Crypto Market Today, Sept. 3: Bitcoin Reclaims $81,000 on Fed Rate Pause Signals
Bitcoin (CRYPTO:BTC) rose 5.5% to $81,491.82, Ethereum (CRYPTO:ETH) rose 5.2% to $2,511.01, and Solana (CRYPTO:SOL) rose 5.9% to $105.30 as of early evening on Sept. 3. The total crypto market cap increased 4.7% to $2.82 trillion as crypto risk appetite returned.
What's driving crypto markets
Bitcoin retook the $81,000 mark for the first time since May as cryptocurrency markets benefited from concerns about rising bond yields and lower odds of a Federal Reserve rate hike. Fed Governor Christopher Waller said he would support leaving rates unchanged as long as there's not a dramatic shift in inflation figures.
Crypto ETF snapshot
Spot Bitcoin ETFs inflows improved, with around $101.1 million in net inflows yesterday, led by the iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT). Ethereum ETFs broke a 12-day winning streak of inflows yesterday, but today's data may show institutional funds returning.
What this means for investors
Bitcoin has gained almost 27% in the past month as confidence returns to the market -- the crypto fear and greed index, which measures investors' mood, has moved from extreme fear a month ago to greed today. The lead crypto isn't close to retaking its all-time high just yet, but the rapid recovery is a reminder to long-term investors that crypto winters do pass and that sentiment can quickly swing from gloom to optimism.
That said, cryptocurrency prices remain susceptible to macro factors in the near term. The recent rally was helped by bond market turmoil and concerns about the value of the U.S. dollar, but inflation, interest rates, and the tensions in the Middle East could all weigh on investor confidence. Particularly as economists still think there's a 50.5% chance of a rate hike and higher rates tend to pressure riskier assets like crypto.
Top 10 crypto performance
| # | Name | Price | 24h | 7d |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bitcoin (BTC) | $81,500.00 | +5.4% | +2.0% |
| 2 | Ethereum (ETH) | $2,511.90 | +5.1% | +0.4% |
| 3 | Tether (USDT) | $1.0000 | +0.0% | +0.0% |
| 4 | BNB (BNB) | $723.37 | +5.3% | +1.9% |
| 5 | XRP (XRP) | $1.47 | +8.9% | +1.4% |
| 6 | USDC (USDC) | $0.9999 | +0.0% | +0.0% |
| 7 | Solana (SOL) | $105.30 | +5.8% | -2.9% |
| 8 | TRON (TRX) | $0.3316 | +2.3% | -1.8% |
| 9 | Figure Heloc (FIGR_HELOC) | $1.04 | +2.3% | +3.4% |
| 10 | Hyperliquid (HYPE) | $85.97 | +6.0% | -0.6% |
Ranked by market cap. Data: CoinGecko, as of September 03, 2026 20:16 UTC.
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Emma Newbery has positions in BNB, Ethereum, and Solana. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin, Ethereum, Hyperliquid, Solana, XRP, and iShares Bitcoin Trust. The Motley Fool recommends BNB and TRON. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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