"Uptober" Takes Crypto Exchanges to New Heights: Best in 4 Years

<p>This year's
cryptocurrency "Uptober" did not disappoint and benefitted the
largest cryptocurrencies and centralized exchanges. Bitcoin's (BTC) nearly 30%
increase drove retail trader activity, impacting a significant growth in spot
volumes among the TOP 10 exchanges. On average, volumes grew 54% in October
compared to September. </p><p>According
to data collected by Finance Magnates Intelligencer, the total volume
increased month-over-month (MoM) $153 billion, bouncing back from the worst
month since the beginning of 2023.</p><p>Crypto Volumes Up in
October 2023, ByBit Climbs to the Podium</p><p>October has
historically been one of the best months for <a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/terms/c/cryptocurrencies/">cryptocurrencies</a> and the returns
they achieve. The term "Uptober" is aptly coined, as it captures the
month's bullish trend in cryptocurrencies and marks the start of the year's
most robust quarter for digital assets.</p><p>Expectations
for October were high, and ultimately, no one was disappointed: neither traders
nor crypto exchanges. For record-holders such as ByBit and OKX, <a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/crypto-volumes-hit-rock-bottom-9-out-of-10-leading-exchanges-report-septembers-slump/" target="_blank" rel="follow">monthly volumes
increased nearly 80%</a>. </p><p>Dynamic leaps also caused reshuffles among the leaders;
Binance and Upbit maintained their positions, but Huobi had to give way to
Bybit, which found itself in third place on the podium. Bybit thus
increased its market share (among the TOP 10 exchanges) from 4% reported in
September to 8% in October.</p><p>Market Breaks the
Unfavorable Trend</p><p>Although
year-over-year (YoY) comparison of volumes did not turn out so favorably, some
exchanges managed to break the trend observed in recent months of much worse
results than in 2022. For example, YoY volumes for Binance and Coinbase fell 50% and 35%, respectively, but the same volumes for Upbit and Huobi grew over 50%.</p><p>Ultimately,
the average result for the TOP 10 platforms comparing October 2023 to October 2022 was -6%, however, a month ago it was almost 70%.</p><p>The
fluctuations in trading volumes for individual exchanges have been summarized
in a table below:</p><p>Best Crypto Market
Performance since January 2021</p><p>According
to a separate report prepared by CCData, the total volume of
cryptocurrency exchanges for spot and derivatives trading grew for the first
time in four months in October to $2.57 trillion. This is the highest total
volume since June and the strongest single-month growth in almost four years
since January 2021.</p><p>The report
also shows a rise in CME options volumes to historic highs of $1.75 billion for
BTC and $532 million for Ethereum (ETH), up 142% and 107%, respectively.</p><p>"The
increase in trading volumes on the CME <a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/terms/e/exchange/">exchange</a> hints at rising institutional
interest in BTC and ETH as the markets enter a new cycle," CCData
commented in the report.</p><p><a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/bitcoin-hits-17-month-high-fueling-investor-greed-and-fomo/" target="_blank" rel="follow">The October
increases in the cryptocurrency market</a>, like those <a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/blackrock-seeks-approval-for-a-spot-bitcoin-etf-in-the-us/" target="_blank" rel="follow">in June</a>, were driven by news
that the approval of the first spot ETF fund for BTC was getting closer.
<a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/cryptocurrency/sec-reportedly-nearing-approval-of-ishares-bitcoin-etf/" target="_blank" rel="follow">Although these reports ultimately proved unconfirmed rumors</a>, BTC maintained its
gains, adding another portion in November. As a result, Bitcoin is currently
the most expensive it has been in over 18 months.</p>

This article was written by Damian Chmiel at www.financemagnates.com.