The Crypto Race is entering its final quarter. After nine months of tracking, the October 3, 2026 snapshot shows substantial gaps: Akash maintains a strong lead, Bittensor remains in positive territory, and Nolus still tops the second category.
Algorand is also approaching its starting level. Once staking rewards are included, its performance is already positive.
The objective remains unchanged: track assets within the Snow-Fall ecosystem, compare their performance with and without staking, and see which ones finish the year ahead of Bitcoin.
CAT 1: Akash maintains a strong lead
| Asset | Without staking | With staking |
|---|---|---|
| AKT | +57.74% | +71.27% |
| TAO | +15.97% | +19.94% |
| ALGO | −1.01% | +3.23% |
| BTC | −6.26% | −5.59% |
| ETH | −14.87% | −12.93% |
| AVAX | −22.48% | −19.52% |
| ATOM | −24.50% | −15.53% |
| OSMO | −34.33% | −31.93% |
The table follows the ranking without staking.
Akash enters the final quarter in a strong position
At +57.74% without staking and +71.27% with staking, Akash remains well ahead of the other participants.
Its lead over Bitcoin reaches 64 percentage points without staking and 76.86 points with staking. That is a substantial margin heading into the final quarter, although it does not guarantee the final result.
AKT therefore has a lead to defend. Its challengers still have nearly three months to try to close the gap.
Bittensor remains the closest challenger
TAO holds second place at +15.97% without staking and +19.94% with staking.
Despite its decline since the previous snapshot, Bittensor remains above its starting level and ahead of Bitcoin in both rankings. It therefore retains its place among the few participants posting a positive return even before rewards are included.
Algorand returns to positive territory with staking
Algorand is one of the notable developments at the start of this quarter.
Without staking, ALGO still shows a slight loss of 1.01%. However, rewards included in our tracking bring its performance to +3.23%.
Algorand joins Akash and Bittensor among the CAT 1 assets in positive territory with staking. It also outperforms Bitcoin in both versions of the race.
The next milestone will be whether ALGO can achieve a positive return through price appreciation alone.
Staking also changes the order of the challengers
Bitcoin remains our benchmark at −6.26% without staking and −5.59% in the version including yield. Ethereum follows at −14.87% and −12.93%, respectively.
Behind them, staking changes the ranking.
ATOM moves from −24.50% without staking to −15.53% with staking, an improvement of 8.96 percentage points. This allows it to overtake Avalanche when rewards are included.
AVAX remains ahead of ATOM on price performance alone, at −22.48%. Its return with staking stands at −19.52%.
Osmosis ranks last in CAT 1 in both versions. Rewards reduce its loss from −34.33% to −31.93%, an improvement of 2.40 points. The gap with the other participants nevertheless remains substantial.
These results show that rewards can change positions and reduce losses. However, they do not always offset a decline in price.
CAT 2: Nolus holds the lead, Flux consolidates third place
| Asset | Without staking | With staking |
|---|---|---|
| NLS | +3.39% | +6.53% |
| GNO | −14.53% | −11.27% |
| FLUX | −33.40% | −17.27% |
| BAND | −36.69% | −26.47% |
| CTK | −55.12% | −42.57% |
| LAVA | −91.52% | −91.26% |
Nolus remains the only CAT 2 participant in positive territory
Nolus retains first place at +3.39% without staking and +6.53% with staking.
NLS also outperforms Bitcoin in both versions of our tracking. Without staking, its lead over the benchmark reaches 9.65 percentage points.
This result follows a turbulent journey, including a sharp decline during the summer. Returning above its starting level is therefore an important milestone, but it still needs to hold that position through the end of the year.
Gnosis maintains second place
GNO stands at −14.53% without staking and −11.27% with staking.
It maintains a clear lead over the four participants below it. However, second place in CAT 2 does not yet put it ahead of Bitcoin, which remains closer to its starting level.
Flux continues its recovery
Flux holds third place ahead of Band.
Its performance improves from −33.40% without staking to −17.27% with rewards included, a gain of 16.13 percentage points. This is the largest difference between the two versions of the race among participants at this snapshot.
The recovery is therefore visible, although FLUX remains below its starting level.
Band follows at −36.69% without staking and −26.47% with staking. Rewards also reduce its loss, but do not change its fourth-place position.
CertiK and Lava remain under pressure
CTK stands at −55.12% without staking and −42.57% with staking. Rewards make a significant contribution, but the loss remains deep.
For Lava, the two results remain close: −91.52% without staking and −91.26% with staking. At this stage, rewards offset very little of the price decline.
Who is beating Bitcoin as the final quarter begins?
Four challengers currently outperform Bitcoin: AKT, TAO, ALGO and NLS. They are the same in both the with-staking and without-staking rankings.
However, the number of participants in positive territory changes:
- Without staking: Akash, Bittensor and Nolus.
- With staking: Akash, Bittensor, Algorand and Nolus.
This distinction is essential when reading the Crypto Race. Beating Bitcoin does not necessarily mean posting a positive return. Algorand illustrates this: it outperforms the benchmark without staking while remaining slightly below its starting level.
Likewise, rewards can substantially improve a result without bringing it back to break-even, as Flux and ATOM demonstrate.
Three months to confirm
Akash begins the final quarter with a substantial lead. Bittensor holds second place, while Algorand approaches break-even on price performance and moves above it with staking.
In CAT 2, Nolus remains in first place and in positive territory. Flux continues its recovery, but several participants still have considerable ground to make up.
The next snapshots will show whether these trends continue or whether positions shift again. The final ranking will be decided at the last snapshot of the year. Until then, every week still counts.
Performance figures come from Snow-Fall’s Crypto Race tracking, as of October 3, 2026. The with-staking version includes rewards according to the race’s methodology.
Crypto Race 2026: Akash leads as the final quarter begins
The Crypto Race is entering its final quarter. After nine months of tracking, the October 3, 2026 snapshot shows substantial gaps: Akash maintains a strong lead, Bittensor remains in positive territory, and Nolus still tops the second category.
Algorand is also approaching its starting level. Once staking rewards are included, its performance is already positive.
The objective remains unchanged: track assets within the Snow-Fall ecosystem, compare their performance with and without staking, and see which ones finish the year ahead of Bitcoin.
CAT 1: Akash maintains a strong lead
| Asset | Without staking | With staking |
|---|---|---|
| AKT | +57.74% | +71.27% |
| TAO | +15.97% | +19.94% |
| ALGO | −1.01% | +3.23% |
| BTC | −6.26% | −5.59% |
| ETH | −14.87% | −12.93% |
| AVAX | −22.48% | −19.52% |
| ATOM | −24.50% | −15.53% |
| OSMO | −34.33% | −31.93% |
The table follows the ranking without staking.
Akash enters the final quarter in a strong position
At +57.74% without staking and +71.27% with staking, Akash remains well ahead of the other participants.
Its lead over Bitcoin reaches 64 percentage points without staking and 76.86 points with staking. That is a substantial margin heading into the final quarter, although it does not guarantee the final result.
AKT therefore has a lead to defend. Its challengers still have nearly three months to try to close the gap.
Bittensor remains the closest challenger
TAO holds second place at +15.97% without staking and +19.94% with staking.
Despite its decline since the previous snapshot, Bittensor remains above its starting level and ahead of Bitcoin in both rankings. It therefore retains its place among the few participants posting a positive return even before rewards are included.
Algorand returns to positive territory with staking
Algorand is one of the notable developments at the start of this quarter.
Without staking, ALGO still shows a slight loss of 1.01%. However, rewards included in our tracking bring its performance to +3.23%.
Algorand joins Akash and Bittensor among the CAT 1 assets in positive territory with staking. It also outperforms Bitcoin in both versions of the race.
The next milestone will be whether ALGO can achieve a positive return through price appreciation alone.
Staking also changes the order of the challengers
Bitcoin remains our benchmark at −6.26% without staking and −5.59% in the version including yield. Ethereum follows at −14.87% and −12.93%, respectively.
Behind them, staking changes the ranking.
ATOM moves from −24.50% without staking to −15.53% with staking, an improvement of 8.96 percentage points. This allows it to overtake Avalanche when rewards are included.
AVAX remains ahead of ATOM on price performance alone, at −22.48%. Its return with staking stands at −19.52%.
Osmosis ranks last in CAT 1 in both versions. Rewards reduce its loss from −34.33% to −31.93%, an improvement of 2.40 points. The gap with the other participants nevertheless remains substantial.
These results show that rewards can change positions and reduce losses. However, they do not always offset a decline in price.
CAT 2: Nolus holds the lead, Flux consolidates third place
| Asset | Without staking | With staking |
|---|---|---|
| NLS | +3.39% | +6.53% |
| GNO | −14.53% | −11.27% |
| FLUX | −33.40% | −17.27% |
| BAND | −36.69% | −26.47% |
| CTK | −55.12% | −42.57% |
| LAVA | −91.52% | −91.26% |
Nolus remains the only CAT 2 participant in positive territory
Nolus retains first place at +3.39% without staking and +6.53% with staking.
NLS also outperforms Bitcoin in both versions of our tracking. Without staking, its lead over the benchmark reaches 9.65 percentage points.
This result follows a turbulent journey, including a sharp decline during the summer. Returning above its starting level is therefore an important milestone, but it still needs to hold that position through the end of the year.
Gnosis maintains second place
GNO stands at −14.53% without staking and −11.27% with staking.
It maintains a clear lead over the four participants below it. However, second place in CAT 2 does not yet put it ahead of Bitcoin, which remains closer to its starting level.
Flux continues its recovery
Flux holds third place ahead of Band.
Its performance improves from −33.40% without staking to −17.27% with rewards included, a gain of 16.13 percentage points. This is the largest difference between the two versions of the race among participants at this snapshot.
The recovery is therefore visible, although FLUX remains below its starting level.
Band follows at −36.69% without staking and −26.47% with staking. Rewards also reduce its loss, but do not change its fourth-place position.
CertiK and Lava remain under pressure
CTK stands at −55.12% without staking and −42.57% with staking. Rewards make a significant contribution, but the loss remains deep.
For Lava, the two results remain close: −91.52% without staking and −91.26% with staking. At this stage, rewards offset very little of the price decline.
Who is beating Bitcoin as the final quarter begins?
Four challengers currently outperform Bitcoin: AKT, TAO, ALGO and NLS. They are the same in both the with-staking and without-staking rankings.
However, the number of participants in positive territory changes:
- Without staking: Akash, Bittensor and Nolus.
- With staking: Akash, Bittensor, Algorand and Nolus.
This distinction is essential when reading the Crypto Race. Beating Bitcoin does not necessarily mean posting a positive return. Algorand illustrates this: it outperforms the benchmark without staking while remaining slightly below its starting level.
Likewise, rewards can substantially improve a result without bringing it back to break-even, as Flux and ATOM demonstrate.
Three months to confirm
Akash begins the final quarter with a substantial lead. Bittensor holds second place, while Algorand approaches break-even on price performance and moves above it with staking.
In CAT 2, Nolus remains in first place and in positive territory. Flux continues its recovery, but several participants still have considerable ground to make up.
The next snapshots will show whether these trends continue or whether positions shift again. The final ranking will be decided at the last snapshot of the year. Until then, every week still counts.
Performance figures come from Snow-Fall’s Crypto Race tracking, as of October 3, 2026. The with-staking version includes rewards according to the race’s methodology.
