Bitcoin Tops $114K as October Begins: Market Cap Nears $3.9 Trillion, PUMP Leads Gainers

The cryptocurrency market opened October 2025 with renewed volatility and cautious optimism. On October 1, Bitcoin (BTC), the flagship digital currency, surged past the $114,000 mark, setting a positive tone for traders and investors worldwide. Despite the gains in Bitcoin, the broader altcoin market showed mixed performance, with some tokens climbing while others slipped.

According to CoinMarketCap, the global crypto market capitalization stood at approximately $3.9 trillion, though it recorded a minor 24-hour dip of 0.26%. The Market Fear & Greed Index, a key sentiment tracker, remained neutral at 42 out of 100, reflecting investor caution amid a blend of macroeconomic and regulatory uncertainties.

Amid these shifts, Pump.fun (PUMP) emerged as the day’s top gainer, rallying by nearly 17%, while Aster (ASTER) was the biggest loser, shedding more than 18% in value.

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Bitcoin Holds Above $114,000

At the time of reporting, Bitcoin was trading at $114,638, up 0.42% over the previous 24 hours. On major Indian exchanges, BTC’s price stood at around Rs 99.23 lakh.

Analysts attribute Bitcoin’s resilience to ongoing dollar weakness and heightened uncertainty over a possible U.S. government shutdown, which is encouraging investors to diversify into alternative assets such as crypto.

Edul Patel, CEO of Mudrex, noted that Bitcoin has found strong support at $114,500 but warned that it needs to break the $114,750 resistance level to maintain bullish momentum. Otherwise, the cryptocurrency could retest support zones around $112,200 before attempting another rally.

Meanwhile, the CoinSwitch Markets Desk highlighted that short-squeeze liquidations around the $110,000–$111,000 range played a key role in BTC’s latest surge, with technical charts forming a potential bull-flag pattern. Resistance sits near $115,700, and if breached, analysts see upside potential toward $120,000.

Ethereum Faces Selling Pressure

Ethereum (ETH), the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, traded at $4,153.50, reflecting a 0.77% decline over 24 hours. In India, ETH was valued at Rs 3.65 lakh.

Despite the dip, Ethereum remains supported by strong staking flows and robust activity in decentralized finance (DeFi). CoinSwitch analysts noted that ETH managed to reclaim the $4,100 support level, though sellers continue testing its resilience.

Looking ahead, Ethereum’s performance is expected to be influenced by network upgrades and the ongoing expansion of layer-2 scaling solutions, which have reduced transaction fees and boosted adoption. According to Glassnode, Ethereum’s staking deposits and validator growth remain steady, suggesting long-term confidence in the network.

Dogecoin and Meme Coins: Holding the Line

Dogecoin (DOGE) saw a modest 0.46% gain, trading at $0.2335. In India, its price stood at Rs 20.79.

DOGE, alongside other meme coins, has been trading cautiously, reflecting a broader decline in speculative appetite. Still, analysts point to strong community engagement and its integration into payment platforms as potential catalysts for future rallies.

Other meme coins such as Shiba Inu (SHIB) and Pepe (PEPE) have followed similar trends, trading within narrow ranges as retail traders weigh risks against potential rewards.

Litecoin and Ripple: Mixed Signals

Litecoin (LTC) recorded a 0.18% uptick, trading at $106.26, while Ripple (XRP) fell 1.43%, dropping to $2.84.

Ripple’s ongoing legal battles with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) remain a major overhang. Even so, the token benefits from adoption in cross-border payments, particularly through partnerships with institutions like SBI Holdings in Japan.

Litecoin, often considered the “silver to Bitcoin’s gold,” continues to maintain a stable base of users who rely on its low transaction fees and fast block times for payments.

Solana Continues to Struggle

Solana (SOL) traded at $209.54, down 0.39% over the previous 24 hours. In India, it was priced at Rs 18,650.91.

Despite being hailed as one of the most scalable blockchains, Solana has struggled with network outages and developer turnover. However, Solana remains a preferred platform for NFT projects and DeFi applications, supporting optimism about its long-term prospects.

According to Messari, Solana’s daily active addresses and DeFi total value locked (TVL) continue to trend upward, reflecting strong community and developer activity even amid price volatility.

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Top Performers and Decliners

As per CoinMarketCap data, the day’s top gainers included:

• Pump.fun (PUMP): $0.006365 (+16.47%)
  
• Zcash (ZEC): $79.49 (+15.98%)
  
• Aptos (APT): $4.45 (+4.38%)
  
• Sky (SKY): $0.06752 (+4.12%)
  
• Cronos (CRO): $0.1936 (+2.38%)
  

On the losing end, the top decliners were:

• Aster (ASTER): $1.53 (-18.24%)
  
• MYX Finance (MYX): $13.62 (-15.68%)
  
• Artificial Superintelligence Alliance (FET): $0.5252 (-7.01%)
  
• Lido DAO (LDO): $1.10 (-6.78%)
  
• ether.fi (ETHFI): $1.42 (-6.69%)
  

These swings underscore the speculative nature of many altcoins, where double-digit percentage changes in a single day remain common.

Expert Views: “Uptober” Optimism

Market commentators are divided about the near-term direction of crypto prices.

Avinash Shekhar, CEO of Pi42, said October historically carries the nickname “Uptober” due to Bitcoin’s strong track record in past years. “If Bitcoin can hold above $115,000, it may open the path toward $120,000 in the coming weeks,” he explained.

The CoinDCX Research Team also pointed to Bitcoin’s tendency to deliver positive monthly closes in October, with nine out of the last ten years seeing gains. They attributed the recent rally partly to a weaker U.S. dollar, which is nudging investors toward alternative assets like crypto.

Parth Srivastava of 9Point Capital added that Bitcoin has absorbed near-term downside pressure, but warned that range-bound trading could dominate before a decisive breakout sets the tone.

Broader Market Dynamics

Macro Influence

The broader macroeconomic environment remains crucial for crypto markets. The Federal Reserve’s interest rate policies, rising inflation, and potential U.S. government shutdown are shaping investor sentiment. A weaker dollar tends to support Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, but sudden policy shifts could trigger volatility.

Institutional Adoption

Institutional players continue to expand their crypto exposure. According to Fidelity Digital Assets, institutional crypto trading volumes have risen by over 40% year-on-year, with hedge funds and asset managers diversifying into Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Major financial platforms like BlackRock and Fidelity are also awaiting approval for spot Bitcoin ETFs, which could further boost institutional participation.

Regulatory Landscape

On the regulatory front, countries like the U.S., India, and members of the European Union are introducing stricter frameworks to govern cryptocurrencies. While regulation may dampen speculative behavior, many analysts argue it will ultimately boost long-term investor confidence.

The Road Ahead

As October begins, crypto markets remain in a delicate balance. Bitcoin’s push above $114,000 sets an encouraging tone, but altcoins like Ethereum, Solana, and Dogecoin continue to show volatility.

The rise of Pump.fun demonstrates how quickly sentiment can shift in favor of emerging tokens, while losses in coins like Aster highlight the risks of overexposure to volatile assets.

For investors, the next major resistance levels for Bitcoin around $115,700–$120,000 will be key to watch. A breakout could cement bullish sentiment, while failure to hold support near $112,000 may trigger renewed sell-offs.

Meanwhile, Ethereum’s DeFi ecosystem, Solana’s scalability efforts, and Ripple’s legal saga will remain central themes shaping the altcoin landscape.

Final Word

The crypto market’s October kickoff has been anything but quiet. With Bitcoin reclaiming a critical milestone above $114K, traders and analysts are watching closely for signs of whether this momentum can be sustained.

In a market where optimism and caution often go hand-in-hand, one thing is clear: volatility remains the only constant.

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Photo source: Google

By: Montel Kamau

Serrari Financial Analyst

2nd October, 2025