LIVE data, historical context, and plain-English signals — updated every 5 minutes
| Cycle | Halving | ATH | Gain | Low | Draw |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nov 2012 | $1,163 | +58,000% | $150 | -87% |
| 2 | Jul 2016 | $19,783 | +13,000% | $3,122 | -84% |
| 3 | May 2020 | $67,566 | +2,100% | $16,547 | -75% |
| 4 | Apr 2024 | $126,200 | +663% | — | — |
Bitcoin is digital money that runs on a global network of computers with no central authority. There are only 21 million that will ever exist — that's hardcoded into the software and can't be changed. You can send it to anyone, anywhere, instantly, without a bank.
Supply is fixed at 21 million coins, and new supply gets cut in half every 4 years (halvings). As more people, companies, and governments want to hold Bitcoin, demand grows against a shrinking supply. Basic economics: fixed supply + growing demand = rising price over time.
Bitcoin is still relatively small compared to stocks or gold, so big trades move the price more. Leveraged traders (people borrowing to bet) get forced to sell during drops, which cascades into bigger drops. Sentiment swings from euphoria to panic fast. Every crash in Bitcoin's history has eventually been followed by new all-time highs — but the ride is rough.
A wallet is software (or hardware) that stores your private keys — the password to your Bitcoin. Exchanges like Coinbase hold it for you (easy but you're trusting them). A hardware wallet like Ledger or Trezor lets you hold it yourself — more secure, but you're responsible for not losing the backup phrase. Start on an exchange, move to self-custody when you're comfortable.
Coinbase: you buy Bitcoin directly, can withdraw it, but you owe taxes on gains when you sell. A Bitcoin ETF in a Roth IRA: you get exposure to Bitcoin's price inside a tax-free retirement account — gains are never taxed if you wait until 59.5. The tradeoff: you can't withdraw the actual Bitcoin, and you're trusting the ETF provider. For long-term holding, the Roth IRA is extremely tax-efficient.