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    Bitcoin price tracker: milestones and drivers, 2024-2026

    Bitcoin hit a record of about $126,000 on October 6, 2025. Four days later about $19 billion of leveraged bets were liquidated.[1][2] It fell below $64,000 in February 2026 and was near $66,000 in June. It rebounded in late summer as ETF inflows returned, and Fortune quoted $82,413 on October 9, 2026.[3][4][5][6]

    Editor reviewedStrict sourcingUpdated CryptoMarkets and trading

    What we know

    • Bitcoin's record high is about $126,000, set on October 6, 2025[1]
    • The October 10, 2025 crash liquidated about $19 billion of leveraged positions[2]
    • Bitcoin fell below $64,000 on February 5, 2026, its lowest since October 2024[3]
    • Spot bitcoin ETF flows for 2026 turned positive in late September after a $5.8 billion mid-July deficit[5]
    • The Fed raised rates by a quarter point on September 16, 2026[14]
    • Fortune quoted bitcoin at $82,413 on the morning of October 9, 2026, about 32% below a year earlier[6]

    What we don't know yet

    • Whether bitcoin's 2026 low is in: forecasters in February and June expected lower prices that had not arrived by October
    • How further Fed rate increases would affect crypto prices and ETF demand
    • Whether and when the Senate takes up the CLARITY Act again
    • Whether the four-year halving cycle still describes bitcoin's price pattern
    Story status

    Story status

    State
    developing
    Started
    2024-01-10
    Timeline entries
    15
    Last entry

    Timeline data (JSON)

    This tracker lists dated bitcoin price milestones and the events behind them. Each price is a point-in-time quote from the named source, not a live price. Bitcoin trades around the clock, so quotes taken at different times differ.[7][8] This page is not financial advice.

    Where bitcoin stands (as of October 9, 2026)

    Fortune quoted bitcoin at $82,413.19 at 6:45 a.m. ET on October 9, 2026. That was about $38,285 lower than a year earlier and well below the record above $126,000.[6] A week earlier, on October 2, The Block had it at about $86,626.[9] BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, which tracks bitcoin, had a 2026 net asset value total return of -6.71% as of October 8.[10]

    From record to “crypto winter”

    Bitcoin set a record of about $126,000 on October 6, 2025.[1] On October 10, after the US announced 100% tariffs on Chinese imports, it fell from about $122,000 to $105,000. About $19 billion of leveraged positions were liquidated, the largest such event on record.[2] By February 5, 2026 it was below $64,000, its lowest since October 2024.[3] Analysts blamed excess leverage, profit-taking by early holders, “hawkish” Fed rate cuts, and a statement by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that he had no authority to buy bitcoin.[11]

    In early June, Strategy disclosed its first publicised bitcoin sale, a small one of 32 coins.[12][4] Bitcoin fell to about $65,700 on June 3. Spot bitcoin ETF outflows had run past $3.2 billion, even as global stocks set records.[4]

    The rebound

    A short squeeze in August liquidated nearly $3 billion of mostly bearish bets in a day. It pushed bitcoin from about $64,000 to above $71,000.[13] On September 16, 2026, the Federal Reserve raised rates by a quarter point to 3.75%-4%, citing elevated inflation.[14] Bitcoin was near $76,000 that morning. Binance Research says it dipped before the meeting and then recovered to $86,000.[15] Spot bitcoin ETFs took in about $2.4 billion in the week ending September 25. That turned their 2026 flows positive after a deficit of about $5.8 billion in mid-July.[5] The day before the Fed decision, the Senate failed to advance the CLARITY Act market-structure bill.[16] See the CLARITY Act tracker.

    What forecasters said, and what happened

    In February 2026, Stifel’s Barry Bannister wrote that bitcoin could bottom around $38,000.[17] In early June, Kalshi traders put the odds of a drop below $60,000 in 2026 at nearly 80%. Bitcoin was instead above $82,000 by early October.[18] These are third-party views, not our forecasts. For the competing explanations, see What’s driving crypto in 2026.

    Timeline

    15 confirmed

    1. confirmed

      Fortune quotes bitcoin at $82,413[6]

    2. confirmed

      Bitcoin trades near $86,600[9][28]

    3. confirmed

      $2.4 billion ETF week turns 2026 bitcoin ETF flows positive[5][27]

    4. confirmed

      Fed raises rates; bitcoin near $76,000[14][15]

    5. confirmed

      Senate fails to advance the CLARITY Act[16]

    6. confirmed

      Short squeeze lifts bitcoin above $71,000[13]

      Nearly $3 billion of liquidations, mostly bearish bets, hit in a day.

    7. confirmed

      Bitcoin drops to about $65,700 as global stocks hit records[4][26]

    8. confirmed

      Strategy discloses its first publicised bitcoin sale[12][4]

      The company sold 32 bitcoin to fund preferred-stock payouts and still held 843,706.

    9. confirmed

      Bitcoin falls below $64,000 in a "crypto winter"[3][11][25]

      Analysts cited leverage, profit-taking and tighter-than-expected Fed policy. CNBC later reported an early-February low of $60,062.

    10. confirmed

      Tariff shock triggers about $19 billion of liquidations[2][7]

      Bitcoin fell from about $122,000 to $105,000 after a US announcement of 100% tariffs on Chinese imports.

    11. confirmed

      Bitcoin sets a record near $126,000[1]

    12. confirmed

      GENIUS Act stablecoin law signed[24]

    13. confirmed

      Executive order creates a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve[23]

    14. confirmed

      Fourth halving cuts the block reward to 3.125 BTC[21][22]

    15. confirmed

      SEC approves spot bitcoin ETPs[19][20]

      The approval followed a court ruling against the SEC's rejection of Grayscale's proposed fund.

    Sources

    Each numbered claim is a statement we checked against the sources listed with it. Status shows how well established it is.

    1. [1]

      Bitcoin set a record high of about $126,000 ($126,080 per investingLive) on October 6, 2025. confirmedas of 2025-10-06

    2. [2]

      On October 10, 2025, after President Trump announced 100% tariffs on Chinese imports, bitcoin fell from around $122,000 to $105,000 and about $19 billion of leveraged crypto positions were liquidated, the largest such event on record. confirmedas of 2025-10-10

    3. [3]

      On February 5, 2026, bitcoin fell below $64,000, its lowest level since October 2024 and nearly 50% below its October 2025 peak. confirmedas of 2026-02-05

    4. [4]

      Bitcoin fell to about $65,700 on June 3, 2026, down 12.3% on the week, as Strategy's first publicised bitcoin sale, record spot bitcoin ETF outflows of more than $3.2 billion and a Mt. Gox wallet transfer weighed on prices while global stocks hit records. confirmedas of 2026-06-03

    5. [5]

      US spot bitcoin ETFs took in about $2.4 billion in the week ending September 25, 2026, their largest weekly inflow since October 2025, turning their 2026 net flows positive after a deficit of about $5.8 billion in mid-July. confirmedas of 2026-09-25

    6. [6]

      Fortune quoted bitcoin at $82,413.19 at 6:45 a.m. ET on October 9, 2026, about $38,285 lower than a year earlier and well below the record above $126,000 set in October 2025. confirmedas of 2026-10-09

    7. [7]

      Perpetual futures, which let traders bet on price moves without owning bitcoin, remain a major part of crypto trading, and round-the-clock trading with heavy leverage made crypto the hardest-hit market in the October 2025 selloff. reportedas of 2026-10-10· interpretation

    8. [8]

      The reference index used by the Grayscale Bitcoin Mini Trust ETF applies its algorithm to per-second prices from constituent platforms over a 24-hour period, with more liquid platforms weighted more heavily. confirmedas of 2026-02-25

    9. [9]

      Bitcoin traded at about $86,626 and ether at about $2,735 early on October 2, 2026, according to The Block. confirmedas of 2026-10-02

    10. [10]

      BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) charges a 0.25% sponsor fee and had net assets of about $66.3 billion as of October 9, 2026; its NAV total return for 2026 was -6.71% as of October 8. confirmedas of 2026-10-09

    11. [11]

      Reports on the February 2026 selloff cited excess leverage, profit-taking by early holders, credit stress in tech, "hawkish" Fed rate cuts, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's statement that he had no authority to buy bitcoin. reportedas of 2026-02-05· interpretation

    12. [12]

      Strategy Inc disclosed on June 1, 2026 that it sold 32 bitcoin for about $2.5 million between May 26 and May 31 to fund preferred-stock distributions, while holding 843,706 bitcoin. confirmedas of 2026-05-31

    13. [13]

      In August 2026 a short squeeze liquidated nearly $3 billion of mostly bearish positions in a day and pushed bitcoin from about $64,000 to above $71,000; Fortune's morning quote rose from $64,339 on August 19 to $71,971 on August 20. confirmedas of 2026-08-20

    14. [14]

      On September 16, 2026, the Federal Reserve raised the federal funds target range by a quarter point to 3.75%-4%, citing elevated inflation. confirmedas of 2026-09-16

    15. [15]

      Bitcoin was quoted at about $75,942 on the morning of September 16, 2026, the day of the Fed's rate decision; Binance Research said it dipped before the meeting, then recovered to $86,000 before slipping below $84,000. confirmedas of 2026-09-16

    16. [16]

      On September 15, 2026, the Senate rejected cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 3633 by 49 to 50 (Rollcall Vote No. 234), with Sen. Chris Coons not voting. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    17. [17]

      In February 2026, Stifel's Barry Bannister wrote that bitcoin could bottom around $38,000, and 10X Research said bitcoin remained in a larger bear-market structure. reportedas of 2026-02-05· forecast

    18. [18]

      In early June 2026, Kalshi traders priced a nearly 80% chance bitcoin would fall below $60,000 in 2026; bitcoin instead rallied to above $82,000 by early October. confirmedas of 2026-10-09

    19. [19]

      On January 10, 2024, the SEC approved the listing and trading of several spot bitcoin exchange-traded products, after earlier disapproving more than 20 such filings and losing a court case brought by Grayscale. confirmedas of 2024-01-10

    20. [20]

      SEC Chair Gary Gensler said the approval followed a DC Circuit ruling that the SEC had failed to adequately explain its disapproval of Grayscale's proposed bitcoin ETP. confirmedas of 2024-01-10

    21. [21]

      The Bitcoin network completed its fourth halving on April 19, 2024, cutting the miner reward from 6.25 to 3.125 bitcoin. confirmedas of 2024-04-19

    22. [22]

      Goldman Sachs told clients in April 2024 that past halving cycles should not be extrapolated because macroeconomic conditions differed each time; CNBC noted the halving itself should not mechanically move the price in the short term. confirmedas of 2024-04-12· interpretation

    23. [23]

      On March 6, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order establishing a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and a US Digital Asset Stockpile. confirmedas of 2025-03-06

    24. [24]

      The President signed the GENIUS Act on July 18, 2025, and it became Public Law 119-27. confirmedas of 2026-10-10

    25. [25]

      CNBC reported that bitcoin's early-February 2026 low was $60,062, leaving it nearly 50% below its record. reportedas of 2026-06-03

    26. [26]

      Ether fell below $1,900 to $1,839 on June 3, 2026, during the same selloff, while bitcoin traded around $66,500. reportedas of 2026-06-03

    27. [27]

      Spot bitcoin ETFs drew about $2.65 billion in September 2026 according to SoSoValue data reported by The Block; Binance Research put the figure at $3.49 billion. disputedas of 2026-10-02

    28. [28]

      Binance Research estimated that total crypto market capitalisation rose 11.0% in September 2026 to $2.99 trillion despite the Fed's rate increase, and bitcoin reached about $86,600 on October 2. reportedas of 2026-10-01

    Revision history (1)
    1. Page created.

    Created Oct 10, 2026. Last reviewed by an editor on Oct 10, 2026. Next scheduled review: Dec 10, 2026.

    Cite this page

    "Bitcoin price tracker: milestones and drivers, 2024-2026." ContentLora, updated Oct 10, 2026. https://contentlora.com/events/bitcoin-price-tracker

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