Bitcoin Magazine
Bitcoin’s Unstoppable Rise: A Saint Patrick’s Day Price History
From $5 to $83,000 – The Digital Gold Rush Continues
Bitcoin has come a long way since trading at just $5.34 on Saint Patrick’s Day in 2012. Now, in 2025, the world’s largest digital currency has reached $83,223 on this holiday, marking a staggering 1,558,000% increase in just 13 years. With institutional adoption surging and supply remaining fixed, Bitcoin’s long-term trajectory appears stronger than ever.
A Look at Bitcoin’s Explosive Growth
Bitcoin’s price movements in the early years was anything but predictable. In just one year, from 2012 to 2013, BTC skyrocketed 780%, reaching $47. The next year, it surged again to $630, a 1,240% increase from 2013.
However, Bitcoin’s price swings have been sharp. By 2015, it had retraced to $290, but by 2017, it climbed to $1,180, and in just one more year, it hit $8,321—a 605% increase. Even after a pullback to $4,047 in 2019, the next five years saw Bitcoin go from $5,002 in 2020 to $83,223 in 2025.
2012 $5.34
2013: $47
2014: $630
2015: $290
2016: $417
2017: $1,180
2018: $8,321
2019: $4,047
2020: $5,002
2021: $56,825
2022: $41,140
2023: $26,876
2024: $68,845
2025: $83,223
Why Bitcoin’s Price Keeps Rising
Despite its volatility, Bitcoin’s long-term trajectory remains upward, driven by increasing demand and fixed supply. Unlike fiat currencies, which governments can print indefinitely, Bitcoin’s supply is capped at 21 million coins. As more individuals, institutions, and even governments adopt Bitcoin, scarcity drives prices higher.
Several major factors are contributing to Bitcoin’s growing adoption in the last year:
The U.S. Strategic Bitcoin Reserve – United States Senator Cynthia Lummis and Congressman Nick Begich both introduced legislation to green light the U.S. to purchase 1,000,000 BTC for their strategic reserves, further solidifying its legitimacy and causing other countries potential FOMO in.
Corporate Adoption – Companies like Strategy, Metaplanet, and Rumble continue adding Bitcoin to their balance sheets, treating it as a strategic reserve asset.
Spot Bitcoin ETFs – The approval of Bitcoin spot ETFs in the U.S. has opened the floodgates for institutional investment, allowing hedge funds, pension funds, and retail investors to gain exposure to Bitcoin through regulated financial products.These ETFs have collectively purchased over 1 million BTC.
Halving – On April 19th, 2024, Bitcoin underwent its fourth halving event, where the block reward for those mining Bitcoin was cut in half from 6.25 BTC per block to 3.125 BTC per block. This decrease in the amount of daily new bitcoin issued on the market historically leads to an increase in the price of BTC. Bitcoin halvings occur roughly every 210,000 blocks (approximately every four years).
What’s Next?
With demand skyrocketing and supply shrinking due to upcoming Bitcoin halvings, Bitcoin seems poised to continue its historic rise in price. If history is any indicator, the best time to buy Bitcoin was years ago—the second-best time might be today.
This post Bitcoin’s Unstoppable Rise: A Saint Patrick’s Day Price History first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Nik.
