WTI Crude Surges to Top of 2026 Performers with 45.6% Gain

The year is halfway through and one major asset has stood out from the rest: West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil. According to KuCoin, WTI crude has been the best-performing major asset in 2026, crushing not just stocks and gold but also cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.

KuCoin's data shows that WTI crude has surged by a whopping 45.6% so far this year. In comparison, the Nasdaq and S&P 500 have risen by 13.6% and 12.4%, respectively, while gold has increased by just 4.4%. The Dollar Index is up 1.3%, but Bitcoin has actually declined by 11.0%

The outperformance of WTI crude extends to other assets as well. It has outpaced Nvidia by a significant 25 percentage points.