Bitcoin had an astronomical run in 2024, hitting a new Thanksgiving high of $95,737. Naturally, investors and observers might have expected 2025 to continue that upward trajectory.
Instead, Bitcoin underperformed, dropping to $91,000 this year. Even though it’s still an incredibly high value compared to most of its history, in the context of recent performance, this is an undeniable disappointment.
Bitcoin's Thanksgiving prices
In 2009, the leading cryptocurrency was still in its nascent stage. It was just created by Satoshi Nakamoto. Only a handful of enthusiasts mined it, and it had no established market price.
In 2010, Bitcoin first appeared on exchanges. Its first real-world transaction was famously 10,000 BTC for two pizzas.
In 2011, Bitcoin saw the first signs of early adoption. Media attention grew, and Bitcoin started being recognized as a digital asset.
The first halving happened in November 2012. Back then, the cryptocurrency was trading at $12.
In 2013, Bitcoin hit the $1,000 mark for the first time amid media hype, growing adoption, and speculation. However, after peaking in late 2013, the collapse of Mt. Gox (major exchange hack) triggered a massive crash. 2014 was the first time when BTC was trading at a lower price on Thanksgiving compared to the previous year ($369). It went on to have another underwhelming year in 2015, with the price slipping to $356.
In 2016, the cryptocurrency surged to $737 and eventually experienced a massive rally to $8,071 the following year.
The bubble burst yet again in 2018, with the flagship cryptocurrency slipping to $4,303 the following year.
Bitcoin recovered to $7,436 in 2019 and then soared to $17,113 in 2020.
In 2021, the cryptocurrency experienced a historic bull run fueled by corporate adoption, and its Thanksgiving price surged to $59,008.
This was followed by a brutal crypto winter that was exacerbated by the FTX crash.
After the partial recovery in 2023, Bitcoin then reached the current peak of $95,737 in 2024.
Dan Burgin
Vladislav Sopov
U.Today Editorial Team