Cryptocurrencies started the morning of August 13 without sharp moves: overall investor sentiment remains closer to selling than buying.
Brief summary of major coins:
- Bitcoin: around $63.5K; almost unchanged over the day.
- Ethereum: around $1.9K; no noticeable movement in 24 hours.
Main Market Numbers
Since June, Bitcoin has remained in a fairly tight corridor of $60–66K. Over the past day, its rate has hardly changed. Ethereum has been fluctuating in the $1.83–1.95K range for the second week and also shows no significant movement in 24 hours.
USDT is the Tether stablecoin, a cryptocurrency pegged to the price of a regular currency. In the case of USDT, the benchmark is $1, and the stability of the rate is supported by the issuer’s reserves. Therefore, such coins are usually used as a convenient bridge between fiat money and the crypto market. On major online exchange aggregators, offers to sell USDT of the TRC20 standard for cash rubles or via SBP transfer start at about 86.1 rubles per 1 USDT.
- USDT TRC20: from 86.1 rubles per 1 USDT; payment in cash rubles or via SBP transfer.
The market capitalization of the crypto market is around $2.19 trillion. Two movements stood out in the top 100 over the day:
- VIRTUALS: native token of Virtuals Protocol, +10%.
- BEAT: token of the Audiera Web3 gaming platform, -13%.
For BTC-based exchange-traded funds, the session on August 12 ended with an outflow of more than $60 million. Ethereum funds, on the contrary, saw an inflow of about $7 million. The crypto market fear and greed index is at 29 out of 100. This is the fear zone, almost at the border of extreme fear, indicating investor caution and their tendency to lock in positions.
What Is Happening With Bitcoin
Recent weeks have seen low volatility and weak interest in spot bitcoin ETFs. Against this background, trading volumes are also decreasing. According to Glassnode, the indicator, recalculated in terms of the amount of bitcoin, has dropped to its lowest since 2019.
Glassnode links the risk of a new downward move to several factors: few buy orders, the share of leveraged positions remains high, and trading activity looks record low. With this combination, Bitcoin may again approach the June low of about $58.5K.
At the same time, some experts maintain positive long-term expectations. Zach Pandl, head of research at asset management company Grayscale, believes that the price of Bitcoin has stabilized and the market is approaching the end of the latest bear cycle.
Grayscale still expects growing interest in scarce assets, expanded use of blockchain technologies, and a generational shift among investors. Younger market participants are more likely to view cryptocurrency as an asset in their personal portfolio accounting, not just as a speculative instrument.
AI, Security and Infrastructure
Crypto companies are paying closer attention to the risks that new artificial intelligence technologies may bring. Dozens of industry players have approached developers of popular AI models to get early access to their capabilities.
The industry’s main argument is simple: if Bitcoin developers do not have access to advanced AI models, it is harder for them to look for vulnerabilities. Among the organizations that have requested help from the developers of such models are:
- Coinbase
- Block
- BitGo
- Blockstream
- Anchorage Digital
- ARK Invest
- Bitwise
- Foundry
- Casa
- Exodus
The security issue is especially sensitive for the crypto market. Blockchain, cryptography, and software are at the core of the network, where it is important to prevent double spending and other technical risks. That is why code review and vulnerability search technologies are becoming increasingly important.
Altcoins, DeFi and the Bet on Token Buybacks
Long-term growth expectations for Bitcoin are spreading to the market as a whole. Bitwise head Matt Hougan believes that the crypto market capitalization may at least double over time if protocols continue to direct revenues to buy back and burn their own tokens.
He cites several DeFi projects as examples:
- Hyperliquid
- Uniswap
- Aave
- Lighter
He expects that similar mechanisms will begin to be implemented by other DeFi projects in the next 12–24 months.
Interest in altcoins is also evident from the actions of trading companies. One of the oldest crypto market makers, GSR, increased the share of Solana in its portfolio while simultaneously reducing the weight of ETH and BTC. The ratio is now 43.6%, 39.5%, and 16.9% respectively.
Against this background, investors continue to monitor not only Bitcoin and Ethereum but also other major coins and market sectors. Among the main benchmarks:
- Bitcoin
- Ethereum
- Litecoin
- Ripple
- Dogecoin
- NFT projects
- DeFi tokens
Many market participants are used to assessing their dynamics through services like CoinMarketCap, which makes it convenient to compare price, capitalization, and liquidity.
Ethereum and Demand for Staking
Major crypto market players are showing significant interest in Ethereum staking. Fidelity plans to add this option to its exchange-traded product, the Fidelity Ethereum Fund, known as FETH, and share part of the passive income with fund investors.
Actual data also show steady demand for staking. Throughout 2026, the inflow of new coins into this segment remains at several billion dollars.
For investors, this is an important signal: Ethereum is increasingly seen not only as a currency for settlements within the ecosystem but also as an asset capable of generating income. At the same time, yield does not eliminate market risks, especially when the overall sentiment index remains in the fear zone.
Cryptocurrency in Simple Terms
Cryptocurrency is digital money that exists on a network and is transferred between users without the usual intermediary bank. It differs from regular digital assets in that its operation is usually tied to its own network, issuance rules, and transaction verification by network participants.
Blockchain can be thought of as a chain of records about transfers. New transactions are collected into blocks, verified by the network, and added to the overall history. Copies of this history are stored by different participants, and cryptography helps protect data from tampering. This is how cryptocurrency achieves decentralization: control is not concentrated in one place.
Cryptocurrency differs from fiat money in several ways. Regular money is issued and controlled by the state through the financial system, while the issuance rules for many cryptocurrencies are written in code. At the same time, crypto transactions are often transparent to the network but not always fully anonymous: usually, it is about address pseudonymity.
How to Buy, Exchange and Store Cryptocurrency
Typically, buying or exchanging looks like this: the user selects a crypto exchange, exchanger, or P2P platform, passes the necessary verification, chooses a coin and payment method, and then receives the asset to an exchange account or personal wallet. Payment is made by bank cards, transfers, SBP, cash, and other available methods — the set of options depends on the platform.
Selling is the reverse: cryptocurrency is transferred to the platform or exchange service, then exchanged for rubles, dollars, or another asset. Before the transaction, it is important to check the rate, fees, limits, and the reputation of the service.
Different wallets are used for storage. Hot wallets are connected to the internet and are convenient for quick transactions. Cold wallets store keys without constant network connection. Hardware wallets are suitable for long-term storage, while software wallets are convenient for everyday access. The larger the amount and the longer the storage period, the more important personal control of keys and backup phrases becomes.
Earnings, Risks and Legal Status
You can earn on cryptocurrency in various ways: trading, long-term investing, mining, staking, participating in DeFi protocols, or earning from token price growth. But any of these options involves risk: prices can change sharply, and returns are not guaranteed.
- Volatility: the rate can rise quickly and fall just as fast.
- Theft: attackers may try to gain access to your wallet or exchange account.
- Technical failures: code errors, network overloads, and platform problems can interfere with transactions.
- Fraud: fake exchangers, counterfeit tokens, and investment schemes remain a frequent threat.
- Regulatory risks: rules for working with crypto assets may change and affect the availability of certain transactions.
In Russia, cryptocurrency is not considered a regular means of payment for goods and services. You can own, buy, and sell it, but transactions depend on legal requirements, tax rules, and restrictions of specific platforms.
Context for Investors
The crypto market still heavily depends on liquidity, ETF expectations, and institutional investor interest. The US dollar remains the key settlement point for evaluating most crypto assets, and stablecoins like USDT continue to serve as a bridge between regular money and digital markets.
Investing in crypto assets requires understanding the basic principles of the industry. The concepts laid down by Satoshi Nakamoto still define the perception of Bitcoin as a decentralized payment system. At the same time, public discussions on X, the social network, where statements by well-known entrepreneurs, including Elon Musk, often spark surges of interest in certain coins, are drawing more attention to the market.
For now, the market looks cautious: Bitcoin is stuck in a range, Ethereum holds local levels, and market participants are closely watching capital flows, trading volumes, and buyers’ willingness to return to risk.
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