Bitcoin price $80,159: the smallest October loss in the field

Here is what is documented: Bitcoin stands at $80,159 on Thursday morning, and October ends on Saturday. Of the seven largest tradable coins, Bitcoin has lost the least this month, namely 4.1 percent. Cardano gave up 19.2 percent over the same period, 4.7 times as much. Our assessment is at the end of this article: this spread shifts the weights in a mixed portfolio more than most investors notice, and before the turn of the year it becomes a tax question.

October ends on Saturday, and Bitcoin is 4.1 percent short

On 1 October a Bitcoin cost $83,576. On Thursday morning it is $80,159. Between the two lie $3,417, or 4.1 percent. The month has two trading days left, Friday and Saturday, after which the balance is fixed.

Taken on its own, that is an unremarkable number. In recent years Bitcoin has had months with double-digit swings in both directions. The figure only becomes notable once you place it next to the other large coins, and that is exactly what we did on Thursday morning.

The whole field compared: Cardano loses 4.7 times as much

For seven coins we compared the price on 1 October with the level on Thursday morning. The result is unambiguous: Bitcoin leads the field with a loss of 4.1 percent, while all the others sit between 13 and 20 percent down.