Crypto market recap: May 2026

Computed from our daily AUD price records · part of the market today archive

May 2026 was a sideways month for Bitcoin: BTC moved −3.0% in AUD terms (A$105,938 → A$102,773), with Ethereum at −10.2%. Across the 134 major coins in our records that month, 59 finished higher and 75 lower. Sentiment averaged 34/100 on the Fear & Greed Index, ranging from 22 to 50.

Best performers — May 2026

VVV Venice Token	A$11.85 → A$23.48	+98.1%
INJ Injective	A$4.75 → A$9.18	+93.2%
RAIN Rain	A$0.0109 → A$0.02	+83.6%
NEAR NEAR Protocol	A$1.8 → A$3.14	+74.2%
HYPE Hyperliquid	A$55.11 → A$95.02	+72.4%

Worst performers — May 2026

SYRUP Maple Finance	A$0.3308 → A$0.2218	−32.9%
BCH Bitcoin Cash	A$613 → A$421	−31.3%
COMP Compound	A$32.75 → A$25.44	−22.3%
CHZ Chiliz	A$0.0574 → A$0.0458	−20.2%
PENGU Pudgy Penguins	A$0.0139 → A$0.0111	−19.6%

A month is a snapshot, not a verdict — the coins topping this list are frequently the ones at the bottom of another month's. For what actually happened here over the same stretch — regulators, platforms, licensing — see the fortnight in review. For the live picture, today's wrap; for whether moves like these are connected, the correlation study; for what any of it means for your own holdings, the portfolio tracker.

Computed from our own daily AUD price records (powered by CoinGecko). Coins are included where our records cover at least 20 days of the month. Past performance does not indicate future returns. General information only, not financial advice.