Bitcoin vs Ethereum: Which Is Safer to Own in a Crypto Crash? - 24/7 Wall St.

Over the past week, Bitcoin has fallen by 13%, while Ethereum has dropped by 17.6%. Over the last 30 days, Bitcoin has fallen 20.5%, while Ethereum has fallen 25.3%. Year-to-date losses follow the same pattern, with Bitcoin down 24.7% and Ethereum down 38%, highlighting that Ethereum's losses are growing over longer periods.

Bitcoin is currently trading 47.7% below its all-time high of $126,080 reached on October 6, 2025, while Ethereum is 62.8% off its peak of $4,946 from August 24, 2025. Forced selling accelerated the drop, with CoinGlass reporting $637 million in Bitcoin liquidations versus $257 million in Ethereum liquidations over 24 hours.

Historical Crash Performance

In 2018, Bitcoin fell 82.8%, dropping from a January high of $18,578 to a December low of $3,189. Over the same period, Ethereum plummeted 94.8%, falling from $1,570 to $82. Bitcoin was also the first to rebound, recovering its 2017 peak by December 2020, while Ethereum's December 2020 monthly close of $744 was still below its January 2018 high.

In 2022, Ethereum lagged again. Bitcoin fell 77.3%, from a November 2021 high of $68,770 to a November 2022 low of $15,598, then surpassed that peak again, hitting $73,628 in March 2024. Ethereum found its low earlier, at $897 in June 2022, but didn't reach a new all-time high until August 2025, trailing behind Bitcoin once more.

Volatility and Market Depth

Daily price fluctuations indicate that Ethereum is more volatile. From October 1 to November 13, Bitcoin's daily returns had a standard deviation of 2.1% compared to Ethereum's 2.8%. Bitcoin saw a maximum daily drop of 5%, while Ethereum's worst day featured a 7.3% decline.

Bitcoin also benefits from a deeper market. With a market cap of $1.33 trillion and a 24-hour trading volume of $36.2 billion, Bitcoin significantly outpaces Ethereum, which has a market cap of $225 billion and a volume of $13.6 billion. As such, Bitcoin sellers generally find more willing buyers.

Staking Challenges

Wall Street has made both cryptocurrencies available through spot ETFs that trade alongside S&P 500 funds, including the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust and the Grayscale Ethereum Staking Mini ETF. The Ethereum fund's SEC filings highlight a staking-enabled structure.

Currently, about 36.3% of Ethereum's supply is staked, where holders lock their coins to help secure the network in return for rewards paid in more Ethereum. Unlike Bitcoin, which does not offer staking income, Ethereum's rewards can pose a challenge in a falling market, as holders receive rewards in a coin losing value. Additionally, unstaking can create long exit queues when many holders try to exit at once.

Recovery Potential

Bitcoin has proven to be the safer choice in a crypto crash. It has experienced smaller declines and faster recoveries in both 2018 and 2022, and it is falling less in the current market turmoil. Over five years, Bitcoin has gained 3.2% while Ethereum has dropped by 59.8%.

However, Ethereum's larger price swings could lead to significant gains during a market rebound. After the 2018 lows, Bitcoin rose about 21.5 times to its 2021 peak, while Ethereum skyrocketed about 58 times. If Bitcoin holds above the June low of $58,566, Ethereum may lead a recovery, as it did previously. But if it breaches that June low, Ethereum could face a more severe decline again.