The worldwide cryptocurrency valuation increased to approximately $2.82 trillion on Thursday, hitting its highest point in over seven months as bitcoin surpassed $81,000 alongside double-digit increases for major alternative cryptocurrencies.
This marks a significant rebound from the steep sell-off in January, during which the aggregate market capitalization dropped from roughly $3.4 trillion in the middle of January down to about $2.3 trillion during the initial week of February. At the time of publication, Bitcoin (BTC) changed hands near $81,460, representing a 5.4% increase.
Among the top fifty digital assets, Zcash’s native token (ZEC) paced the day’s advances with a 16.5% surge. Cardano (ADA) rose by 13%, while XRP and Dogecoin (DOGE) both advanced by roughly 10%.
The upward movement likewise extended into digital asset equities. Leading bitcoin treasury entity Strategy (MSTR) and USD Coin issuer Circle (CRCL) each advanced by 15%, whereas crypto trading platform Coinbase (COIN) grew by about 10%. This upward momentum additionally propelled Strategy’s STRC preferred instruments nearly back to their targeted $100 par value after tumbling to a low of $69 five weeks previously.
“Bitcoin breaking the $80k resistance, supported by $100 million in ETF inflows and over-the-counter transactions, proved sufficient to sideline the bears ahead of upcoming U.S. macroeconomic indicators,” remarked Paul Howard, who serves as senior director at Wincent. He additionally noted that a revival within memecoin trading has assisted in establishing the foundation for what he anticipates could be a steady progression toward $100,000 prior to the conclusion of the year.
Fed rate decision looms
Financial markets remain nearly evenly divided regarding the upcoming actions of the Federal Reserve at its September 16 FOMC meeting. Traders currently estimate a 50.4% probability of a 25-basis-point interest rate increase alongside a 49.6% likelihood that central bank officials will maintain rates unchanged.
Richard Green, institutional head at RootstockLabs, expressed that bitcoin’s appreciation running parallel to gold reflects the so-called “debasement trade” amid worries regarding sovereign obligations that might ultimately prompt monetary intervention.
“As those circumstances approach critical thresholds, participants direct a greater portion of funds toward assets, particularly tangible holdings,” Green stated, while offering a reminder that additional pullbacks remain probable.
Adam Haeems, who leads asset management at Tesseract Group, highlighted roughly $1.4 billion in September bitcoin put options positioned between $68,000 and $75,000, though total open interest for puts is roughly half that of calls, featuring substantial call volume concentrated between $82,000 and $100,000. Haeems characterized this positioning as a “hedged long,” with participants maintaining their market exposure while safeguarding against a potential correction.
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Originally published at https://www.theblock.co/news/markets/2026-09-03-crypto-market-cap-surges-2-82-trillion-zcash-leads-rally-alongside-stocks-413478.
