Bitcoin monthly returns
Every month’s gain or loss since 2016, in one table: Bitcoin’s seasonality at a glance.
Monthly returns
Compiled by SBZ from Coinbase daily closes. Updated hourly.
Bitcoin’s return in each calendar month and year since 2016, from Coinbase daily closes (UTC). Green months closed higher, red months lower.
How to read the table
Each cell is Bitcoin’s price change over one calendar month, from the last daily close of the month before to the last close of that month (UTC). The right-hand column is the full-year return. The stronger the colour, the bigger the move. The current month updates every day until it closes.
What the history shows
Since 2016, the strongest months on average have been April, February and October, each up in 8 of the last 11 years; October’s reputation as “Uptober” comes from this. August and September have usually been the weakest (by their median return), with September down in 6 of the last 11 years. Yearly returns swing widely, from about +1,300% in 2017 to −73% in 2018 and −64% in 2022.
Limits
Eleven years is a short history, and averages are pulled around by a few extreme months. Seasonal patterns can disappear once they are widely known. Use the table for context, not as a trading rule.
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Frequently asked questions
What is Bitcoin’s best month historically?
Since 2016, April, February and October have had the highest average returns, each closing higher in 8 of the last 11 years.
What is Bitcoin’s worst month historically?
August and September have usually been the weakest, judged by their median return; September has closed lower in 6 of the last 11 years.
Is “Uptober” real?
October has closed higher in 8 of the last 11 years, with an average gain of about 15%. That is a historical pattern, not a guarantee.
How are monthly returns calculated?
The change from the last daily close of the previous month to the last daily close of the month, using Coinbase BTC-USD prices in UTC.
For information only, not investment advice. Figures are updated automatically and can differ slightly between data providers.