The Crypto Race 2026 continues to fragment. This week, some competitors moved sharply higher, while others gave back much of their recent rebound.
Akash remains firmly at the top of CAT 1 and further improves its yearly performance. Behind it, TAO falls sharply, while Bitcoin and Ethereum regain momentum. ATOM and Avalanche move in the opposite direction.
In CAT 2, Nolus delivers the most spectacular move of the week and takes first place from Gnosis.
Performances calculated on September 12, 2026, relative to the starting point of the Crypto Race.
CAT 1: Akash Extends Its Lead
Performance Without Staking
| Rank | Asset | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akash | +27.43% |
| 2 | TAO | −6.20% |
| 3 | Bitcoin | −14.47% |
| 4 | Ethereum | −19.88% |
| 5 | ATOM | −24.45% |
| 6 | Algorand | −26.48% |
| 7 | Osmosis | −36.99% |
| 8 | Avalanche | −46.39% |
Akash continues to race ahead on its own. Its performance improved by more than four points in one week, increasing its lead over TAO, its closest rival, to more than 33 points.
The situation is far less comfortable for TAO. After returning to positive territory last week at +8.42%, the asset falls back to −6.20%. It retains second place, but Bitcoin is now only 8.27 points behind.
Bitcoin climbs from −21.84% to −14.47%, while Ethereum records the strongest recovery in CAT 1, moving from −31.52% to −19.88%. This rebound allows Ethereum to overtake ATOM and claim fourth place without staking.
ATOM, meanwhile, gives back much of its previous recovery. Its performance falls from −15.05% to −24.45%. The rebound observed at the beginning of the month has therefore failed to hold.
The largest decline, however, belongs to Avalanche. After rebounding strongly last week, AVAX loses more than 15 points and falls to −46.39%, far behind the rest of the pack.
Staking Protects ATOM but Does Not Threaten Akash
Performance With Staking
| Rank | Asset | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Akash | +37.49% |
| 2 | TAO | −3.24% |
| 3 | Bitcoin | −13.91% |
| 4 | ATOM | −16.21% |
| 5 | Ethereum | −18.20% |
| 6 | Algorand | −23.58% |
| 7 | Osmosis | −34.87% |
| 8 | Avalanche | −44.51% |
Staking does not change Akash’s dominance, with its performance now reaching +37.49%. However, it does change the contest between ATOM and Ethereum. Without staking, Ethereum moves ahead, but accumulated rewards allow ATOM to retain fourth place with a lead of around two points. Yield also noticeably improves the results of Algorand and Osmosis, although it is not enough to fully offset their price declines since the beginning of the race.
CAT 2: Nolus Overtakes Gnosis
Performance Without Staking
| Rank | Asset | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nolus | −7.15% |
| 2 | Gnosis | −14.21% |
| 3 | Band Protocol | −49.51% |
| 4 | Flux | −52.85% |
| 5 | Shentu | −60.01% |
| 6 | Lava | −86.61% |
Nolus delivers the most significant move across the entire Crypto Race this week. After posting −22.18% in the previous ranking, it rebounds to −7.15%, gaining more than 15 points.
This recovery allows Nolus to overtake Gnosis and take the lead in CAT 2. Gnosis remains almost perfectly stable at −14.21%, but cannot resist Nolus’s acceleration.
Further down the ranking, Band Protocol slips slightly to −49.51%, while Flux modestly improves to −52.85%. Shentu falls to −60.01%, and Lava remains isolated in last place despite a very slight improvement.
Performance With Staking and Node Yield
| Rank | Asset | Performance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nolus | −4.55% |
| 2 | Gnosis | −11.20% |
| 3 | Band Protocol | −42.04% |
| 4 | Flux | −42.41% |
| 5 | Shentu | −49.78% |
| 6 | Lava | −86.24% |
With rewards included, Nolus moves even closer to its starting level, at only −4.55%. Behind it, Gnosis remains second at −11.20%.
The battle between Band Protocol and Flux is particularly close. Once staking rewards and Flux node yield are included, only 0.37 points separate the two projects. Shentu also benefits significantly from its rewards but remains below −49%.
An Increasingly Fragmented Race
This week confirms that the market is no longer moving in a single direction.
Akash extends its lead at the front. Bitcoin and Ethereum rebound, while TAO, ATOM and especially Avalanche move sharply lower. In CAT 2, Nolus stages a spectacular recovery and comes close to breaking even when staking is included.
At this stage, Akash remains the only asset in the Crypto Race with a positive performance. However, the gaps behind the leader can still change very quickly: in a single week, TAO lost more than 14 points while Nolus recovered more than 15.
The race is therefore far from over.
