Bitcoin Volatility
Bitcoin's 30-day volatility is 29% a year (annualised), lower than on 91% of days since 2014 — a typical daily move of about 1.5%. That is 2.4 times the S&P 500's 12% and 1.5 times gold's 19%. Averaged by year, bitcoin's volatility was 74% in 2015–2018, 72% in 2019–2022, 46% since 2023: it has calmed down, but it still swings far more than stocks or gold.
Daily closes to Nov 1, 2026 · annualised volatility of daily moves
30-day volatility: bitcoin vs stocks and gold
What the Numbers Mean
Volatility measures how much a price swings, not which way. An annualised volatility of 29% means that, if the recent pace continued, roughly two years in three would end within ±29% of the starting price. Divided by √365 it gives the size of a typical day: about 1.5% now.
Bitcoin's record low of 14% (Apr 17, 2016) came close to the S&P 500's long-run average of roughly 15–20%; its record high of 198% came on Apr 6, 2020. See also the drawdown from the all-time high and the monthly returns heatmap.
Bitcoin's Volatility Records
| Measure | Value | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 30-day volatility now | 29% | Nov 1, 2026 |
| Highest 30-day | 198% | Apr 6, 2020 |
| Lowest 30-day | 14% | Apr 17, 2016 |
| Days lower than today | 9% | since 2014 |
Bitcoin Volatility by Year
Annualised volatility of daily moves in each calendar year, compared with stocks and gold, and bitcoin's biggest days (current year: so far).
| Year | Bitcoin | S&P 500 | Nasdaq | Gold | Days ±5%+ | Days ±10%+ | Best day | Worst day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 YTD | 45% | 13% | 19% | 29% | 14 | 2 | +12.5% Feb 6 | −14.1% Feb 5 |
| 2025 | 42% | 19% | 24% | 21% | 14 | 0 | +9.6% Mar 2 | −8.7% Mar 3 |
| 2024 | 53% | 13% | 18% | 15% | 27 | 2 | +12.1% Aug 8 | −8.3% Mar 19 |
| 2023 | 43% | 13% | 17% | 13% | 23 | 1 | +10.3% Oct 23 | −7.1% Aug 17 |
| 2022 | 64% | 24% | 32% | 16% | 37 | 10 | +14.5% Feb 28 | −16.0% Jun 13 |
| 2021 | 80% | 13% | 18% | 15% | 75 | 11 | +18.7% Feb 8 | −13.8% May 19 |
| 2020 | 77% | 35% | 36% | 22% | 40 | 8 | +18.2% Mar 19 | −37.2% Mar 12 |
| 2019 | 67% | 12% | 16% | 12% | 39 | 12 | +17.4% Apr 2 | −14.1% Jun 27 |
| 2018 | 82% | 17% | 21% | 11% | 74 | 16 | +13.2% Apr 12 | −16.9% Jan 16 |
| 2017 | 94% | 7% | 10% | 10% | 96 | 22 | +25.2% Dec 7 | −18.7% Sep 14 |
| 2016 | 48% | 13% | 16% | 16% | 21 | 6 | +11.9% May 28 | −15.3% Jan 15 |
| 2015 | 70% | 16% | 17% | 15% | 39 | 10 | +17.8% Jan 15 | −21.1% Jan 14 |
| 2014 part | 64% | 11% | 14% | 14% | 13 | 1 | +15.2% Nov 12 | −8.5% Oct 4 |
Bitcoin Volatility FAQ
How volatile is bitcoin?
Its 30-day volatility is 29% annualised and its volatility over the last year 44%. Put simply, a typical day moves the price by about 1.5% up or down, and so far in 2026 bitcoin has moved 5% or more on 14 days.
Is bitcoin getting less volatile?
Yearly volatility averaged 74% in 2015–2018, 72% in 2019–2022, 46% since 2023. So yes, swings have become smaller as the market has grown, though bitcoin remains several times as volatile as stocks.
How does bitcoin's volatility compare with stocks and gold?
Over the last month bitcoin was 2.4 times as volatile as the S&P 500 (12%), 1.4 times the Nasdaq (21%) and 1.5 times gold (19%). Over the last year: bitcoin 44%, S&P 500 13%, gold 28%.
When was bitcoin most and least volatile?
The highest 30-day reading since 2014 was 198% on Apr 6, 2020, the lowest 14% on Apr 17, 2016.
How is volatility calculated?
It is the standard deviation of daily price changes (log returns), annualised: × √365 for bitcoin, which trades every day, and × √252 for stocks and gold, which trade on weekdays. The 30-day figure uses bitcoin's last 30 daily closes (00:00 UTC) and the last 21 trading days for the other markets — about one month for each.
Does low volatility mean a big move is coming?
Quiet spells have sometimes been followed by sharp moves in either direction, but not reliably, and volatility says nothing about the direction. This page describes the past; it is not a forecast or investment advice.
Related: correlation with stocks, gold and the dollar · all-time high in every currency · drawdown · why bitcoin moved today
Cite this page
For essays, articles and research. Prices on this page update daily, so the citations include today's date as the date you accessed it.
@misc{corgano2026bitcoinvolatility, author = {{Corgano}}, title = {Bitcoin Volatility}, howpublished = {\url{https://bitcoinprice.corgano.com/bitcoin-volatility}}, year = {2026}, note = {Corgano Bitcoin Price, accessed 2026-11-01}}