AKT maintains a commanding lead, ATOM delivers the strongest comeback of the week, and FLUX moves closer to break-even with rewards included. Behind these moves, let’s remember the challenge at the heart of our Crypto Race: which assets in the Snow-Fall ecosystem will outperform Bitcoin by the end of 2026?
At the October 10 snapshot, six of the fourteen cryptocurrencies we track gained over the week. ATOM led the rebound with +26.87%, followed by FLUX (+16.57%) and AKT (+9.98%). ALGO recorded the largest decline at −10.17%.
These changes capture the week’s pace, but our race is a long-term challenge. We compare cumulative returns since January 3, 2026, through two approaches: without staking and with rewards included.
Our benchmark remains BTC, which stands at −8.39% without rewards and −7.72% in the rewards-inclusive ranking as of October 10, according to the race’s tracking methodology.
Category 1: AKT leads, ATOM changes the picture
| Crypto | Without staking | With staking |
|---|---|---|
| AKT | +73.49% | +88.76% |
| TAO | +10.35% | +14.22% |
| ATOM | −4.21% | +7.47% |
| BTC | −8.39% | −7.72% |
| ALGO | −11.07% | −7.17% |
| ETH | −20.58% | −18.73% |
| AVAX | −25.08% | −22.15% |
| OSMO | −34.14% | −31.67% |
The table follows the ranking without staking. With rewards included, ALGO moves ahead of BTC.
AKT maintains a comfortable lead
Akash continues to lead the race. With +73.49% without staking and +88.76% with rewards, AKT maintains a substantial advantage over the other participants and Bitcoin.
Its price gain of nearly 10% this week strengthens that position. At this stage, AKT remains the best-placed candidate in our selection to finish the year ahead of BTC. It still needs to hold that advantage until the finish line.
TAO keeps second place despite a weekly decline of 4.85%. As of October 10, its cumulative return remains positive in both rankings: +10.35% without staking and +14.22% with staking.
ATOM returns to the podium and turns positive with staking
The most significant move comes from ATOM. With a 26.87% weekly gain, it climbs from seventh to third place in the ranking without staking.
Its cumulative loss narrows to −4.21%, compared with −24.50% a week earlier. With rewards included, its return reaches +7.47%.
For our challenge against Bitcoin, this changes the picture: ATOM now outperforms BTC in both rankings. Its price remains slightly below its starting level, but it is already doing better than our benchmark.
This week also illustrates why we track both results. Accumulated rewards can bring a position back into positive territory before the asset’s price returns to its initial level.
ALGO: behind BTC on price, ahead with rewards
ALGO falls 10.17% over the week and leaves the podium in the ranking without staking. Its cumulative return of −11.07% now places it behind Bitcoin.
With rewards included, the order reverses: ALGO stands at −7.17%, compared with −7.72% for BTC. The advantage is narrow, but it matters in a race whose goal is to outperform Bitcoin.
ETH, AVAX and OSMO remain behind BTC under both approaches. OSMO gains a modest 0.29% this week without leaving last place in its category.
Category 2: Nolus stays ahead, FLUX approaches break-even
| Crypto | Without staking | With staking |
|---|---|---|
| NLS | +2.83% | +6.04% |
| GNO | −14.80% | −11.47% |
| FLUX | −22.36% | −3.02% |
| BAND | −32.49% | −21.29% |
| CTK | −52.59% | −38.94% |
| LAVA | −91.66% | −91.40% |
The table follows the ranking without staking. With rewards included, FLUX takes second place ahead of GNO.
Nolus keeps the lead and its advantage over Bitcoin
NLS slips 0.54% over the week, but as of October 10, it remains the only asset in this category showing a positive cumulative return relative to its starting level: +2.83% without staking and +6.04% with rewards.
This does not mean Nolus has stayed positive throughout the year. After spending periods below its starting level, it now sits above that baseline and retains first place in its category.
It also outperforms Bitcoin in both rankings. Its advantage is less spectacular than AKT’s, but it reminds us of our objective: an asset does not need to win the entire race to meet the challenge; finishing ahead of BTC is enough.
FLUX: a price rebound and second place with rewards
FLUX delivers the second-largest weekly gain in our selection at +16.57%.
Without rewards, its cumulative loss narrows to −22.36%, compared with −33.40% a week earlier. It remains third behind NLS and GNO, but significantly reduces the gap to GNO.
With rewards included, the picture changes: FLUX stands at −3.02% and takes second place ahead of GNO. It moves closer to break-even and outperforms Bitcoin in this ranking.
This is an essential distinction in our race: an asset can still show a loss while doing better than BTC. FLUX provides a particularly clear example this week.
BAND and CTK rebound without reshuffling the ranking
BAND gains 6.63% over the week, while CTK rises 5.65%. These gains reduce their losses without changing their positions.
Rewards cushion their cumulative declines: BAND moves from −32.49% to −21.29%, and CTK from −52.59% to −38.94%. Both nevertheless remain behind Bitcoin.
GNO retains second place without staking but gives up that position to FLUX when rewards are included. LAVA remains last, with a decline exceeding 91% in both rankings.
Who is beating Bitcoin as of October 10?
At this stage, the following assets are outperforming our benchmark:
| Race approach | Assets ahead of BTC |
|---|---|
| Without staking | AKT, TAO, ATOM and NLS |
| With rewards | AKT, TAO, ATOM, ALGO, NLS and FLUX |
Four assets are therefore ahead of Bitcoin on price alone, rising to six when rewards are included.
This does not mean they all show a gain relative to their starting level. At the October 10 snapshot, only AKT, TAO and NLS have positive cumulative returns without staking. With rewards included, ATOM joins that group.
Our Crypto Race therefore asks two complementary questions: which assets show a gain relative to the start, and which are outperforming Bitcoin? The answers are not always the same.
The final quarter can still change the race
AKT holds the lead, TAO remains in second place, and ATOM returns to contention with a strong rebound. In Category 2, Nolus maintains its advantage while FLUX demonstrates how much rewards can influence the final result.
There are slightly fewer than three months left before the finish line. Today’s positions provide a snapshot of the journey, not December’s verdict. The recoveries of ATOM and FLUX remind us that rankings can still change quickly.
Bitcoin remains the competitor to beat. As of October 10, several participants are already doing so. The question is which ones will hold that advantage through the end of 2026.
Data as of October 10, 2026. Cumulative returns are taken from the official Crypto Race results; weekly changes are calculated from the supplied prices between October 3 and October 10. The “with staking” column includes rewards according to the race’s methodology; it does not mean that every asset offers native staking. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
