Bitcoin fell -83.4% at its worst — here is every crash since 2014
Peak, bottom, and how long it took to get back to break-even, plus what $10,000 would have been worth at each bottom.
Data as of September 10, 2026
Worst fall on record
-83.4%
December 16, 2017 to December 15, 2018, falling for 1 year
The 10 deepest falls of 10% or more since September 17, 2014.
- Time to recover
- 2 years 11 months
- On your amount
- $1,660
- Right now
- -37.4%
Back at that peak on November 30, 2020
What $10,000 was worth at the bottom
As of September 10, 2026
In an ordinary year it moves about ±55.4% around its own trend.
| Peak | Bottom | Fall | Peak to bottom | Peak to recovery | Your amount at the bottom |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PeakDecember 16, 2017 | BottomDecember 15, 2018 | Fall-83.4% | Peak to bottom1 year | Peak to recovery2 years 11 months | Your amount at the bottom$1,660 |
| PeakNovember 8, 2021 | BottomNovember 21, 2022 | Fall-76.6% | Peak to bottom1 year | Peak to recovery2 years 4 months | Your amount at the bottom$2,337 |
| PeakSeptember 17, 2014 | BottomJanuary 14, 2015 | Fall-61.1% | Peak to bottom4 months | Peak to recovery1 year 3 months | Your amount at the bottom$3,894 |
| PeakApril 13, 2021 | BottomJuly 20, 2021 | Fall-53.1% | Peak to bottom3 months | Peak to recovery6 months | Your amount at the bottom$4,694 |
| PeakOctober 6, 2025 | BottomJune 30, 2026 | Fall-53.1% | Peak to bottom9 months | Peak to recoveryNot yet | Your amount at the bottom$4,694 |
| PeakSeptember 1, 2017 | BottomSeptember 14, 2017 | Fall-35.5% | Peak to bottomunder a month | Peak to recovery1 month | Your amount at the bottom$6,449 |
| PeakJune 11, 2017 | BottomJuly 16, 2017 | Fall-34.8% | Peak to bottom1 month | Peak to recovery2 months | Your amount at the bottom$6,524 |
| PeakJanuary 4, 2017 | BottomJanuary 11, 2017 | Fall-32.6% | Peak to bottomunder a month | Peak to recovery2 months | Your amount at the bottom$6,735 |
| PeakJune 16, 2016 | BottomAugust 2, 2016 | Fall-28.6% | Peak to bottom2 months | Peak to recovery6 months | Your amount at the bottom$7,144 |
| PeakJanuary 21, 2025 | BottomApril 8, 2025 | Fall-28.1% | Peak to bottom3 months | Peak to recovery4 months | Your amount at the bottom$7,186 |
Depth is measured from the previous all-time high, and “peak to recovery” runs from that high back to it — not from the bottom, which gives a much shorter number.
What Bitcoin's own history says
The worst fall was -83.4%, from December 16, 2017 to December 15, 2018 — $10,000 invested at that peak was worth $1,660 at the bottom. It took 2 years 11 months from that peak to close back at it, on November 30, 2020. Today it sits 37.4% below its all-time high.
Computed from daily closing prices with dividends reinvested, snapshotted September 10, 2026.
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Crash histories for other assets
History is not a forecast
This page shows what actually happened to a real price series — nothing more. An asset that recovered every time so far carries no promise that it will again, and the next fall will not be the last one. Prices exclude trading costs, spreads, currency conversion and taxes, all of which make a real-world fall worse than the one drawn here. Nothing on this page is investment advice; do your own research or speak to a regulated adviser before investing.
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