Bitcoin and ethereum prices today, Monday, May 18, 2026: Prices are down and moving lower this morning

Bitcoin (BTC-USD) opened astatine $77,414.91 connected Monday, the lowest opening terms since the commencement of the month. As of 7:26 a.m. ET, the terms of bitcoin shifted little to $76,803.25.

Ethereum (ETH-USD) opened astatine $2,129.87 connected Monday, the lowest opening terms since April 7. The terms of ethereum moved adjacent little this greeting and was $2,113.92 arsenic of 7:26 a.m. ET.

All investors look to beryllium striking a cautious code this greeting arsenic the president’s Truth Social station and drone strikes successful the Middle East implicit the play are sending a wide connection to the markets that tensions betwixt the U.S. and Iran lone look to beryllium increasing contempt the weeks-long ceasefire. Stock futures are starting little this morning, lipid prices are connected the rise, Treasury yields are up, and precious metallic prices are down.

Current terms of bitcoin and ethereum

Bitcoin

The terms of bitcoin this greeting was 0.9% little than Sunday’s opening price. Here’s a look astatine however the opening bitcoin terms has changed versus past week, month, and year:

• One week ago: -5.8%

• One period ago: +0.4%

• One twelvemonth ago: -25%

The all-time precocious for bitcoin was $126,198.07 connected Oct. 6, 2025. The all-time debased worth for bitcoin was $0.04865 connected July 14, 2010.

Ethereum

The terms of ethereum this greeting was 2.3% little than Sunday’s open. Here’s a look astatine however the opening ethereum terms has changed versus past week, month, and year:

• One week ago: -10.1%

• One period ago: -12%

• One twelvemonth ago: -14%

The all-time precocious for ethereum was $4,953.73 connected Aug. 24, 2025. The all-time debased worth for ethereum was $0.4209 connected Oct. 21, 2015.

Bitcoin, ethereum, and different cryptocurrencies are rapidly evolving. Follow the latest developments from Yahoo Finance and others here.

How Bitcoin works

Bitcoin is simply a benignant of cryptocurrency, which is simply a currency that exists lone successful integer signifier and operates without authorities oregon banking oversight. By comparison, the U.S. dollar, the EU euro, the Canadian dollar, and different nationalist currencies person insubstantial versions and are issued by their respective governments.

Bitcoin relies connected a nationalist integer ledger that validates and records transactions and verifies bitcoin ownership. This ledger is called the blockchain, and it is globally distributed — that is, decentralized — crossed a broad, worldwide web of servers.

Decentralization is simply a cardinal facet of cryptocurrencies. Decentralization facilitates peer-to-peer payments with nary banking intermediary, enhanced security, and defends against manipulation attempts.

Learn more: What is Bitcoin, and however does it work?

How to bargain Bitcoin successful 2026

There are respective ways to bargain Bitcoin. You tin spell done a crypto exchange, a fintech app, oregon a accepted brokerage that volition let you to bargain into a bitcoin ETF.

Before placing a trade, though, determine what you really want: afloat ownership of your bitcoin and backstage keys — oregon casual terms vulnerability wrong a familiar, regulated system.

Whichever avenue you take, it’s important to retrieve that bitcoin remains a high-risk, highly volatile plus compared to galore different investments. Prices tin surge oregon driblet quickly, sometimes without warning. If you’re considering buying bitcoin, presume volatility is portion of the deal.

Learn more: Is bitcoin's terms volatility an investing opportunity? Here's however to bargain bitcoin.

Bitcoin and ethereum terms charts

Whether you’re marque caller to tracking the worth of bitcoin and ethereum oregon a much seasoned crypto investor, Yahoo Finance’s price-of-bitcoin illustration and price-of-ethereum illustration beneath amusement a ocular past of however the currencies’ worth continues to determination and evolve.

More connected crypto from the Yahoo Finance team:

• How to commercialized crypto: A step-by-step guide

• Do you request a bitcoin recognition card?

• Can you bargain crypto with a recognition card?

• President Trump called for a strategical bitcoin reserve. How it would work.

• How to bargain a location with crypto

• Yes, crypto is taxed. Here’s erstwhile you person to pay.

• How to bargain ethereum — and what to cognize earlier you do

• How to bargain solana: A step-by-step guide