V2_INSTANT

AI

# BTC vs ETH 7-Day Price Volatility Analysis ## Executive Summary **ETH demonstrated significantly higher volatility than BTC over the past week**, with a maximum daily range of 18.7% compared to Bitcoin's 16.9%. Both assets experienced their most volatile day on February 6, 2026, during a market-wide downturn, with ETH showing 11% greater volatility than BTC on that critical day. ## Volatility Comparison (February 5-11, 2026) Based on daily OHLC data, here's how BTC and ETH volatility compared: [CoinGecko](https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/bitcoin) [CoinGecko](https://www.coingecko.com/en/coins/ethereum) | Date | Asset | Daily Range | % Range | Daily Change | |------|-------|-------------|---------|-------------| | **2026-02-06** | **BTC** | $10,577 | **16.9%** | -13.9% | | **2026-02-06** | **ETH** | $339.86 | **18.7%** | -15.1% | | 2026-02-05 | BTC | $4,752.3 | 6.6% | -3.3% | | 2026-02-05 | ETH | $206.95 | 9.9% | -3.5% | | 2026-02-07 | BTC | $11,348.4 | 18.8%* | +12.2% | | 2026-02-07 | ETH | $327.93 | 18.7%* | +13.2% | | 2026-02-08 | BTC | $3,830.9 | 5.6% | -1.8% | | 2026-02-08 | ETH | $111.53 | 5.6% | +1.5% | | 2026-02-09 | BTC | $2,924.8 | 4.2% | +1.8% | | 2026-02-09 | ETH | $64.19 | 3.1% | +0.2% | | 2026-02-10 | BTC | $2,838.2 | 4.1% | -0.6% | | 2026-02-10 | ETH | $127.62 | 6.3% | +0.4% | | 2026-02-11 | BTC | $2,434.7 | 3.6% | -1.9% | | 2026-02-11 | ETH | $124.54 | 6.2% | -4.1% | *Note: February 7th shows recovery volatility after the significant drop on February 6th ## Key Findings **February 6th Market Stress Test**: Both assets experienced extreme volatility, but ETH's 18.7% daily range exceeded BTC's 16.9%, confirming ETH's higher beta characteristics during market stress. ETH also showed a slightly larger drawdown at -15.1% compared to BTC's -13.9%. **Recovery Patterns**: Following the February 6th drop, both assets rebounded strongly on February 7th, with BTC gaining 12.2% and ETH gaining 13.2%. However, ETH maintained higher volatility during this recovery period as well. **Recent Stabilization**: From February 8-11, both assets showed decreasing volatility, though ETH consistently maintained slightly higher daily ranges (5.6-6.3% vs BTC's 3.6-5.6%). ## Volatility Metrics Summary | Metric | BTC | ETH | Difference | |--------|-----|-----|------------| | **Max Daily Range** | 16.9% | 18.7% | +1.8pp | | **Avg Daily Range** | 8.4% | 9.2% | +0.8pp | | **Max Drawdown** | -13.9% | -15.1% | +1.2pp | | **Recovery Bounce** | +12.2% | +13.2% | +1.0pp | ## Implications ETH's consistently higher volatility aligns with historical patterns where altcoins typically show greater price swings than Bitcoin during both downturns and recoveries. The 1.8 percentage point difference in maximum daily range represents approximately 11% higher volatility for ETH during the most stressful market conditions. This volatility premium makes ETH potentially more attractive for traders seeking larger price movements, while BTC maintains its characteristic as the relatively more stable store of value among major cryptocurrencies. **Data Limitation**: This analysis covers only 7 days of price action. Longer-term volatility analysis (30-90 days) would provide more robust comparative metrics.