With September coming to a close, crypto traders are already setting their sights on October. The fourth quarter of the year is usually a busy time for crypto markets, and this year looks no different. Big names like Ethereum and Solana are showing signs of growth, and a new player, Ozak AI — an artificial intelligence-powered token — is generating serious buzz with potential for 100x returns. Here’s a closer look at these three projects worth watching as we head into October.

Ethereum continues to stay strong despite recent market shifts. Back in August, ETH took the lead over Bitcoin in spot trading, grabbing 41% of the market share. Trading activity supported this shift, with Ethereum recording $480 billion in spot volume compared to Bitcoin’s $400 billion.

Big investors are also showing more interest in Ethereum. This year alone, Ethereum ETFs brought in $10 billion in new investments, pushing total assets under management to $25 billion. BlackRock’s Ethereum fund stands out as the top choice among institutions, which signals growing trust in ETH. Even though some Ethereum ETFs have seen outflows recently, activity on the network is still strong. Over 51 million active addresses are using Ethereum, decentralized exchange (DEX) volumes have jumped past $140 billion, and crypto exchanges are holding the lowest levels of ETH in years.

On the tech side, Ethereum developers rolled out ERC-7943 — a new upgrade that helps real-world assets work better with blockchain rules. This move boosts compliance and makes it easier for different platforms to connect. Combined with strong on-chain activity, Ethereum looks set for more gains heading into October.

Overall, Ethereum remains a top contender, Solana is heating up again, and Ozak AI is quickly gaining attention. As the crypto market gears up for Q4, these three tokens could deliver some of the biggest moves in the coming weeks.