Bitcoin vs Ethereum: 12 months, side by side.
In the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, Bitcoin fell 26.6% and Ethereum 34.7%: Ethereum lost 8.1 percentage points more than Bitcoin. Ethereum swung 1.4x as hard, and their daily moves lined up very closely (correlation 0.91).
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How much each one swung
Ethereum was clearly the wilder of the two: 62.1% annualized volatility against 44.3% for Bitcoin. Ethereum had more than twice as many days with a move above 5%: 37 against 17. On a typical day Ethereum moved 1.60%, 1.3x the 1.26% of Bitcoin. Their worst day was the same, Feb 5, 2026: Bitcoin fell 13.9% and Ethereum 14.9%. The day they parted most was a rally for both, Aug 19, 2026, but Ethereum rose 17.5% and Bitcoin only 7.1%.
| Measure | Bitcoin | Ethereum |
|---|---|---|
| Close on Oct 10, 2025 | $113,000 | $3,837 |
| Close on Oct 10, 2026 | $82,913 | $2,504 |
| 1-year change | -26.6% | -34.7% |
| Annualized volatility | 44.3% | 62.1% |
| Median daily move | 1.26% | 1.60% |
| Days with a move over 5% | 17 | 37 |
| Best day | +12.2%, Feb 6, 2026 | +17.5%, Aug 19, 2026 |
| Worst day | -13.9%, Feb 5, 2026 | -14.9%, Feb 5, 2026 |
| Maximum drawdown | -49.2% | -63.1% |
| Lowest close | $58,532, Jun 30, 2026 | $1,565, Jun 25, 2026 |
| Days that closed higher | 175 of 365 | 182 of 365 |
| $500, one buy | $366.87 | $326.29 |
| $500, 52 weekly buys | $540.43 | $538.10 |
How closely Bitcoin and Ethereum moved together
Day to day, Bitcoin and Ethereum moved very closely together: correlation 0.91, and the same direction on 316 of 365 days. Only 49 days went opposite ways. On average Ethereum moved 1.27% for every 1% move in Bitcoin, so it amplified Bitcoin's swings.
Head to head, day by day, it was close to even: Bitcoin had the better day on 189 of the 365 days, Ethereum on 176. $500 in each, bought on Oct 10, 2025 and held, ended at $366.87 in Bitcoin and $326.29 in Ethereum. The lead changed hands during the year: the Bitcoin holding was ahead by up to 32% on Jun 6, 2026, and behind by up to 8% on Oct 13, 2025. Bitcoin also did better in six of the 11 full months. They differed most in July 2026, a month that went the same way for both: Bitcoin +7.3%, Ethereum +18.5%.
The deepest falls
Ethereum's maximum drawdown went 14.0 percentage points deeper: 63.1%, from $4,244 on Oct 13, 2025 to $1,565 on Jun 25, 2026. Bitcoin's worst run was 49.2%. Their lows came within a week of each other: Bitcoin on Jun 30, 2026, Ethereum on Jun 25, 2026. By Oct 10, 2026, Bitcoin was 28.0% below its 12-month high and Ethereum 41.0% below its own.
Next to the other 17 comparisons
- No other pair of the 18 on this site moved as closely together: a correlation of 0.91.
- Their weekly-buying results were the closest of any pair, $2.33 apart.
- Ranked by how far apart the two 1-year results were, it came thirteenth of 18.
$500 in each: one buy or 52 weekly buys
Spreading the $500 over 52 weekly buys beat a single buy on Oct 10, 2025 for both coins: almost every weekly buy, 51 for Bitcoin and 49 for Ethereum, came below the starting price. Both weekly tests ended above the $500 put in, Bitcoin at $540.43 and Ethereum at $538.10. The two weekly results were within $2.33 of each other.
Bitcoin, one buy
$366.87
-26.6%
0.00442 BTC at $113,000.
Bitcoin, 52 weekly buys
$540.43
+8.1%
Average cost $76,710 per BTC.
Ethereum, one buy
$326.29
-34.7%
0.13 ETH at $3,837.
Ethereum, 52 weekly buys
$538.10
+7.6%
Average cost $2,327 per ETH.
Method: Kraken daily closes (UTC) from Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026, one buy of $500 at the first close or $500 / 52 at every seventh close, both valued at the last close with no fees. Other amounts: DCA calculator.
What sets Bitcoin and Ethereum apart
Bitcoin and Ethereum are the two largest cryptocurrencies, but they were built for different jobs. Bitcoin is a payment network and store of value with a fixed cap of 21 million coins, secured by proof-of-work mining. Ethereum is a platform for smart contracts, the base of most DeFi apps and many stablecoins, and it has run on proof of stake since 2022 with no fixed supply cap.
Traders often follow the ETH/BTC ratio, the price of one ether in bitcoin, to see whether money is moving toward smart contract platforms or toward Bitcoin. Both coins have spot ETFs in the United States, so the money flowing into those funds is another number people compare.
Each coin's full year: Bitcoin trading simulator and Ethereum trading simulator.
How to compare Bitcoin and Ethereum in Staxo
- Step 1
Find both in the Market tab
Bitcoin and Ethereum are both among the 10 coins on Staxo's free plan, so you can trade them with the $500 in demo money you start with, using market orders and up to 10 trades a day.
- Step 2
Buy the same amount of each
Put $100 into each at the same moment: over the last year, the Ethereum position moved about 1.4x as much as the Bitcoin one.
- Step 3
Check them side by side
Open your Portfolio once a day and compare the two positions: over the last 12 months they moved the same way on 316 of 365 days.
- Step 4
Read the RSI on both charts
The coin screen shows the RSI(14) on the free plan. Over the last year Bitcoin had more oversold days, below 30, than Ethereum (22 against 22). Staxo Pro adds MACD, Bollinger Bands and candlestick charts, plus short selling and leverage at 1x, 2x and 5x.
Bitcoin vs Ethereum questions
Which was more volatile, Bitcoin or Ethereum?
Ethereum, at 62.1% annualized volatility against 44.3% from Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026. Its worst day was -14.9%, Bitcoin's -13.9%.
Do Bitcoin and Ethereum move together?
Very much so. Their daily returns had a correlation of 0.91 over the 365 days to Oct 10, 2026, where 1 means they always move together. Holding both did little to spread risk.
Which did better over the last 12 months, Bitcoin or Ethereum?
Bitcoin lost less: -26.6% against -34.7% for Ethereum from Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026. $500 in 52 weekly buys ended at $540.43 in Bitcoin and $538.10 in Ethereum. That describes the past year only and says nothing about which will do better next.
More comparisons
Trade Bitcoin and Ethereum with $500 in demo money.
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Educational content, not investment advice. The figures describe prices from Oct 10, 2025 to Oct 10, 2026 and say nothing about which coin does better next. Staxo is a simulator: you practice with demo money, never real money.