Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) on Friday picked up momentum to reclaim $78,000 for the first time in three days, while Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) followed higher to touch $2,500.
Bitcoin Cracks $78,000 and Ethereum, XRP, Dogecoin May Be 'About To Explode'
Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) on Friday picked up momentum to reclaim $78,000 for the first time in three days, while Ethereum (CRYPTO: ETH) followed higher to touch $2,500.
Benzinga
Publisher
Sep 18, 2026 at 12:36 PM UTC · 1 min read

Entities
bitcoin, ethereum, xrp, dogecoin
Market Impact
Total MCap+5.74%
Last Updated
9 hours ago
XRP (CRYPTO: XRP) climbed above $1.30, while Dogecoin (CRYPTO: DOGE) jumped roughly 6%.
Ripple Chief Legal Officer Stuart Alderoty said politics took precedence over crypto policy this week, but argued that the roughly 67 million Americans who own or use crypto "are not going anywhere."
Why the Long-Term Outlook Remains Strong
Industry expert Scott Melker predicted about a month ago that "crypto is about to explode."
Speaking to the "When Shift Happens" podcast in August, Melker had reiterated his conviction even as near-term sentiment was subdued before Bitcoin’s surge above $75,000.
Unlike 2021–2022, when the industry faced aggressive U.S. enforcement and existential concerns, Bitcoin now has spot ETFs, governments discussing strategic reserves, Bitcoin mining, and growing adoption of blockchain infrastructure.
Melker’s thesis is to focus on Bitcoin’s long-term adoption rather than trying to predict the exact catalyst for the next rally.
ETH, XRP, DOGE Predicted To Move Higher
Crypto chart analyst Ali Martinez on Friday said Ethereum remains inside its four-hour channel despite recent volatility. With ETH testing the lower boundary, he sees potential for a rebound toward $2,570.
Market Context
Ethereum
ETH
$2,631
+7.57% (24H)
Market Cap
$320.7B
24H Volume
$17.2B
24H High
$2,647
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