Bitcoin and ethereum prices today, Friday, August 28, 2026: Bitcoin moves above $81,000 before falling back

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) opened at $80,261.86 on Friday, August 28, 2026, 1.5% higher than Thursday's opening price. As of 7:00 a.m. ET this morning, the price of bitcoin moved down to $79,560.02.

Ethereum (ETH-USD) opened at $2,511.31 on Friday, August 28, 2026, up 0.2% from Thursday's opening price. The price of ethereum moved lower this morning to $2,505.68 as of 7:00 a.m. ET.

Opening prices for bitcoin and ethereum continue to hit weekly highs this week as a confluence of factors influences crypto pricing. For bitcoin, it's the highest opening price we've observed since May 15. For ethereum, prices have been cresting the $2,500 mark a few different times over the past week.

There's a lot happening at the moment that has and will continue to influence bitcoin's price:

[From Wednesday, 8/26/26] The bigger issue for crypto traders right now might be timing. Over the next 48 hours, five separate catalysts converge on top of each other: economic data, a giant options expiry, a new Fed chair's first big speech, Nvidia's earnings, and a rate decision now three weeks away.

Each one pulls a different lever on Bitcoin's price, and together they make this one of the more consequential stretches of the year for Bitcoin.