Dec 16, 2017 peak
▼ −83.4%From a close of $19,497 on Dec 16, 2017, bitcoin’s close fell to $3,237 on Dec 15, 2018, 364 days later, a fall of 83.4%. Bitcoin closed above that peak on Nov 30, 2020, 1,080 days after it.1
Bitcoin’s Biggest Drawdowns From an All-Time High
A drawdown is the fall from a high to the lowest point reached before a new high is set. This ranks the 12 deepest ones measured on bitcoin’s daily closing price, starting from the December 16, 2017 closing high, with when each bottomed and when, if ever, the old high was beaten.
Data as of · daily closes at 00:00 UTC through Nov 9, 2026
| Rank | Drawdown | Peak (close) | Trough (close) | Days, peak to trough | New high on | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ▼ −83.4% | Dec 16, 2017 · $19,497 | Dec 15, 2018 · $3,237 | 364 | Nov 30, 2020 | Recovered |
| 2 | ▼ −76.6% | Nov 8, 2021 · $67,567 | Nov 21, 2022 · $15,787 | 378 | Mar 4, 2024 | Recovered |
| 3 | ▼ −53.1% | Apr 13, 2021 · $63,503 | Jul 20, 2021 · $29,807 | 98 | Oct 19, 2021 | Recovered |
| 3 | ▼ −53.1% | Oct 6, 2025 · $124,753 | Jun 30, 2026 · $58,559 | 267 | Not yet | Not yet recovered |
| 5 | ▼ −28.1% | Jan 21, 2025 · $106,146 | Apr 8, 2025 · $76,272 | 77 | May 18, 2025 | Recovered |
| 6 | ▼ −26.2% | Mar 13, 2024 · $73,084 | Sep 6, 2024 · $53,949 | 177 | Nov 6, 2024 | Recovered |
| 7 | ▼ −25.4% | Jan 8, 2021 · $40,798 | Jan 27, 2021 · $30,433 | 19 | Feb 8, 2021 | Recovered |
| 8 | ▼ −21.6% | Feb 21, 2021 · $57,540 | Feb 28, 2021 · $45,138 | 7 | Mar 11, 2021 | Recovered |
| 9 | ▼ −15.6% | Mar 13, 2021 · $61,243 | Mar 25, 2021 · $51,704 | 12 | Apr 13, 2021 | Recovered |
| 10 | ▼ −12.9% | Dec 17, 2024 · $106,141 | Jan 9, 2025 · $92,484 | 23 | Jan 21, 2025 | Recovered |
| 11 | ▼ −12.2% | Aug 13, 2025 · $123,344 | Aug 31, 2025 · $108,237 | 18 | Oct 5, 2025 | Recovered |
| 12 | ▼ −11.4% | Oct 20, 2021 · $65,993 | Oct 27, 2021 · $58,482 | 7 | Nov 8, 2021 | Recovered |
Each row is one stretch between two all-time-high closes. Peak = a day whose close is the highest so far; trough = the lowest close before the next such day; New high on = the first close above the peak. Drawdown = trough close ÷ peak close, minus 1. Closes are Yahoo Finance’s BTC-USD at the 00:00 UTC day boundary, so intraday highs and lows are not counted.1 The data starts on September 17, 2014, so the first peak measured is the December 16, 2017 close, the highest in the series by then; earlier highs are not covered. The October 6, 2025 row is still open: its trough is the lowest close so far and it will change if bitcoin closes lower before setting a new high. 72 such stretches since December 2017 are tracked; the 12 deepest are shown. Observed facts, not a forecast.
The top 5
For how long bitcoin stayed under its highs, see the longest stretches below an all-time high; for single-day falls, the biggest one-day drops.
Nov 8, 2021 peak
▼ −76.6%From a close of $67,567 on Nov 8, 2021, bitcoin’s close fell to $15,787 on Nov 21, 2022, 378 days later, a fall of 76.6%. Bitcoin closed above that peak on Mar 4, 2024, 847 days after it.1
Apr 13, 2021 peak
▼ −53.1%From a close of $63,503 on Apr 13, 2021, bitcoin’s close fell to $29,807 on Jul 20, 2021, 98 days later, a fall of 53.1%. Bitcoin closed above that peak on Oct 19, 2021, 189 days after it.1
Oct 6, 2025 peak
▼ −53.1%From a close of $124,753 on Oct 6, 2025, bitcoin’s close fell to $58,559 on Jun 30, 2026, 267 days later, a fall of 53.1%. At the latest close in this data (November 9, 2026) bitcoin had not closed above that peak.1
Jan 21, 2025 peak
▼ −28.1%From a close of $106,146 on Jan 21, 2025, bitcoin’s close fell to $76,272 on Apr 8, 2025, 77 days later, a fall of 28.1%. Bitcoin closed above that peak on May 18, 2025, 117 days after it.1
Sources
- Yahoo Finance chart API, BTC-USD daily close (00:00 UTC day boundary), 2014-09-17 to 2026-11-09, retrieved 2026-11-14. Peaks, troughs and recoveries computed by Bittery from these closes.
For information only. Not financial advice. See the terms of use.