In Bitcoin’s price history, the coin has been declared ‘dead’ at least 463 times. Yet, to this day, it remains the undisputed “king” of the cryptocurrency world.
Below, BitcoinVN News invites you to explore Bitcoin’s price fluctuations from its inception to the time of writing. This overview will give you a comprehensive perspective, helping you decide whether it’s worth investing in.
What influences Bitcoin’s price?
Some people think new technology is the main reason for Bitcoin’s price swings. But that’s not the full story.
Bitcoin’s ups and downs are mostly linked to halving cycles and global economic shifts. In the past, these factors pushed its price up by as much as 1,000%, followed by steep drops of 80-90%, like what happened in 2014.
Still, after every crash, Bitcoin has bounced back to strong levels, often reaching new highs. This steady recovery shows that many early investors underestimated its strength, while more and more people have joined in over time.
In this article, we’ll look at Bitcoin’s price journey year by year and highlight the key events that shaped it. Let’s get started!
Bitcoin Price History
| Year | Start Price | High Price | Low Price | End of Year (EOY) Price | % Performance |
| 2010 | $0.003 | $0.40 | $0.00 | $0.30 | 9,900% |
| 2011 | $0.30 | $32 | $0.29 | $4.70 | 1,467% |
| 2012 | $4.70 | $16 | $4 | $13.30 | 183% |
| 2013 | $13.30 | $1,163 | $13 | $805 | 5,953% |
| 2014 | $805 | $936 | $310 | $318 | –61% |
| 2015 | $318 | $465 | $172 | $434 | 36% |
| 2016 | $434 | $981 | $351 | $966 | 123% |
| 2017 | $966 | $19,892 | $784 | $14,245 | 1,375% |
| 2018 | $13,657 | $18,343 | $3,217 | $3,809 | -72% |
| 2019 | $3,844 | $13,017 | $3,401 | $7,240 | 88% |
| 2020 | $7,200 | $29,096 | $3,850 | $28,951 | 302% |
| 2021 | $28,951 | $68,789 | $29,796 | $46,430 | 60% |
| 2022 | $46,379 | $47,835 | $18,490 | $16,537 | -64% |
| 2023 | $16,537 | $44,697 | $16,499 | $28,197 | 155% |
| 2024 | $44,183 | $101,373 | $42,091 | $98,675 | 121% |
| 2025 | $93,527 | $123,091 | $124,457 | – | – |
(Figures may vary depending on the data source, especially in the early years)
Bitcoin was launched in 2008 as a system run by code, not people.
At first, it was only an experiment. But readers of the white paper who understood cryptography and finance saw its huge potential.
In the beginning, Bitcoin had no price, no premine, and no outside funding. By 2010, it started being used for real transactions, marking the start of a new kind of money, growing from zero in 2009 to over $106,000 within 16 years.
Next, we’ll look at how Bitcoin grew from a bold tech idea into a real financial asset that still delivers on its vision.
Bitcoin Price History from January 2009 to December 2013
Bitcoin’s first concept was outlined in Satoshi Nakamoto’s white paper on October 31, 2008. In 2009, anyone could participate in the network by mining blocks on an ordinary computer CPU with ease. Even so, Bitcoin had no market value and traded at zero.
Bitcoin Price History – Early stage in 2009
Price Range: $0 – $0.0009
Satoshi mined the genesis block, the first-ever Bitcoin block, which gave a reward of 50 BTC. In those early days, miners could create thousands of bitcoins every day.
By late 2009, the New Liberty Standard exchange logged the first Bitcoin-to-USD trade. Most trading at the time took place on the BitcoinTalk forum.
On October 12, 2009, a BitcoinTalk user sold 5,050 BTC for $5.02 through PayPal (about $0.00099 per coin), one of the lowest prices ever for Bitcoin. This deal kicked off a wave of over-the-counter (OTC) trades in the months that followed.
2010: The beginning of Bitcoin trading
Price Range: $0.00099 – $0.40
On February 20, a Reddit user named theymos said they sold 160 BTC for $0.003 — the lowest price ever reported.
On May 22, Laszlo Hanyecz paid 10,000 BTC for two pizzas, the first real-world purchase with Bitcoin, now remembered as Bitcoin Pizza Day.
On July 18, the first large Bitcoin exchange, Mt. Gox, went live.
In August, Bitcoin faced its most serious bug when a hacker created billions of fake coins. The problem was spotted and fixed within hours, as miners rolled back the chain and updated the protocol to cancel the invalid transaction.
Bitcoin Price History 2011: 1 BTC = 1 USD
Price Range: $0.40 – $4.70
In February, Bitcoin hit a key milestone by reaching parity with the US dollar for the first time. On April 26, 2011, Satoshi Nakamoto sent his final email to developers, saying he had “moved on to other projects” and never appeared again.
In May, BitPay was launched to help businesses accept Bitcoin. By June, Bitcoin’s price climbed to $30 before falling back to around $2–$4 for the rest of the year.
Groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and WikiLeaks also began taking Bitcoin donations, with WikiLeaks turning to Bitcoin after PayPal froze its account in late 2010.
In June 2011, Mt. Gox suffered its first hack when attackers breached an auditor’s computer and manipulated Bitcoin’s price down to just $0.01.
2012: European debt crisis
Price Range: $4 – $13.50
In early 2012, the European debt crisis intensified, with several countries relying on the European Central Bank and IMF for bailouts. Cyprus was among the hardest hit, driving local interest in Bitcoin as an alternative store of value.
In June, Coinbase was founded, making it easier for people to buy and sell Bitcoin. On August 9, a technical glitch at Mt. Gox briefly showed Bitcoin trading at $1 billion per coin. Just days later, on August 20, the price plunged 50% from $15.28 to $7.60 after authorities shut down a Bitcoin investment fund promising 7% weekly returns. Its operator, Trendon Shavers, was later convicted in the first U.S. Bitcoin securities fraud case.
Bitcoin spent the rest of the year stabilizing, and in November, it went through its first halving. By the end of 2012, Bitcoin’s price closed at $13.50.
2013: The Silk Road seizure
Price Range: $13 – $755
Bitcoin’s price history reached a turning point after its first halving. Starting 2013 at just over $13, the price doubled to $26 within a month, then surged to $268 in April before crashing 80% to $51 over a three-day span.
In June, Mt. Gox suspended U.S. withdrawals, but by July the price had recovered to $68.50. Despite the FBI shutting down the Silk Road in October, Bitcoin stayed above $100.
On August 12, Germany officially recognized Bitcoin as a unit of account. By December, Bitcoin rocketed to a new all-time high of $1,163, an 840% increase in just two months before quickly falling to $687.
The drop accelerated after the People’s Bank of China banned financial institutions from using Bitcoin, pushing the price down to around $700.
Bitcoin Price History from January 2014 to December 2017
The emergence of altcoins and the surge of capital flowing into the crypto market fueled by the 2017 ICO boom ushered in a new era for Bitcoin’s price history. From trading just above $800 in 2014, Bitcoin skyrocketed to nearly $20,000 by the end of 2017.
This dramatic rise captured global media headlines, while financial institutions and governments began paying much closer attention to Bitcoin’s growing influence.
2014: Mt. Gox hack
Price range: $767 – $321
2014 was a pivotal year in Bitcoin’s price history. The year opened with a rebound above $1,000, but by late February, prices slid below $600 before crashing to $111- a 90% plunge from the peak – triggered by the infamous Mt. Gox hack, which compromised roughly 750,000 user bitcoins. Shortly after, Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy.
In April, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) instructed domestic banks to shut down the accounts of Chinese bitcoin exchanges, tightening restrictions on crypto activity in the country.
The rest of the year was marked by sharp swings, with brief recoveries followed by further declines, leaving Bitcoin at just over $300 by year’s end.
December also saw Bitcoin’s first hard fork, Bitcoin XT, launched by developer Mike Hearn. The update sought to raise transaction throughput from 7 to 24 per second by increasing block size from 1 MB to 8 MB.
2015: The beginning of the Blocksize Wars
Price Range: $314 – $431
2015 opened with another blow to the crypto industry when Bitstamp suffered a major breach on January 4, losing about 19,000 BTC – worth roughly $5.1 million at the time.
Bitcoin entered the year at $314 and traded with less turbulence than in 2014, showing signs of stabilization. A major development came on July 30 with the launch of Ethereum, which ignited the creation of thousands of new cryptocurrencies, setting the stage for growing competition against Bitcoin.
The Blocksize Wars heated up in mid-2015. On June 22, Gavin Andresen introduced BIP 101, proposing to increase block size. By August, Andresen and Mike Hearn pushed for a more radical 20 MB block size limit, fueling debate within the community.
Regulatory clarity also began to take shape. In September, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) officially categorized Bitcoin as a commodity. A month later, in October, the European Union (EU) ruled out applying Value Added Tax (VAT) to crypto transactions, effectively recognizing Bitcoin as a currency within its jurisdiction.
Bitcoin price history in 2016: Price recovery
Price range: $434 – $966
The second Bitcoin halving took place on July 9, 2016, reducing the block reward from 25 to 12.5 BTC. Despite this, Bitcoin’s price stayed relatively steady for most of the year, ranging between $350 and $700 through the summer before climbing to $966 by year’s end.
A major setback came in August, when the Bitfinex exchange suffered a massive breach, with nearly 120,000 BTC stolen, one of the largest thefts in Bitcoin’s history.
2017: Crypto boom and ICO frenzy
Price range: $998 – $14,245
Like 2013, 2017 was a rollercoaster year for Bitcoin. Starting near $1,000, it doubled by May and surged to nearly $19,892 by mid-December, a 20-fold increase in less than a year.
Bitcoin’s dominance dropped as thousands of new coins and the ICO craze attracted venture capital and speculative money away from Bitcoin. This period also saw rising misinformation and FUD around Bitcoin.
In August, Bitfinex was hacked, losing nearly 120,000 BTC (~$60 million), causing a brief 14% price drop. The SegWit upgrade was also activated, improving scalability and enabling Lightning Network.
China’s moves to regulate cryptocurrencies triggered price dips, but Bitcoin rebounded to $5,000 by October. Bitcoin futures launched on CME in December, marking a new milestone.
Bitcoin price history from January 2018 to November 2021
After the failed ICO craze, the altcoin market experimented with new fundraising methods like STOs (Security Token Offerings) and IEOs (Initial Exchange Offerings), but these showed limited success. Meanwhile, Bitcoin was gearing up for significant technological upgrades, culminating in the Taproot activation in November 2021, which improved scalability and security.
This period also coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic, which brought the world and economy to a near halt for almost two years. Despite these challenges, Bitcoin’s price reached its all-time high, surpassing $69,000.
2018: Market crash
Price range: $14,093 – $3,809
Following the sharp price surge at the end of 2017, Bitcoin experienced a severe market crash in 2018. By the end of the first quarter, its price had dropped nearly 50% from January levels.
In January, Chinese authorities ordered an indefinite shutdown of Bitcoin mining operations.
On June 18, Facebook announced its cryptocurrency project, Libra, which triggered swift reactions from regulators worldwide. However, this announcement had little impact on Bitcoin’s price.
For most of 2018, Bitcoin traded between $6,000 and $8,000, hitting a low of $3,250 in December and closing the year at just over $3,700, a 73% drop from the start of the year.
2019: Leaving the bear market behind
Price range: $3,692 – $7,240
In 2019, Bitcoin remained mostly stable.
Bakkt, a highly anticipated futures platform, launched on September 22.
For the rest of the year, Bitcoin’s price fluctuated around $7,000 and ended 2019 above $7,200.
Bitcoin price history 2020: The COVID-19 pandemic
Price range: $7,194 – $28,841
When COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020, markets experienced significant turmoil, with Bitcoin’s price dropping to an unprecedented low since the 2008 financial crisis.
On March 17, Bitcoin hit a low of $4,000. In May, Bitcoin’s third halving event occurred, triggering a steady recovery that pushed the price back above $10,000.
MicroStrategy became the first publicly listed company to accumulate Bitcoin as part of its cash reserves. Michael Saylor, once a Bitcoin skeptic, later acknowledged Bitcoin as a reliable store of value and a global safe haven. The company has since purchased over 130,000 BTC.
Starting late August, positive news about Bitcoin adoption and U.S. government stimulus efforts to revive the economy, resulting in an increase of circulating dollars from $15 trillion to $19 trillion, helped drive Bitcoin’s price higher. Concerns over dollar devaluation boosted interest in Bitcoin’s trusted monetary properties.
By the end of the year, Bitcoin surpassed its previous all-time high of $20,000, closing at over $29,000 on December 31.
2021: From hope to despair
Price Range: $29,022 – $47,191
After closing 2020 on a high note, Bitcoin’s price skyrocketed to an all-time high of $64,594 in April 2021. This remarkable surge was fueled by continued monetary stimulus from the U.S. Federal Reserve and high-profile endorsements, including Tesla and Elon Musk. Tesla announced in February that it had invested $1.5 billion in Bitcoin, representing about 10% of its treasury reserves, signaling growing institutional acceptance.
However, the optimism was short-lived. In May, China intensified its crackdown on cryptocurrencies by banning financial institutions and payment platforms from facilitating crypto transactions and ordering the closure of all Bitcoin mining operations within its borders.
This regulatory clampdown sent Bitcoin’s price plummeting to $32,450 by May 23 and further down to a yearly low of $29,970 on July 21. The mining ban forced many miners to relocate their operations to countries like Russia, Kazakhstan, and North America, causing a significant drop in the network’s hash rate.
A renewed wave of optimism emerged in the second half of the year. September brought positive developments, such as the recovery of Bitcoin’s hash rate, El Salvador becoming the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender, and the launch of Bitcoin futures ETFs in October. These factors helped Bitcoin rebound, reaching a second peak of $68,789 on November 10, 2021.
Despite this, Bitcoin ended the year approximately 20% below its record high, as fears surrounding new COVID-19 variants and macroeconomic concerns weighed heavily on markets. Rising interest rates, accelerating inflation, and the Federal Reserve’s plans to taper asset purchases and withdraw liquidity signaled a shift toward a more challenging economic environment, foreshadowing a possible global recession.
Bitcoin price history: January 2022 to present
The year 2022 unfolded against a backdrop of global economic and financial instability. The outbreak of war in Europe further deepened uncertainty, while Russia’s exclusion from major payment systems such as Visa and SWIFT disrupted global markets. Central banks, led by the U.S. The Federal Reserve raised interest rates aggressively – 0.75 percentage points per month, reaching 4.25% by year’s end.
Meanwhile, the Bank of England launched bailout programs, inflation soared, and a severe gas and energy crisis hit Europe, all fueling recessionary fears across much of the Western world.
Strict regulations on Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies demanded by governments and regulators added to the overall uncertainty, causing investors to shy away from risky assets.
2022: Liquidity crisis and onset of insolvency
Price Range: $46,319 – $16,637
At the start of 2022, Bitcoin’s price dropped to around $35,000 amid escalating geopolitical tensions related to the Russia-Ukraine war, which erupted in late February. By March, Bitcoin briefly recovered to $47,459 but then declined sharply, stabilizing around $20,000 for several months as the global economy faced mounting challenges.
The Luna Foundation Guard began purchasing 80,000 BTC (worth nearly $3 billion) to back Terra Network’s algorithmic stablecoin UST during market instability. In May, a massive UST depeg event occurred as investors rushed to redeem UST for USDC, forcing Luna to sell almost all its Bitcoin reserves, but ultimately failing to save the stablecoin. Bitcoin’s price plummeted 44% within two weeks.
Terra’s collapse triggered a contagion effect, impacting major centralized finance (CeFi) firms like Celsius, Voyager, and the hedge fund Three Arrows Capital (3AC). 3AC filed for bankruptcy, sparking a domino effect across related parties. FTX stepped in to rescue some of these distressed companies.
Tesla sold 75% of its Bitcoin holdings in Q2 following prolonged price declines.
Bitcoin mining companies Core Scientific and Argo Blockchain also faced financial troubles, liquidating significant Bitcoin holdings and confronting bankruptcy risks due to their exposure to struggling firms.
November brought further shocks when Coindesk revealed Alameda Research’s balance sheet, marking the beginning of FTX’s collapse. Binance CEO CZ ignited a crypto exchange battle by announcing the sale of $2.1 billion in crypto assets, leading to a 27% drop in Bitcoin’s price within two days.
Amid widespread rumors about Grayscale’s stability, the firm reassured investors that their assets were safe with Coinbase. Despite this, market tension remained high. On November 21, Bitcoin hit a new low of $15,477 as insolvency concerns around Genesis intensified, adding further downward pressure on the market.
2023: Price recovery
Price Range: $16,537 – $44,697
A wave of optimism emerged as the new year began. Investors started believing that the U.S. Federal Reserve (FED) would slow down its interest rate hikes. Bitcoin’s price surged significantly on January 10th, rising 24% within just four days.
On January 21st, Casey Rodarmor launched Ordinals, a platform that allows the creation of native digital artifacts on the Bitcoin blockchain. This innovation sparked increased interest, and Bitcoin’s price climbed 45% throughout January, closing the month at $23,150. This marked a strong recovery following the challenging bear market that preceded it.
2024: Bitcoin surpasses $90,000 for the first time in history
The fourth Bitcoin halving event in April 2024 triggered a sharp price jump from $44,183 to $70,000. However, the price then stabilized for a while.
Bitcoin’s price surged again when former U.S. President Donald Trump was re-elected, as he is a known supporter of Bitcoin. Additionally, the Federal Reserve’s decision to cut interest rates by 25 basis points to a range of 4.50% – 4.75% further fueled this upward momentum. On November 13, 2024, Bitcoin reached an all-time high of $93,434.
This record-breaking rally pushed Bitcoin’s market capitalization to $1.73 trillion, contributing to a total cryptocurrency market cap of $2.95 trillion.
Currently, Trump and his sons have launched a crypto company named World Liberty Financial. This development signals the potential for Bitcoin’s price history to reach new milestones in the near future.
2025: Bitcoin Surpasses $100,000
Price Range: $93,425 – $123,091
In December 2024, Bitcoin broke the $100,000 barrier for the first time, reaching a new peak of $109,000. However, by the end of February 2025, the price dropped to $85,600 amid concerns over President Trump’s economic policies, especially regarding taxes and trade policy changes.
Despite this short-term dip, many experts remain optimistic about Bitcoin’s long-term prospects. Tom Lee, co-founder of Fundstrat Global Advisors, predicts Bitcoin could reach $250,000 thanks to the growth of ETFs and political influences in the U.S., while investment bank H.C. Wainwright forecasts a target of $225,000 by the end of the year.
Given the high volatility of the crypto market, investors are advised to stay cautious and closely monitor economic and political developments to make smart investment decisions.
By mid-July 2025, Bitcoin reached a new all-time high, surpassing $123,000 per BTC.
FAQ about “Bitcoin Price History”
What was the price of Bitcoin when it first appeared?
Bitcoin had no price when it was first introduced. In the early years, no exchanges allowed trading Bitcoin for fiat currency. People could only accumulate Bitcoin by mining or buying directly from miners.
What is the highest price Bitcoin has ever reached?
The highest recorded price of Bitcoin was $109,114 on January 20, 2025. This is the all-time high since Bitcoin’s launch in 2009.
Is now a good time to buy Bitcoin?
The best time to buy Bitcoin depends on the investor’s situation. Generally, buying when prices are low allows accumulation at a cheaper cost. Investors should conduct thorough research to choose the optimal time to buy and sell.
Investing in cryptocurrencies carries risks such as price volatility, unclear regulations, risks of theft or loss due to hacking or improper storage, and scams. To minimize risks, investors should only use money they can afford to lose, research projects carefully, diversify their portfolio, and store assets securely. Staying informed and avoiding emotional market decisions are also crucial. While crypto offers high profit potential, it also involves significant risk, requiring caution and thoughtful planning.
Conclusion
We hope this article on Bitcoin’s price history has provided you with a comprehensive overview of its value trends as well as the context surrounding this “digital gold.” If you need any further advice about Bitcoin or want to buy and sell Bitcoin on Vietnam’s longest-standing exchange, please visit BitcoinVN to get started right away!
This article was compiled and edited by BitcoinVN News.
Source: Bitcoin Magazine
