Crypto News on September 12: Bitcoin held steady at around $77,000, Ethereum rose 2.6%

Top 10 cryptocurrency news: Bitcoin's rise, Federal Reserve's interest rate hike and EU-India trade agreement

September 12, 2026 Cryptocurrency News Today: As market sentiment improved, Bitcoin, Ethereum, decentralized finance (DeFi) and popular altcoins led the gains, with global markets rising 0.8%, with a total market value reaching US$2.73 trillion.

Today's Crypto Market Dynamics: Prices, Trading Volumes and Trends

According to data recorded by CoinGecko at 1:30 am UTC time on September 12, 2026, the global market value of cryptocurrencies is US$2.73 trillion, up 0.8% from the previous day. The total transaction volume was US$110.2 billion. Bitcoin (BTC)'s dominance in the industry remains strong, accounting for 56.8%, while Ethereum (ETH) accounts for 11.2%. The strongest performing sectors in the past day were DEX aggregators and quantum-resistant cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) price trend analysis

(Note: BTC and ETH have historically been generally regarded as less volatile, but still present risks. The data comes from Official CoinGecko Data, recorded at 1:30 a.m. UTC on September 12, 2026)

Bitcoin (BTC) price today was US$77,268.7, up 0.6% in the past 24 hours. Its trading volume is approximately US$34.58 billion and its market value is approximately US$1.55 trillion.

Ethereum (ETH) prices today stood at US$2,513.18, up 2.6% in the past 24 hours. Ethereum's transaction volume is approximately US$24.7 billion and its market value is close to US$306.6 billion.

Popular cryptocurrency price movements in 24 hours

Some popular assets have also experienced significant fluctuations in the past 24 hours.

• STONK (STONK): price was US$0.2982, up 46.7%, with trading volume of US$148.81 million.
• Pons (PONS): price was US$0.6009, up 7.3%, and trading volume was US$121.35 million.
• Zcash (ZEC): price was US$1,135.87, up 7.2%, with trading volume of US$1.83 billion.
• Hunter Biden's Laptop (LAPTOP): Price was US$0.4109, down 20.0%, with trading volume of US$25.32 million.
• Pearl (PRL): Price was US$0.5803, up 29.8%, with trading volume of US$1.98 million.

Among them, Zcash's trading volume far exceeds that of other currencies, and Hunter Biden's Laptop is the only token among these five currencies to experience a 24-hour decline.

The top three cryptocurrencies with increases in 24 hours (ranked by 24-hour percentage increase)

• Astronaut (ASTRO): Today's price was US$0.02182, up 31.4%, with transaction volume of US$14.97 million.
• Embercurve (EMBER): Today's price was US$0.01681, up 157.4%, with trading volume of US$72.49 million.
• Storj (STORJ): Today's price was US$0.06139, soaring 118.9%, with trading volume of US$88.56 million.

Storj had the highest trading volume of the three, while Embercurve recorded the largest percentage increase, with prices more than doubling in 24 hours.

The top three cryptocurrencies with declines in 24 hours (ranked by 24-hour percentage decline)

• Memory Cow Moo (MOO): The price was US$0.0227, down 17.0%, and the transaction volume was approximately US$6.47 million.
• Boner Coin (BONER): price was US$0.03264, down 25.2%, with trading volume of approximately US$5.37 million.
• Anonymous Cat (ZCAT): price was US$0.07256, down 29.4%, and trading volume was approximately US$13.1 million.

ZCAT fell the most among the three, but also had the highest trading volume; while Boner Coin was the least liquid token in the group.

stablecoins and DeFi market updates

(Source: CoinGecko, September 12, 2026 1:30 AM)

The broader market weakness has not affected stablecoins and decentralized finance equally.

The market value of stablecoins reached US$290.9 billion and remained unchanged in the past 24 hours. The trading volume of stablecoins was approximately US$95.11 billion.

The decentralized finance (DeFi) market, which includes blockchain-based financial applications such as decentralized exchanges and lending agreements, grew 0.3% to reach US$73.74 billion. DeFi transaction volume is approximately US$6.22 billion, accounting for 2.7% of the global market share.

Today's Cryptocurrency Fear and Greed Index

Source: Alternative Me

On September 12, the cryptocurrency fear and greed index was 63, which was in the "greedy" range. That was up from 56 yesterday, indicating increased market optimism over the past 24 hours. However, the reading is still lower than 73 a week ago, indicating that sentiment is still milder than last week.

At the same time, current levels are well above the 29 points that were in the "fear" range last month. Overall, a rebound to 63 points suggests a return to bullish sentiment in the short term, although investors are still less optimistic than they were a week ago.

Today's key cryptocurrency news

In addition to market prices, a number of developments may affect the sentiment, regulation, infrastructure and institutional activity of the crypto market.

1. India tokenizes corporate bonds: India has started tokenizing corporate bonds through digital rupee, SEBI and RBI launched Demat 2.0;REC, LT and IIFL raised a total of US$116 million.
2. Coinbase says cryptocurrency rules will continue: Coinbase's U.S. policy director said that even if the CLARITY Act fails, regulators can continue to implement cryptomarket structure rules, indicating that regulatory action will continue regardless of the situation in Congress.
3. Tokenized stocks turn to practical applications: Binance Research said that tokenized stocks are moving to distribution, with an active market value reaching US$4 billion, and monthly trading volume climbing to US$7.9 billion in August.
4. U.S. Treasury yields hit three-year high: U.S. Treasury yields soared, reaching 4.99%. Global bond markets were under pressure due to oil prices exceeding US$100, continued inflation and expectations of a Fed rate hike.
5. Metaplanet cuts executive compensation: After shareholder criticism, Metaplanet is revising its executive compensation plan, eliminating 131 million potential shares, postponing unvested options, and completely redesigning its employee warrant program.
6. Caroline Ellison joins Manifold: Former Alameda executive Caroline Ellison has joined Manifold full-time after completing her sentence and working with creditors, responsible for platform development, operations and technical infrastructure.
7. EU-India Trade Agreement Advance: The European Commission has asked EU governments to approve the signing of the EU-India Free Trade Agreement, pushing this landmark agreement to enter the final ratification stage.
8. Robinhood defends stock tokenization: Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev stated that issuers should only approve tokenization when stock rights change, and that the use of independent instruments that can freely transfer shares does not require the issuer's consent.
9. Polymarket bets raise questions: Bubblemaps found that 19 associated Polymarket accounts won 41 of 42 earnings forecasts, earning approximately US$22,000; the analysis did not conclusively confirm insider trading or identity.
10. LAPTOPTOken Supply Destruction: Hunter Biden said Eric Trump and Beeple mentioned LAPTOPToken, and the project mechanism reportedly destroyed 1% of its supply, worth approximately $3.6 million at current prices.

Comparative insight: What has changed today?

Market sentiment reversed sharply over the past two days. In the September 11 update, global market value fell 1.9% to US$2.7 trillion; Bitcoin and Ethereum both fell, and the Fear and Greed Index cooled to 56 points. By September 12, the market rebounded 0.8% to US$2.73 trillion, with both Bitcoin and Ethereum rising, and sentiment rebounded to 63 points. DeFi also reversed from a previous 2.5% decline to 0.3% growth, while stablecoins have remained stable for two days, highlighting their relative stability during periods of market and altcoin volatility.

What does today's crypto market trend mean?

The September 12 update reflects a market that tends to return to optimism rather than a sharp reversal. Global market capitalisation rose 0.8%, with Bitcoin and Ethereum both rising, and the Fear and Greed Index rising to 63 points from 56 points, signaling increased short-term sentiment, although still below last week's 73 points. DeFi grew 0.3%, and stablecoins remained stable, indicating widespread confidence, albeit moderately (albeit more moderate).

However, popular altcoins fluctuated violently, with gains of more than 150% and declines of nearly 30%, indicating that while large-market assets are cautiously higher, small coins are still highly speculative and sensitive to mood changes and liquidity.

CoinGabbar's Market View

The September 12 update points to a cautiously bullish cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin and Ethereum both rose, DeFi grew slightly, stablecoins strengthened, while the Fear and Greed Index rose to 63 points, confirmed to be in the "greedy" range. However, extreme fluctuations in small tokens such as Embercurve and Storj suggest that headline percentage gains can be misleading if liquidity and market size are not taken into account: a 150% change in small tokens is not the same as a 2-3% change in Bitcoin or Ethereum. Investors and daily readers should pay attention to Bitcoin trends, Ethereum's momentum, trading volume and mood changes, while at the same time being cautious about the surge in altcoins given its higher risks and volatility.

Disclaimer : This article is for reference and educational purposes only and should not be regarded as financial or investment advice. The cryptocurrency market is extremely volatile, and individual digital assets may experience large price fluctuations or losses. Readers should study on their own (DYOR) and consult a qualified finance professional before making financial decisions. The availability of cryptocurrency services and assets may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.