holds actual bitcoin. US spot bitcoin ETFs took in a net $241.1 million this week, their third straight week of inflows (Cointelegraph, using SoSoValue data). Four days were positive, led by +$189.8 million on Friday; on Wednesday $148.7 million flowed out.

Ether ETFs went the other way. After a small inflow on Monday, they had four outflow days in a row, and a net $138.0 million left them over the week (The Block, using SoSoValue data). That outflow streak went on to reach nine days by 9 October.

Why it matters to you: bitcoin and ether funds can move in opposite directions in the same week. Flows show what investors in regulated US funds are doing. They are not a price forecast.

4. 7 December 2026: the deadline to comment on US crypto custody rules

"Custody" means who actually holds the crypto. On 1 October the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed new custody rules for registered investment advisers and regulated funds, the professionals who manage money for clients. It would let state trust companies act as crypto custodians and allow self-custody "in certain circumstances". CoinDesk reports the 760-page proposal would allow an adviser to hold crypto itself only if no qualified custodian is ready to hold it.

SEC Chairman Paul Atkins said custody rules "have not kept pace" and that the proposal gives advisers and funds "a compliant pathway where none existed before." A proposal is not a rule yet: the SEC first collects comments, which close on 7 December 2026.

The same day, the SEC issued a statement on the departure of Commissioner Hester Peirce, who had led its Crypto Task Force. CoinDesk reports she left on 2 October.

Why it matters to you: "self-custody" means holding the keys to your crypto yourself instead of using a custodian. This proposal is about US money managers. In the EU, holding crypto for clients is a service that needs a licence under MiCA.

5. 30 September: the day ESMA sent its MiCA wish list

MiCA (the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) is the EU's rulebook for crypto. On 30 September ESMA, the EU's securities markets regulator, published its response to the European Commission's consultation on reviewing MiCA. Its asks include:

• stricter rules for marketing crypto-assets, "particularly when they are promoted by influencers and third parties", and more transparency on costs;
• stronger EU tools to detect, block and deactivate fraudulent websites, and to freeze crypto in market-abuse or terrorist-financing cases;
• more power over firms outside the EU that target EU investors without MiCA authorisation;
• explicit rules stopping regulated crypto firms from offering services linked to stablecoins that do not comply with MiCA;
• clearer criteria for when an activity is "genuinely decentralised".

Why it matters to you: it shows what the EU's markets regulator wants to change. It is a consultation response, not law, and nothing changes for you yet. Our course on crypto rules in the EU explains what MiCA already covers.

6. 247: hacks and scams counted in three months

On 1 October, Cointelegraph and CoinDesk reported figures from the security firm CertiK: $1.26 billion was lost to hacks and scams in Q3, across 247 incidents. That was up 53.9% from $819.4 million in the second quarter. By CertiK's count, September was the worst month of 2026 so far, with $768.5 million lost in 99 incidents.

These incidents happened between July and September, not this week. The largest on the list was the hack of the Bitget exchange on 24 September, at $387.5 million, about 31% of the quarter's total.

Why it matters to you: the biggest case on the list hit an exchange, not people's own wallets. Where you keep your crypto, and how you secure your own access to it, both matter. Our introduction to security covers the basics.

7. 30 days: how long companies get to object to tokenised shares

A tokenised stock is a crypto token meant to mirror a company share. OKXICE, a 50-50 joint venture between the crypto exchange OKX and Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), the owner of the New York Stock Exchange, filed a notice with the SEC, dated 4 October, for a venue to trade tokenised versions of more than 60 US-listed stocks around the clock.

It relies on a five-year "Innovation Exemption" the SEC issued on 17 September. The tokens must carry the same rights as the shares, such as dividends and voting, and listed companies get 30 days to object. No launch date was given.

Why it matters to you: this tests the US route for tokenised shares, and the companies themselves get a say. In the EU, such products fall under different rules.

What to take from this week

The quarter's big number and the week's small one tell different stories about the same coin, and the sharpest daily moves followed US data releases. The US proposed how professionals may hold crypto, and the EU's markets regulator listed what it wants changed in MiCA. Both are proposals, so nothing changes for you yet. The quarter's hack tally is a reminder that security is part of every crypto decision.

What you can do now

• Learn why bitcoin reacts to inflation, jobs data and interest rates in about the crypto market.
• New to ETFs and fund flows? Start with investment basics.
• Understand custody and self-custody in storing cryptocurrencies.
• Learn how fraudulent websites and paid promotions work in our spot-the-scam course.

Questions readers ask

How much did bitcoin rise in the third quarter of 2026?

By 42.7% on CoinMarketCap's daily prices, from $58,562 at the start of July to $83,554 on 30 September. Ether rose 70.9%.

What happened to the bitcoin price between 28 September and 4 October 2026?

It fell to $82,571 on 28 September, reached $87,146 on 2 October and closed at $86,490, up 2.4% in dollars and 3.5% in euros.

When do comments on the SEC's crypto custody proposal close?

On 7 December 2026. Until the SEC adopts a final rule, the proposal does not change anything.

Crypto prices can rise and fall sharply, and you could lose some or all of the money you put in. Crypto is not covered by deposit protection. This article is for education, not financial advice.