Bitcoin on track for second-best Q3 in CoinGlass data with 43.5% gain
In brief
- Bitcoin was up roughly 43.5% in Q3 2026, per CoinGlass data cited in U.Today's report.
- Only 2017's 80.41% Q3 gain would rank higher; the quarter closes September 30.
- Q3 rally would end Bitcoin's two-quarter losing streak after Q1 and Q2 declines.
- CoinGlass puts Bitcoin's average Q3 return at 8.73% and its median at 2.29%.
A reversal after two losing quarters
Bitcoin lost 22.2% in the first quarter and another 14.09% in Q2, according to CoinGlass. That's a deep hole for any asset to climb out of.
A roughly 43.5% gain in Q3 would end that two-quarter losing streak. It'd also put 2026 ahead of 2013's 40.6% third-quarter gain by roughly three percentage points, leaving only 2017 above it. Bitcoin was changing hands at roughly $84,800 (per CoinGecko) when U.Today published its report.
The ranking isn't final until the quarter closes.
Q3 is usually a quiet quarter
That's what makes this one stand out. CoinGlass puts Bitcoin's average Q3 return at just 8.73%, and the median is lower still at 2.29%. Eight of the 14 Q3 periods in its table finished positive.
The recent record is mixed. Bitcoin gained 25.01% in Q3 2021, 17.97% in 2020 and 6.31% in 2025, while 2024's third quarter added less than 1%. On the other side of the ledger, it fell 39.74% in Q3 2014, 22.86% in 2019 and 11.54% in 2023.
What the Q4 history shows
Q4 has been a different story in the data. CoinGlass puts the average fourth-quarter return at 77.07%, the highest of the four quarters, with a median of 47.73%. Bitcoin finished eight of the 13 completed Q4 periods in the table in positive territory.
Some of those years were enormous (479.59% in Q4 2013, 215.07% in 2017 and 168.02% in 2020). Bitcoin also gained 81.24% in Q4 2015 and 58.17% in Q4 2016.
The losses weren't small either. Bitcoin fell 42.16% in Q4 2018 and 23.07% in Q4 2025, and it posted fourth-quarter losses in 2014, 2019 and 2022 as well.
Those are historical figures from CoinGlass, not a forecast. They don't tell you what the next three months will bring, and it's worth reading them as a record of past quarters rather than a guide to the next one.
Frequently asked questions
How does Bitcoin's Q3 2026 gain compare with past third quarters?
According to CoinGlass data reported by U.Today, Bitcoin's roughly 43.5% Q3 2026 gain so far would trail only 2017's 80.41% third quarter. It's ahead of 2013's 40.6% by roughly three percentage points so far. CoinGlass puts the average Q3 return at 8.73% and the median at 2.29%. The quarter ends September 30, so the ranking isn't final.
How did Bitcoin perform in the first half of 2026?
Bitcoin lost 22.2% in Q1 2026 and another 14.09% in Q2 2026, according to CoinGlass. A roughly 43.5% gain in Q3 would end that two-quarter losing streak.
What does CoinGlass data show about Bitcoin's past fourth quarters?
CoinGlass puts Bitcoin's average Q4 return at 77.07%, the highest of the four quarters, with a median of 47.73%. Bitcoin finished eight of 13 completed Q4 periods positive, but fell 42.16% in Q4 2018 and 23.07% in Q4 2025. These are historical figures, not a forecast.
