Bitcoin’s price history

Since 2009, Bitcoin’s price has been subject to large volatility. The factors mentioned above have all contributed to its journey so far. Although the price has had its ups and downs, the price is still dramatically higher than when it began. When we compare Bitcoin to the NASDAQ 100 and gold, you can see it has vastly outpaced these two traditionally strong-performing assets. You can also see its volatility, as Bitcoin’s yearly losses are also greater in percentage terms than any losses experienced by gold or the NASDAQ 100 (data from @CharlieBilello).

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According to CaseBitcoin, BTC has shown a 10-year CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 196.7%. CAGR measures an asset’s annual growth rate taking into account compounding. There have been five significant peaks in Bitcoin’s price, rising from only $1 in 2011 to an all-time high of $65,000 in May 2021. Let’s break down the history so far into five distinct peaks.

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  1. June 2011: From a price measured in just cents the year before, Bitcoin made a meteoric rise to $32. Bitcoin experienced its first bull run followed by a moderate crash down to $2.10.

  2. April 2013: After beginning the year at roughly $13, Bitcoin experienced its first bull run of the year, rising to $260 on April 10, 2013. The price then crashed over the next two days down to $45.

  3. December 2013: By the end of the year, Bitcoin experienced an almost 10-times price increase between October and December. At the beginning of October, BTC was trading at $125 before reaching its peak of $1,160. By December 18, the price had once again crashed to $380.

  4. December 2017: After starting at roughly $1,000 in January 2017, Bitcoin saw a meteoric rise in price to just under $20,000 by December 17, 2017. This bull run cemented Bitcoin’s position in the mainstream, catching the attention of institutional investors and governments.

  5. April 2021: Crashes in the stock market and crypto market in March 2020 led to a sustained price rise up to $63,000 by April 13, 2021. With economic instability from the Coronavirus pandemic, Bitcoin was seen by some as a store of value. BTC and the crypto market then saw a significant selloff in May 2021 before stagnating in price.