---
title: "Bitcoin vs Ethereum Statistics 2026: Market Cap, Fees, Hashrate"
date: 2025-07-13
author: "Barry Elad"
featured_image: "https://coinlaw.io/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/bitcoin-versus-ethereum-statistics.jpg"
categories:
  - name: "Cryptocurrency"
    url: "/crypto.md"
tags:
  - name: "Statistics"
    url: "/tag/statistics.md"
---

# Bitcoin vs Ethereum Statistics 2026: Market Cap, Fees, Hashrate

Bitcoin trades at **$76,953** with a market cap of approximately **$1.54 trillion** on May 18, 2026, while Ethereum trades at **$2,120.40** at a **$255.6 billion** market cap. The two assets compete for the same pool of risk capital, but their core mechanics diverged sharply after the September 2022 Merge.

Bitcoin’s shows a proof-of-work network that consumes around 95.5 TWh of electricity annually, as the best-guess 2025 estimate, while Ethereum’s shows a post-Merge consensus that runs on a fraction of that and has burned more ETH than it issued at several intervals since September 2022. The data H2s below cover market cap, supply, hashrate, fees, ETF flows, energy footprint, and the volatility delta between the two assets.

## Key Takeaways

- [Bitcoin](https://coinlaw.io/bitcoin-statistics/)‘s market cap of **$1.54 trillion** is roughly six times Ethereum’s **$255.6 billion** cap as of May 18, 2026.
- Bitcoin has mined **20,030,493** of its **21,000,000** maximum supply, leaving under **5%** still to be issued through future halvings.
- [Ethereum](https://coinlaw.io/ethereum-statistics/)‘s 30-day EIP-1559 burn rate runs at approximately **0.115617 ETH per minute**, pacing toward roughly **60,768 ETH** burned annually at that rate.
- Bitcoin’s network hashrate is approximately **957.75 EH/s** versus zero proof-of-work for Ethereum after its **September 2022** Merge.
- BlackRock’s IBIT held approximately **$66.9 billion** in assets under management as of May 7, 2026, representing about **66%** of the US [spot Bitcoin ETF complex](https://coinlaw.io/bitcoin-etf-regulatory-timeline/).
- Ethereum carries **52.05%** of all-chain DeFi total value locked at **$43.36 billion**, more than eight times Bitcoin’s $5.09 billion on-chain TVL.
- The Cambridge CBECI 2025 best-guess for Bitcoin energy use is about **95.5 TWh** annualized at roughly **13 GW** of daily power demand.

## Editor’s Choice

- Bitcoin’s all-time high: **$126,080.00** reached on **October 6, 2025**.
- Ethereum’s all-time high: **$4,946.05** reached on **August 24, 2025**.
- Bitcoin 1-year price change: -25.54% from May 2025 through May 18, 2026.
- Ethereum 1-year price change: -14.56% over the same window.
- 24-hour Bitcoin trading volume: **$25.59 billion** on May 18, 2026.
- 24-hour Ethereum trading volume: **$11.01 billion** on the same date.
- Latest Bitcoin block height: **949,894**, carrying **2,994** transactions.

## Recent Developments

- **May 7, 2026**: BlackRock’s IBIT recorded **$134.6 million** in net inflows in a single session, confirming the institutional bid for Bitcoin exposure.
- **April 2026**: US spot Bitcoin ETF complex aggregate AUM cleared approximately **$101 billion**, with BlackRock’s IBIT representing roughly **66%** of that total.
- **February 25, 2026**: Cumulative net inflows into US spot Ethereum ETFs reached **$11.641 billion** since their July 2024 launch.
- **Q1 2026**: Cumulative spot crypto ETF trading volume surpassed **$2 trillion**, doubling from the first $1 trillion in roughly half the time.
- Early January 2026: Total US spot Ethereum ETF assets reached **$19.1 billion**, representing **5.06%** of Ethereum’s market capitalization at that point.
- **2025 full year**: Cambridge CBECI methodology updated its annualized Bitcoin energy best-guess to approximately **95.5 TWh** at about **13 GW** of daily power demand.

## Market Capitalization and Valuation

- Bitcoin market cap on May 18, 2026: **$1,539,793,164,295**, ranked #1 by global crypto market cap.
- Ethereum market cap on the same date: **$255,645,274,351**, ranked #2 globally.
- Ethereum’s market cap is approximately **16.6%** of Bitcoin’s as of May 18, 2026.
- Bitcoin’s 24-hour trading volume: **$25,587,638,883**, roughly **2.3 times** Ethereum’s same-day volume.
- Ethereum’s 24-hour trading volume: **$11,006,659,204** on May 18, 2026.

| Metric | Bitcoin | Ethereum |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap rank | \#1 | \#2 |
| Market cap | $1.54 trillion | $255.6 billion |
| 24h trading volume | $25.59 billion | $11.01 billion |
| Genesis date | January 3, 2009 | July 30, 2015 |
| Consensus algorithm | SHA-256 proof-of-work | Proof-of-stake (post-Merge) |

*Source: CoinGecko coin pages for Bitcoin and Ethereum*

The market-cap gap is largely a function of where [institutional capital](https://coinlaw.io/cryptocurrency-adoption-by-institutional-investors-statistics/) lands.

## Price Performance and Historical Returns

- Bitcoin all-time high price: **$126,080.00** on October 6, 2025.
- Ethereum all-time high price: **$4,946.05** on August 24, 2025.
- Bitcoin 1-year price change through May 18, 2026: -25.54%.
- Ethereum 1-year price change through May 18, 2026: -14.56%.
- Bitcoin 30-day price change: -0.08%, essentially flat.
- Ethereum 30-day price change: -11.81%, notably weaker than Bitcoin’s same-window read.

| Window | Bitcoin | Ethereum |
|---|---|---|
| All-time high | $126,080.00 (Oct 6, 2025) | $4,946.05 (Aug 24, 2025) |
| 1-year change | -25.54% | -14.56% |
| 30-day change | -0.08% | -11.81% |
| Current price | $76,953.00 | $2,120.40 |
| Drawdown from ATH | -39.0% | -57.1% |

*Source: CoinGecko market data feeds*

The drawdown asymmetry signals a steeper bid-side for BTC even within the same risk-off cycle.

> **By the numbers:** Bitcoin’s drawdown of approximately **39%** from its October 2025 ATH of **$126,080** is narrower than Ethereum’s **57%** retracement from **$4,946.05** in August 2025, according to CoinGecko’s price feeds. The asymmetry signals a steeper bid-side for BTC even within the same risk-off cycle.

## Supply and Monetary Policy

- Bitcoin circulating supply on May 18, 2026: **20,030,493 BTC** of a maximum **21,000,000** cap.
- Bitcoin has mined approximately **95.4%** of its hard-capped supply.
- Ethereum circulating supply: **120,685,747 ETH** with no protocol-defined hard cap.
- Ethereum’s 30-day EIP-1559 burn rate: approximately **0.115617 ETH per minute** in late May 2026.
- At the 30-day pace, Ethereum is burning roughly **60,768 ETH per year**.
- Bitcoin block reward after the April 2024 halving: 3.125 BTC per block, with the next halving scheduled for spring 2028.

| Mechanic | Bitcoin | Ethereum |
|---|---|---|
| Issuance source | Block reward (3.125 BTC per block) | Validator issuance (variable) |
| Burn / destruction | None | EIP-1559 base-fee burn |
| Supply cap | 21,000,000 BTC | None |
| Supply-cap framing | hard cap of 21 million | no protocol cap |

*Source: CoinGecko, Ultrasound Money*

Bitcoin’s scarcity is a fixed-supply ceiling; Ethereum’s is a fee-burning floor that flexes with use.

### Is Ethereum deflationary while Bitcoin still has new issuance?

Yes, at current activity levels. Ethereum burns roughly **60,768 ETH per year** at its 30-day pace under EIP-1559. Bitcoin continues issuing 3.125 BTC per 10-minute block toward the 21 million cap. When ETH fee burn exceeds validator issuance, supply contracts; when fee activity drops, supply grows again.

## Network Security: Hashrate vs Stake

- Bitcoin current network hashrate is approximately **957.75 EH/s** (957.75 exahashes per second).
- [Bitcoin mining difficulty](https://coinlaw.io/how-bitcoin-mining-works/): **136,607,070,854,775** as of May 18, 2026.
- Ethereum consensus-layer staked balances total: **39,076,536 ETH,** securing the [proof-of-stake](https://coinlaw.io/proof-of-work-vs-proof-of-stake-statistics/) chain.
- Ethereum cumulative consensus-layer deposits since the Merge: **82,185,002 ETH** deposited by validators.
- Approximately **32.4%** of all ETH is currently staked on the consensus layer.

| Dimension | Bitcoin | Ethereum |
|---|---|---|
| Consensus | Proof-of-work (SHA-256) | Proof-of-stake (Casper FFG + LMD GHOST) |
| Security primitive | Hashrate (~957.75 EH/s) | Staked ETH (~39.08 million) |
| Block producer reward | 3.125 BTC + fees | Variable validator rewards |
| Time-to-finality | ~60 minutes (6 confirmations) | ~12.8 minutes (2 epochs) |
| Attack vector | 51% hashrate | 33%+ slashing-cost barrier |

*Source: mempool.space, Ultrasound Money supply parts*

### How does Bitcoin mining differ from Ethereum staking?

Bitcoin pays its security budget in electricity and ASIC hardware, producing roughly **957.75 EH/s** of aggregate hashpower. Ethereum pays in capital opportunity cost: validators deposit **32 ETH** each, today totaling about **39.08 million ETH** in validator-staked balances. The two systems trade energy for capital but produce a similar dollar cost-to-attack.

## Transaction Fees

- Bitcoin recommended fastest fee on May 18, 2026: **2 sat/vB** for next-block confirmation.
- Bitcoin half-hour, hour, and economy fee tiers: **1 sat/vB** across all three tiers.
- Bitcoin block 949,894 total fees: **1,877,044 satoshis** collected from 2,994 transactions.
- Block 949,894’s total fees translate to approximately **$1,444.66** at the spot BTC price.

![Bitcoin Transaction Fees By Speed Tier](https://coinlaw.io/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/bitcoin-transaction-fees-by-speed-tier.jpg "Bitcoin Transaction Fees by Speed Tier")

The 2-sat/vB fastest tier signals slack mempool demand in May 2026; read this number in cycle context, not as a permanent state.

### Which has higher transaction fees, Bitcoin or Ethereum?

Bitcoin’s fastest-tier transaction at **2 sat/vB** for a 140-vB SegWit transaction costs roughly **$0.22** at the current BTC price. ETH gas during the same window varies from a few dollars for a transfer to ten times that for a DeFi swap. Bitcoin clusters near the cheap end; ETH spreads wider but enables programmability that the Bitcoin script cannot match.

## Throughput and Block Times

- Bitcoin block time: **10 minutes** per block target.
- Ethereum slot time post-Merge: approximately **12 seconds** per slot, around 32 slots per epoch.
- Bitcoin latest block tx count: **2,994 transactions** in block 949,894.
- Block 949,894 clears roughly **5 transactions per second** at the block’s average rate.

| Metric | Bitcoin | Ethereum |
|---|---|---|
| Block time / slot time | ~10 minutes | ~12 seconds |
| Approx. native TPS | ~5-7 | ~15-25 |
| Block 949,894 (BTC) tx count | 2,994 | n/a |
| Layer-2 throughput | Lightning Network | Arbitrum, Base, Optimism, zkSync |

*Source: mempool.space block data, Ethereum spec*

## DeFi Total Value Locked

- Ethereum DeFi TVL: **$43,363,233,721**, the largest single-chain TVL on May 18, 2026.
- Bitcoin DeFi ecosystem TVL: **$5,089,271,203**, up from near-zero before BRC-20 and Runes opened on-chain primitives.
- Ethereum’s share of all-chain DeFi TVL: **52.05%** of the **$83.3 billion** total.
- Ethereum’s DeFi TVL is approximately **8.5 times** the size of Bitcoin’s.
- [Solana](https://coinlaw.io/solana-statistics/) ranks #2 at **$5.93 billion**; BSC #3 at **$5.50 billion**; Tron #4 at **$5.11 billion**.

![Top Blockchains by Total Value Locked](https://coinlaw.io/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/top-blockchains-by-total-value-locked.jpg "Top Blockchains by Total Value Locked")

The DeFi TVL gap signals that the two networks no longer compete for the same use case.

## Spot ETF Comparison

- BlackRock IBIT AUM on May 7, 2026: approximately **$66.9 billion**, the largest single-issuer spot Bitcoin ETP.
- US spot Bitcoin ETF complex aggregate AUM: approximately **$101 billion**, with IBIT representing about **66%**.
- IBIT single-session inflow on May 7, 2026: **$134.6 million** in net subscriptions.
- US spot Ethereum ETF cumulative net inflows since July 2024 launch: **$11.641 billion** by February 25, 2026.
- US spot Ethereum ETF total AUM in early January 2026: **$19.1 billion**, representing **5.06%** of Ethereum’s market cap.
- BlackRock’s IBIT alone, at $66.9 billion on May 7, 2026, is approximately **3.5 times** the size of the entire US spot Ethereum ETF complex’s $19.1 billion AUM reported in early January 2026.

![Bitcoin vs Ethereum Spot ETF Asset Comparison](https://coinlaw.io/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/bitcoin-vs-ethereum-spot-etf-asset-comparison.jpg "Bitcoin vs Ethereum Spot ETF Asset Comparison")

> **Key finding:** Per The Block’s Q1 2026 print, cumulative spot crypto ETF trading volume passed **$2 trillion**, doubling the first **$1 trillion** in roughly half the time. The acceleration is asymmetric: Bitcoin ETFs hold a roughly **5x** AUM lead over Ethereum ETFs, a gap wider than the underlying market-cap ratio of about **6x** would predict.

The ETF gap is the clearest evidence that institutional allocators view the two assets differently.

## Volatility Comparison

- Bitcoin 30-day price change: –**0.08%** through May 18, 2026.
- Ethereum 30-day price change: **-11.81%** over the same window.
- Bitcoin 1-year price change: **-25.54%.**
- Ethereum 1-year price change: **-14.56%.**
- Ethereum’s 30-day price move was approximately **148 times** the magnitude of Bitcoin’s same-window change in May 2026.

![Bitcoin vs Ethereum Volatility Performance Comparison](https://coinlaw.io/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/bitcoin-vs-ethereum-volatility-performance-comparison.jpg "Bitcoin vs Ethereum Volatility Performance Comparison")

### Is Ethereum more volatile than Bitcoin?

By 30-day rolling change, yes. Through May 18, 2026, Ethereum moved -11.81% while Bitcoin moved -0.08% across the same window. The 1-year picture inverts: BTC -25.54% vs ETH -14.56%, so the volatility verdict depends on the window. ETH’s beta to BTC historically tracks above 1.0 in risk-off cycles.

## Mining vs Staking Energy Footprint

- Cambridge CBECI 2025 best-guess [Bitcoin energy consumption](https://coinlaw.io/bitcoin-energy-consumption-statistics/): approximately **95.5 TWh** annualized at roughly **13 GW** of daily power demand.
- Cambridge Judge Business School 2023 CBECI point estimate: approximately **120 TWh** with a range of **67 TWh** to **240 TWh**.
- CBECI 2024 point estimate: **19.0 GW** of power demand, corresponding to **170 TWh** annualized, with a range of **80 TWh** lower to **390 TWh** upper.
- US Energy Information Administration estimates that the share of crypto mining electricity is between **0.6%** and **2.3%** of total US electricity consumption in 2023.
- EIA identified **137** cryptocurrency mining facilities in the United States in 2024.

| Year | CBECI Bitcoin point estimate (TWh) | Range (TWh) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | ~120 | 67 to 240 |
| 2024 | ~170 (19 GW point demand) | 80 to 390 |
| 2025 | ~95.5 (13 GW point demand) | not disclosed |

*Source: Cambridge CCAF CBECI methodology page, Cambridge Judge Business School*

Ethereum’s post-Merge energy footprint sits orders of magnitude below either chart entry. The validator network runs on ordinary commodity servers rather than ASICs, eliminating the hashrate-driven power draw that defines Bitcoin’s environmental profile. CoinLaw’s pillar coverage of [crypto adoption rates by country](https://coinlaw.io/cryptocurrency-adoption-by-country-statistics/) tracks how this energy delta has shaped national policy in jurisdictions running grid-strain studies.

> **Worth noting:** Per Cambridge CCAF’s methodology page, the **95.5 TWh** 2025 estimate is the model’s best guess; the lower and upper bounds widen the range materially. Year-over-year comparisons need to read the range, not the headline.

## Network Issuance Rate Comparison

- Bitcoin annualized inflation rate post-2024 halving: approximately **0.83%** of circulating supply.
- Ethereum 1-hour burn rate annualized: roughly **11,304 ETH per year** at the 60-minute pace.
- Ethereum 1-day burn rate annualized: approximately **15,432 ETH per year**.
- Ethereum 7-day burn rate annualized: approximately **40,465 ETH per year**.
- Ethereum 30-day burn rate annualized: approximately **60,768 ETH per year**.
- Bitcoin remaining supply to be mined: approximately **969,507 BTC** through future halvings.

| Window | ETH burn rate (per min) | ETH burn rate (annualized) |
|---|---|---|
| 1-hour | 0.021507 | ~11,304 |
| 1-day | 0.029360 | ~15,432 |
| 7-day | 0.076989 | ~40,465 |
| 30-day | 0.115617 | ~60,768 |

*Source: Ultrasound Money burn-rate API*

## Adoption Footprint

- Spot crypto ETF cumulative trading volume: **$2 trillion** through Q1 2026, doubling from $1 trillion in half the time.
- Ethereum DeFi TVL share of all-chain DeFi: **52.05%** at **$43.36 billion**.
- US spot Bitcoin ETF AUM: approximately **$101 billion** as of April 2026.
- US Bitcoin ETF complex AUM of $101 billion in April 2026 is approximately **5.3 times** the US Ethereum ETF complex AUM of $19.1 billion reported in early January 2026.
- Stablecoin market cap (separately tracked): see [Stablecoins](https://coinlaw.io/stablecoin-statistics/) for the dollar-pegged settlement layer that complements both networks.

![Bitcoin vs Ethereum Adoption and ETF Growth](https://coinlaw.io/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/bitcoin-vs-ethereum-adoption-and-etf-growth.jpg "Bitcoin vs Ethereum Adoption and ETF Growth")

## Daily Block Activity and Throughput Snapshot

- Bitcoin latest block height: **949,894** on May 18, 2026.
- Block 949,894 transaction count: **2,994 transactions**.
- Block 949,894 total fees: **1,877,044 satoshis** collected.
- Ethereum consensus-layer slot at the same observation: slot **14,354,623**.
- Ethereum execution-layer current block: block **25,119,780**.

| Snapshot field | Bitcoin (May 18, 2026) | Ethereum (May 18, 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Latest block / slot | block 949,894 | slot 14,354,623 |
| Execution block | n/a | 25,119,780 |
| Transactions in block | 2,994 | n/a (slot-based) |
| Block fees (USD est.) | ~$1,444.66 | variable per slot |

*Source: mempool.space blocks API, Ultrasound Money supply parts*

## Conclusion

The two largest [crypto networks](https://coinlaw.io/how-cryptocurrency-works/) now occupy different competitive lanes. Bitcoin’s **$1.54 trillion** market cap commands the institutional store-of-value position, demonstrated by IBIT’s approximately **$66.9 billion** AUM and the spot ETF complex’s $101 billion-plus total. Ethereum commands the programmable settlement position, demonstrated by its **52.05%** share of all-chain DeFi TVL at **$43.36 billion**. The roughly six-to-one market cap ratio understates the divergence in use case and overstates it in the ETF-flow split.

The next axis of comparison is settlement assurance per joule. Bitcoin’s **95.5 TWh** annual energy budget buys a 957 EH/s safety floor for monetary settlement; Ethereum’s post-Merge consensus buys validator-staked finality on roughly 39 million ETH for a fraction of that grid load.

Definition of DeFi. Link to full glossary entry follows the description.**DeFi**Decentralized finance leverages blockchain protocols and [smart contracts](https://coinlaw.io/glossary/smart-contract/) to enable lending, trading, and borrowing without banks or traditional intermediaries.

[Read more](https://coinlaw.io/glossary/defi/)

Definition of Consensus Algorithm. Link to full glossary entry follows the description.**Consensus Algorithm**A consensus algorithm is a protocol that lets a distributed network agree on which block is added next, securing the blockchain without a central authority.

[Read more](https://coinlaw.io/glossary/consensus-algorithm/)

Definition of Crypto ETF. Link to full glossary entry follows the description.**Crypto ETF**A crypto ETF is an exchange-traded fund that holds cryptocurrency directly or via futures, letting investors access digital assets through brokerage accounts.

[Read more](https://coinlaw.io/glossary/crypto-etf/)

Definition of Hash Rate. Link to full glossary entry follows the description.**Hash Rate**Hash rate measures the total computational power miners use to process and validate transactions on a proof-of-work blockchain like Bitcoin.

[Read more](https://coinlaw.io/glossary/hash-rate/)

Definition of Lightning Network. Link to full glossary entry follows the description.**Lightning Network**Bitcoinu0027s layer-2 protocol routing off-chain payments through bidirectional channels secured by HTLCs, settling in milliseconds at fractions of a cent.

[Read more](https://coinlaw.io/glossary/lightning-network/)

Definition of Gas Fee. Link to full glossary entry follows the description.**Gas Fee**A gas fee is the transaction cost paid to Ethereum validators for the computational effort needed to process and confirm blockchain operations.

[Read more](https://coinlaw.io/glossary/gas-fee/)

Definition of Stablecoin. Link to full glossary entry follows the description.**Stablecoin**A stablecoin is a cryptocurrency tied to a reserve asset like the US dollar, designed to maintain a stable value for trading, payments, and transfers.

[Read more](https://coinlaw.io/glossary/stablecoin/)