Crypto Market This Week: Bitcoin Flat, SAND Up 64%
Bitcoin was up 0.3% for the week at $84,754 on 3 October 2026 after a $82,563 to $87,220 swing. SAND rose 64%; ZEC, ENA and NEAR fell over 11%.
Bitcoin is almost exactly where it started the week. From Monday 28 September 00:00 UTC to 20:50 UTC on Saturday 3 October 2026, it rose 0.3% to about $84,754 (about ₹81.7 lakh), after swinging between $82,563 and $87,220. Ether was flat at about $2,688. The Sandbox's SAND gained about 64% after South Korean exchanges lifted warning labels, while Zcash fell 16.5%.
Key takeaways
- Bitcoin's weekly range was 5.6%, from a Monday low of $82,563 to a Friday high of $87,220, but the net change was only 0.3%.
- Ether ended the week flat at about $2,688 after trading between $2,636 and $2,777.
- SAND was the standout large mover, up from $0.0455 to $0.0745, after Upbit, Bithumb and Coinone removed caution labels on 2 October.
- Zcash (minus 16.5%), Ethena (minus 12.7%), NEAR (minus 11.8%) and Arbitrum (minus 10.9%) were among the biggest fallers.
- All prices are dollar prices on major global exchanges at 20:50 UTC on 3 October; Indian exchange prices in rupees can differ slightly.
What happened in the crypto market this week
Bitcoin's week had one sharp burst and little else. It made its weekly low of $82,563 on Monday, 28 September, between 14:00 and 15:00 UTC (19:30 to 20:30 IST). On Friday, 2 October, the weak US September jobs report, which showed only 29,000 new jobs, pushed bitcoin to $87,220 between 12:00 and 13:00 UTC (17:30 to 18:30 IST). The gain did not hold: by the 18:00 UTC hour bitcoin had dropped to $83,888, as our report on the jobs-report spike and fall explains. Saturday was quiet, with bitcoin trading between $84,456 and $85,038.
Ether followed a similar path. It touched $2,777 on Friday morning UTC, fell to $2,651 that evening and was back at $2,688 by Saturday night, unchanged from Monday's open. The week before, bitcoin had gained 4.1% and ether 1.6%.
The crypto market's weekly numbers
The crypto market table below compares Monday's opening price with the price at 20:50 UTC on Saturday, 3 October 2026.
| Coin | Mon 28 Sep open | Sat 3 Oct, 20:50 UTC | Week change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin (BTC) | $84,472 | $84,754 | +0.3% |
| Ether (ETH) | $2,688.65 | $2,688.13 | 0.0% |
| BNB | $778.90 | $787.09 | +1.1% |
| Solana (SOL) | $122.00 | $119.85 | minus 1.8% |
| XRP | $1.5167 | $1.4906 | minus 1.7% |
| The Sandbox (SAND) | $0.0455 | $0.0745 | +63.8% |
| Aave (AAVE) | $154.58 | $181.06 | +17.1% |
| Arbitrum (ARB) | $0.2261 | $0.2014 | minus 10.9% |
| NEAR | $5.388 | $4.753 | minus 11.8% |
| Ethena (ENA) | $0.2724 | $0.2379 | minus 12.7% |
| Zcash (ZEC) | $1,587.60 | $1,324.91 | minus 16.5% |
What moved altcoins this week
SAND's jump came after three of South Korea's largest exchanges, Upbit, Bithumb and Coinone, removed the investment caution labels they had placed on the token in late August. The labels followed a 22 August exploit of The Sandbox's cross-chain bridge, in which unbacked SAND was minted on Base and BNB Smart Chain. Bithumb and Coinone reopened SAND deposits and withdrawals at 16:00 KST (12:30 IST) on 2 October. SAND rose about 54% on Friday and peaked at $0.0840 on Saturday between 05:00 and 06:00 UTC, before slipping to $0.0745 by 20:50 UTC, about 11% below the high.
Among the fallers, Ethena's ENA slid ahead of its 5 October investor unlock, covered in our ENA unlock report. NEAR fell in a week when NEAR Intents was exploited for $3.8 million and the funds were returned, as our NEAR Intents report explains. On 2 October, Arbitrum's Security Council paused new Stylus smart contract activations on Arbitrum One and Nova as a precaution and said no user funds were at risk; ARB is on our Arbitrum price in INR page.
Why this week matters for Indian investors
Bitcoin's flat weekly result hid a 5.6% swing. At ₹96.37 to the dollar, bitcoin moved between about ₹79.6 lakh and ₹84.1 lakh this week and stood near ₹81.7 lakh at 20:50 UTC on 3 October (live: ₹8,096,152 on our Bitcoin price in INR page). Ether was about ₹2.59 lakh.
Choppy weeks are costly for frequent traders in India. Each profitable sale is taxed at a flat 30% plus 4% cess, 1% TDS is deducted on transfers, and losses cannot be set off against gains, so buying the Friday spike and selling the evening drop leaves a loss you cannot use. Our crypto tax guide explains the rules, and the gainers and losers page shows the day's movers.
What to watch next week
- 5 October: Ethena's investor token unlock.
- Ethereum: the Glamsterdam upgrade test on the Sepolia testnet, plus the RBI's policy decision and the Fed minutes, all in our week-ahead preview.
- Korea: whether SAND holds its gains now that Korean deposits and withdrawals are open again.
FAQ
How did bitcoin do this week (28 September to 3 October 2026)?
Bitcoin was almost flat, up 0.3% to about $84,754 at 20:50 UTC on 3 October 2026. It traded between $82,563 and $87,220 during the week.
Why did the SAND price jump this week?
The jump followed Upbit, Bithumb and Coinone lifting the investment caution labels they had placed on SAND after an August bridge exploit. SAND rose about 64% from Monday's open to 20:50 UTC on 3 October.
What is the bitcoin price in rupees on 3 October 2026?
About ₹81.7 lakh at 20:50 UTC, based on the global price of $84,754 and ₹96.37 to the dollar. Indian exchange prices can be slightly higher or lower.
This article is AI-assisted, educational and general in nature. It is not financial advice and never a guarantee of profit. Every trade is at your own risk on your own exchange. See our risk disclosure and editorial policy.
