Bitcoin was priced at $78,745.95 at 7:15 a.m. Eastern Time on Aug. 26, 2026, down $365.69 from the previous morning, or 0.46%, and roughly $33,000 below its level a year earlier. It was up 22.24% from one month earlier, when it traded at $64,415.96, but down 29.55% from $111,777.60 a year ago. Bitcoin’s market capitalization was about $1.33 trillion, compared with roughly $233 billion for Ethereum. The decentralized digital asset operates through a peer-to-peer network rather than a government, bank or central institution. Investors can buy it through cryptocurrency exchanges, Bitcoin ETFs (funds traded on stock exchanges), crypto-related stocks or a Bitcoin IRA. Its price is influenced by speculation, corporate adoption, economic conditions and regulatory developments. Bitcoin remains highly volatile, despite gains of more than 15,000% over roughly the past decade, and experts’ 2030 projections range from about $300,000 to more than $700,000. The article says it may suit investors able to tolerate large declines and hold it as part of a diversified, long-term portfolio.