The 15 biggest one-day falls in the S&P 500 since bitcoin’s daily data begins in 2014, ranked by size, with what bitcoin did over the same UTC day. Bitcoin fell on 9 of them and rose on 6.
Data as of · 3,038 trading days, Sep 18, 2014 to Oct 16, 2026 · S&P 500 closes from Cboe, bitcoin daily closes (UTC) from Yahoo Finance
Illustration: the S&P 500’s 15 worst days since 2014, from −11.98% on Mar 16, 2020 to −3.94% on Aug 24, 2015, with bitcoin’s move on each.
Bitcoin on the S&P 500’s Worst Days, data as of 2026-10-16
Rank
Date
S&P 500 change
S&P 500, prior → close
Bitcoin, same day
Bitcoin, prior → close
Bitcoin
Year
1
Mar 16, 2020
▼ −11.98%
2,711 → 2,386
▼ −7.01%
$5,392 → $5,014
Bitcoin down
2020
2
Mar 12, 2020
▼ −9.51%
2,741 → 2,481
▼ −37.17%
$7,911 → $4,971
Bitcoin down
2020
3
Mar 9, 2020
▼ −7.60%
2,972 → 2,747
▼ −2.28%
$8,108 → $7,924
Bitcoin down
2020
4
Apr 4, 2025
▼ −5.97%
5,397 → 5,074
▲ +0.89%
$83,103 → $83,844
Bitcoin up
2025
5
Jun 11, 2020
▼ −5.89%
3,190 → 3,002
▼ −5.56%
$9,870 → $9,322
Bitcoin down
2020
6
Mar 18, 2020
▼ −5.18%
2,529 → 2,398
▲ +0.25%
$5,226 → $5,238
Bitcoin up
2020
7
Mar 11, 2020
▼ −4.89%
2,882 → 2,741
▲ +0.02%
$7,910 → $7,911
Bitcoin up
2020
8
Apr 3, 2025
▼ −4.84%
5,671 → 5,397
▲ +0.75%
$82,486 → $83,103
Bitcoin up
2025
9
Feb 27, 2020
▼ −4.42%
3,116 → 2,979
▼ −0.41%
$8,821 → $8,784
Bitcoin down
2020
10
Apr 1, 2020
▼ −4.41%
2,585 → 2,470
▲ +2.61%
$6,439 → $6,607
Bitcoin up
2020
11
Mar 20, 2020
▼ −4.34%
2,409 → 2,305
▲ +0.12%
$6,191 → $6,199
Bitcoin up
2020
12
Sep 13, 2022
▼ −4.32%
4,110 → 3,933
▼ −9.27%
$22,370 → $20,297
Bitcoin down
2022
13
Feb 5, 2018
▼ −4.10%
2,762 → 2,649
▼ −15.97%
$8,277 → $6,955
Bitcoin down
2018
14
May 18, 2022
▼ −4.04%
4,089 → 3,924
▼ −5.61%
$30,426 → $28,720
Bitcoin down
2022
15
Aug 24, 2015
▼ −3.94%
1,971 → 1,893
▼ −7.75%
$228.17 → $210.49
Bitcoin down
2015
S&P 500 change = the index close on the day ÷ the previous trading day’s close, minus 1.1 Bitcoin trades every day, so its change is the UTC daily close on the same calendar date ÷ the close the day before; the US stock market closes at 4:00 p.m. Eastern, inside that UTC day, so bitcoin’s move also includes the hours before and after.2 Each bitcoin change is within 2.0 percentage points of Blockchain.com’s daily average price.3 Of the 3,038 trading days with both series, the S&P 500 fell on 1,399, and bitcoin fell the same UTC day on 56% of them; on the 35 days with falls of 3% or more, bitcoin fell on 24. Observed facts, not a forecast.
The top 8
Nine of the 15 worst S&P 500 days fall between February and June 2020, the months around the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Bitcoin fell on 9 of the 15, but its moves ranged from −37.17% on March 12, 2020 to +2.61% on April 1, 2020. For bitcoin’s own worst days see bitcoin’s biggest one-day drops.
#1
Mar 16, 2020 S&P 500 ▼ −11.98%
▼ −7.01%
The S&P 500 closed down 11.98%, from 2,710.95 to 2,386.13.1 Bitcoin's UTC close that day was $5,014, down 7.01% from $5,392.2 Dated items from the same news cycle: On Sunday, March 15, the FOMC lowered the target range for the federal funds rate “to 0 to 1/4 percent” and said it was prepared to use its full range of tools to support the flow of credit.4 They are listed because they fall on or just before the day, not because the data shows they caused either move.
#2
Mar 12, 2020 S&P 500 ▼ −9.51%
▼ −37.17%
The S&P 500 closed down 9.51%, from 2,741.38 to 2,480.64.1 Bitcoin's UTC close that day was $4,971, down 37.17% from $7,911.2 Dated items from the same news cycle: On March 11 the World Health Organization’s Director-General said “COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic,”5 and on March 12 the New York Fed said it would offer $500 billion in a three-month repo operation.6 They are listed because they fall on or just before the day, not because the data shows they caused either move.
#3
Mar 9, 2020 S&P 500 ▼ −7.60%
▼ −2.28%
The S&P 500 closed down 7.60%, from 2,972.37 to 2,746.56.1 Bitcoin's UTC close that day was $7,924, down 2.28% from $8,108.2 Dated items from the same news cycle: On March 9 the New York Fed raised its daily overnight repo offerings from at least $100 billion to at least $150 billion.7 They are listed because they fall on or just before the day, not because the data shows they caused either move.
#4
Apr 4, 2025 S&P 500 ▼ −5.97%
▲ +0.89%
The S&P 500 closed down 5.97%, from 5,396.52 to 5,074.08.1 Bitcoin's UTC close that day was $83,844, up 0.89% from $83,103.2 Dated items from the same news cycle: On April 2 the White House published an executive order on reciprocal tariffs, which declared a national emergency with respect to trade deficits; on April 4, Fed Chair Powell said tariff increases “will be significantly larger than expected.”89 They are listed because they fall on or just before the day, not because the data shows they caused either move.
#5
Jun 11, 2020 S&P 500 ▼ −5.89%
▼ −5.56%
The S&P 500 closed down 5.89%, from 3,190.14 to 3,002.10.1 Bitcoin's UTC close that day was $9,322, down 5.56% from $9,870.2 Dated items from the same news cycle: On June 10 the FOMC said it had decided to maintain the target range at 0 to 1/4 percent and that the coronavirus outbreak was “causing tremendous human and economic hardship.”10 They are listed because they fall on or just before the day, not because the data shows they caused either move.
#6
Mar 18, 2020 S&P 500 ▼ −5.18%
▲ +0.25%
The S&P 500 closed down 5.18%, from 2,529.19 to 2,398.10.1 Bitcoin's UTC close that day was $5,238, up 0.25% from $5,226.2 Dated items from the same news cycle: On March 17 the Fed announced a Primary Dealer Credit Facility, and on March 18 a Money Market Mutual Fund Liquidity Facility.1112 They are listed because they fall on or just before the day, not because the data shows they caused either move.
#7
Mar 11, 2020 S&P 500 ▼ −4.89%
▲ +0.02%
The S&P 500 closed down 4.89%, from 2,882.23 to 2,741.38.1 Bitcoin's UTC close that day was $7,911, up 0.02% from $7,910.2 Dated items from the same news cycle: The WHO Director-General’s statement that “COVID-19 can be characterized as a pandemic” was made on this day, March 11.5 They are listed because they fall on or just before the day, not because the data shows they caused either move.
#8
Apr 3, 2025 S&P 500 ▼ −4.84%
▲ +0.75%
The S&P 500 closed down 4.84%, from 5,670.97 to 5,396.52.1 Bitcoin's UTC close that day was $83,103, up 0.75% from $82,486.2 Dated items from the same news cycle: The reciprocal-tariff executive order was signed the day before, on April 2.8 They are listed because they fall on or just before the day, not because the data shows they caused either move.
Sources
Cboe Global Markets, S&P 500 index (SPX) daily history, via its chart data file, closes from September 17, 2014 to October 16, 2026, retrieved 2026-10-18; every fall in the table matches Yahoo Finance’s ^GSPC history to two decimals.