Overall Cryptocurrency News, 18 August 2026: The market gained 2.6% to $2.28 trillion as Bitcoin strengthened, sentiment improved, and several altcoins posted sharp gains despite continued market risks.
The global cryptocurrency market today reached a capitalization of $2.28 trillion, with an overall surge of 2.6% in the last 24 hours, while total trading volume was recorded at $50.33 billion.
Bitcoin’s (BTC) dominance in the industry remains strong at 56.5%, while Ethereum (ETH) holds 10.1%. The largest gainers in the industry over the past day are Polkadot and the XRP Ledger Ecosystem.
(Note: BTC and ETH are often viewed as less volatile historically, but still risky. The data recorded from Official CoinGecko Data on 18 August 2026 at 1:30 AM UTC)
Bitcoin (BTC) price today reached $64269.4, surging 1.8% in the last 24 hours, with a trading volume of $21.16 billion and a market cap of $1.29 trillion.
Ethereum (ETH) price today is at $1905.74, up by 0.7% in 24 hours with a trading volume of $6.49 billion and a capitalization of $229.98 billion.
(Trending data is based on a combination of 24-hour price movement, trading volume, and CoinGecko trending metrics.)
Venice Token price (VVV): $13.15, up 9.3% in the last 24 hours, TV: $17.26 million.
Pudgy Penguins price (PENGU): $0.00607, up 2.1%, TV: $43.26 million.
The Black Bull price (ANSEM): $0.262, jumps 17.7%, TV: $37.98 million.
Peaq price (PEAQ): $0.01906, rises 17.2%, TV: $4.43 million.
Solana price (SOL): $75.73, up 0.7%, TV: $1.24 billion.
Top 3 Crypto Gainers in 24 hours (Ranked by 24-hour percentage gain):
Starpower price today (STAR): $0.1428, climbed 44.3%, with trading activity of around $15.37 million.
GoPlus Security price today (GPS): $0.01611, jumped 47.6%, with trading activity of around $118.89 million.
FGRS (Figure Tokenized Stock) price today (FGRS): $35.73, gained 13.0%, with trading activity of around $700.84 thousand.
Top 3 Crypto Losers in 24 hours (Ranked by 24-hour percentage loss):
Velvet price today (VELVET): $0.5628, fell 44.5%, with trading activity of around $23.31 million.
Cysic price today (CYS): $0.4829, dropped 36.4%, with trading activity of around $80.36 million.
SAFEbit price today (SAFE): $0.1011, slipped 30.5%, with trading activity of around $1.57 million.
(As per CoinGecko on 18 August 2026 at 1:30 AM UTC)
The Stablecoin Market reflects a 0.1% positive change over the past 24 hours, with a capitalization of $287 billion and trading volume of $43.9 billion.
The Overall (DeFi) Decentralized Finance market declined 0.1% over the last 24 hours, recording a market cap of $58.4 billion and trading volume (TV) at $2.57 billion. Defi dominance globally marked 2.6%.
Today's Crypto Fear & Greed Index sits at 41 ("Fear"), up from 31 yesterday, 29 last week, and 28 last month—a steady climb of ~13 points. This reflects easing panic as prices recover (like your gainers above), though sentiment remains cautious, not yet "Greed" (>55).
(Note: All of these updates affect traders, as they impact liquidity, sentiment, and potential returns, and thus must be monitored closely.)
1. Printr Shutdown: Printr has begun shutting down operations, citing funding and distribution challenges. Staking will end August 18, while its planned TGE and airdrop are canceled entirely.
2. fxhash Ceases Operations: Generative art platform fxhash has largely ceased operations, with its website offline and no new development plans. Existing works remain tradable through several third-party platforms
3. Moscow Exchange Crypto Futures: Moscow Exchange plans Bitcoin and Ethereum perpetual futures for investors, with coverage potentially expanding to ten assets. It also offers monthly and quarterly crypto futures.
4. European Blockchain Hiring: European institutions are increasing blockchain hiring as EU MiCA and tokenization expand. Demand now centers on stablecoins, payments, DLT infrastructure, asset tokenization, and compliance across Europe.
5. Farcaster Needs Stronger Products: Alliance co-founder Imran says decentralized social networks need stronger products to attract users. Combining token discovery, trading, reputation, and social features could drive user migration.
6. Monad Ends MON Liquidity Program: Monad Foundation has completed its MON liquidity program, allowing selected early investors to sell locked tokens at discounts. Nearly all invited holders declined to participate.
7. IREN Delivers Microsoft AI Project: IREN has delivered its 50MW Horizon AI cloud project to Microsoft in Texas, using NVIDIA GB300 GPUs as part of their five-year, $9.7 billion contract.
8. Compound Shifts Toward Institutions: Compound Finance approved a $52 million budget and reorganized leadership, shifting toward institutional DeFi infrastructure, with plans focused on RWAs, partnerships, and traditional financial-market credit.
9. Centrifuge Proposes CFG Equity Conversion: Centrifuge proposed allowing eligible CFG holders to exchange tokens for company equity. The proposal remains under active discussion, with a 14-day comment period currently underway.
10. Saylor Rejects MSTR Buyback Priority: Strategy executive chairman Michael Saylor says MSTR buybacks are not a priority unless shares trade below NAV. The company holds approximately $4.8 billion in cash reserves.
Forex Factory
The market improved significantly from yesterday as the Fear & Greed Index rose to 41 from 31. Bitcoin gained 1.8%, while Ethereum rose 0.7%. However, extreme volatility remained among altcoins, with GoPlus Security surging 47.6% while Velvet plunged 44.5%.
Crypto news readers and users, stronger market capitalization, and improving sentiment indicate recovering confidence. However, sharp differences between gainers and losers show that individual tokens remain highly volatile. Traders should monitor trading volume, Bitcoin dominance, market sentiment, and major developments before making decisions.
Risk Context: This commentary is not about long-term conditions and is merely informational. It does not point to the price or indicate an action to take on the investment.
The 24-hour crypto news market shows recovery appears beneficial, but crypto investment remains risky because volatility is still high. Improving sentiment does not guarantee sustained gains. Investors should avoid chasing sudden price spikes, manage risk carefully, diversify portfolios, and make decisions based on research rather than short-term excitement.
Disclaimer: The information should not be taken as financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrencies are very unstable and dangerous. You should never make an investment decision without doing your research (DYOR) and using a qualified financial advisor. Not all regions are able to provide all the services or assets in question.
