Bitcoin volatility
Realized volatility measures how much the price actually moved, shown as a yearly figure. Bitcoin's 30-day reading on November 8, 2026 was 36.1%. Pick a 30, 90 or 365-day window to see the reading today, where it sits among every past reading, and its lowest and highest. This is a measure of the past, and it forecasts nothing.
- Volatility on November 8, 2026
- 36.1%
- Share of past readings at or below today's
- 18%
- Lowest reading, on June 4, 2012
- 10.9%
- Highest reading, on October 13, 2010
- 430.7%
Worked example
The latest 30-day reading is 36.1%. Among calendar years since 2011, 2013 had the highest volatility at 140.5% and 2025 the lowest at 41.9%.
Realized volatility by calendar year
Each row is the annualized volatility of that year's daily closes in US dollars, from 2011, the first full year with a usable price. The current year covers the days so far.
| Year | Volatility |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 137.7% |
| 2012 | 53.5% |
| 2013 | 140.5% |
| 2014 | 73.9% |
| 2015 | 71.0% |
| 2016 | 49.7% |
| 2017 | 93.7% |
| 2018 | 83.7% |
| 2019 | 70.1% |
| 2020 | 81.0% |
| 2021 | 81.3% |
| 2022 | 64.9% |
| 2023 | 43.5% |
| 2024 | 53.1% |
| 2025 | 41.9% |
| 2026 | 45.0% |
How it works
Realized volatility = the standard deviation of daily log returns over the window × √365, with each return ln(close ÷ the previous close). Bitcoin trades every day, so the yearly factor uses 365 days. The percentile is the share of past readings at or below today's, over the same window length. Daily closes miss moves inside a day, so it understates intraday swings.
Frequently asked questions
How volatile is bitcoin?
The figure at the top of this page is the latest 30-day reading, and the table gives each year since 2011. A reading of 50% means daily moves, scaled to a year, of about that size, not that the price will move 50%.
Is there a bitcoin volatility index?
This page shows realized volatility, which looks back at the moves that happened. Some derivatives venues publish an implied volatility index, which is built from option prices and looks forward. The two measure different things.
Does low volatility mean the price will rise?
No. Volatility measures the size of moves in either direction, not their direction. A calm period says nothing about whether the next move is up or down.
More bitcoin tools
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- Bitcoin Pizza Day calculatorWhat the 10,000 bitcoin paid for two pizzas in 2010 is worth today and on every Pizza Day.
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- Bitcoin supplyCoins issued so far, coins left to mine, daily issuance and the supply on a date you choose.
- Halving countdownWhen the block reward next halves, counted down block by block.
- Bitcoin in every currencyA page for each currency, with a conversion table and where to buy.
These tools are for information, not financial advice. An exchange quotes its own price, which includes its spread and fees.
Sources
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