On September 15, 2018, Ether extended a sharp rebound from that week's cryptocurrency selloff while Bitcoin remained comparatively steady near $6,500. CoinMarketCap's dated snapshot placed ETH at $223.07, up 4.83% over its reported 24-hour window, and BTC at $6,543.20, up 0.39%.
The divergence was more pronounced across a three-day comparison calculated from CoinMarketCap's September 12 and September 15 snapshots. ETH rose from $183.33 to $223.07, a gain of 21.7%. BTC advanced from $6,351.80 to $6,543.20, or 3.0%. Those calculations describe changes between two aggregate snapshots; they are not exchange executions, investable closing prices or evidence that either asset had established a durable trend.
A venue record confirms the direction
Kraken's official daily market report for September 15 recorded ETH at $223.10, up 2.43%, and BTC at $6,529, up 0.17%. Kraken reported $65.5 million in trading across all of its markets, including $40.2 million attributed to ETH and $16.7 million to BTC. The report displayed dollar-equivalent figures across markets denominated in cryptocurrencies and several national currencies, rather than documenting one ETH/USD or BTC/USD order book alone.
Kraken's percentages differ from CoinMarketCap's because the records describe different universes and potentially different observation boundaries. Kraken represented activity on one exchange; CoinMarketCap aggregated market information across venues. Crypto traded continuously, with no universal closing auction, so a price or daily percentage was inseparable from its venue, currency pairs, sampling time and methodology.
The useful conclusion is therefore limited but well supported: both records showed Ether outperforming Bitcoin during the September 15 measurement period, and both placed the assets near $223 and $6,500 respectively.
Why the rebound mattered
The move followed a period in which Ether had absorbed substantially heavier losses. CoinMarketCap's September 12 snapshot showed ETH at $183.33 and down 22.30% over seven days. Bitcoin was $6,351.80 and down 5.41% over the same reported window. By September 15, the aggregate snapshot put ETH's market capitalization at approximately $22.75 billion and Bitcoin's at approximately $113.00 billion.
That contrast mattered because it illustrated the different risk profiles visible within the 2018 digital-asset contraction. Bitcoin's relative stability did not prevent smaller networks and tokens from sustaining deeper declines, while a forceful Ether bounce did not erase the preceding loss. Even after rising 21.7% from the September 12 snapshot, ETH remained below the level implied by reversing a 22.30% seven-day decline.
Market capitalization also required caution. CoinMarketCap calculated it from the displayed price and reported circulating supply—101,982,514 ETH and 17,269,887 BTC on September 15. It did not represent cash invested, realizable liquidation value or an audited balance sheet.
What the record could not establish
The surviving data establishes prices, reported changes and volumes within stated datasets. It does not identify a single cause for the rebound or prove that traders had concluded the broader bear market was ending. Weekend liquidity, venue composition and continuous trading could all affect short-window comparisons, but the cited records do not quantify those effects.
The defensible event-day reading was narrower: September 15 marked a measurable relief move led by Ether, while Bitcoin held near $6,500. Whether that move would persist remained unknown from the information available on September 15, 2018.
The complete source packet and revision history are retained with the newsroom record.
Automated systems may have assisted with source organization and drafting. Coinburn is accountable for the published text and maintains a revision record.
This article provides news and analysis, not investment, legal or tax advice. Digital assets are volatile and may result in total loss.