AVAX Up Nearly 50% in Four Weeks, Outpacing Bitcoin and Ether

AVAX leads major crypto tokens by nearly 50%

Avalanche's AVAX gained 49.7% over the 28 days ending Oct. 11, 2026. That move far outpaced bitcoin's 9% advance and ether's 2.3% rise over the same window, according to CoinGecko price data cited by The Defiant.

AVAX was trading at $10.91 at 7 p.m. ET on Oct. 11, up from $7.29 at the same time on Sept. 13. Despite holding that four-week gain, AVAX fell 1.7% over the final seven days, a smaller drop than bitcoin's 3.3% decline and ether's 7.3% fall.

Key price moves and numbers

• AVAX: 49.7% gain over 28 days, from $7.29 to $10.91.
• Bitcoin: 9% gain over the same period.
• Ether: 2.3% gain over the same period.
• AVAX's final-week decline was 1.7%, compared with 3.3% for bitcoin and 7.3% for ether.
• At about 7:24 p.m. ET on Oct. 11, 36 of 45 non-stablecoin assets on The Defiant's watchlist were up over the preceding 24 hours. AVAX gained 5.5% in that window.

The price ride was not smooth

The four-week return masks a sharp reversal inside the period. CoinGecko recorded AVAX at $11.60 on Oct. 6 and then at $10.08 on Oct. 8. Its subsequent recovery left it below that earlier peak, even as it kept a large lead over bitcoin and ether across the full four weeks.

Avalanche cuts validator commitment to 48 hours

During the price-measurement window, Avalanche changed the terms for validators who commit AVAX to secure its network. The Helicon upgrade activated on Sept. 22, according to Avalanche's own blog and the AvalancheGo release notes.

Helicon cut the minimum staking period for Primary Network validators from two weeks to 48 hours. The minimum stake amount stayed at 2,000 AVAX. The upgrade also introduced automatic renewal for validator stakes.

For node operators, the change means a shorter capital commitment without a lower participation threshold. The trade-off is that rewards for shorter commitments are being reduced over a 90-day phase-in period, while the reward for a full-year commitment is unchanged, according to Avalanche.

Institutional lending adds context but not a clear cause

Aave Labs announced a plan for a dedicated tokenized-asset credit market on Avalanche, reported by The Defiant on Sept. 16. The market would let institutions borrow USA₮ against tokenized collateral. At the time of announcement, the hub and stablecoin listing were subject to Aave DAO approval.

The Defiant noted that these network developments provide context but do not establish a clear explanation for the price move.

What is confirmed

• AVAX gained 49.7% over 28 days to Oct. 11, 2026, based on CoinGecko data.
• Bitcoin advanced 9% and ether rose 2.3% over the same period.
• AVAX declined 1.7% over the final week, smaller than the drops for bitcoin and ether.
• The Helicon upgrade activated on Sept. 22 and reduced the minimum validator staking period to 48 hours.
• The minimum stake for validators remained 2,000 AVAX.
• Rewards for shorter commitments are being phased down over 90 days, while full-year rewards are unchanged.

What is still unclear

The Defiant did not identify a single confirmed driver behind AVAX's price gain. The Helicon upgrade and Aave's planned credit market provide network context but are not established as the cause of the move. The watchlist used for the 24-hour comparison was a selected basket of assets, not a measure of the entire crypto market.

Sources

• The Defiant
• Avalanche blog: Helicon upgrade
• AvalancheGo release v1.15.0
• CoinGecko: Avalanche

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