All-Time High (ATH)
The highest price an asset has ever reached, a closely watched marker of a market's peak.
The all-time high, or ATH, is the most an asset has ever traded for. Bitcoin's has been rewritten across cycles, from $20,000 in 2017 to roughly $69,000 in 2021 to above $100,000 in late 2024. Above the ATH, every holder is in profit, so there's no overhead supply of sellers waiting to break even.
New highs draw headlines and fresh money, which can extend a rally. They also mark the zone where euphoria runs hottest and risk is greatest. Many tokens never reclaim their ATH after a cycle ends, and chasing one is how late buyers get trapped.
Related terms
The lowest price an asset has ever traded at since it began trading on the market.
Bull MarketA sustained period of rising prices, when buyers dominate and optimism pushes valuations higher across the market.
FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)The urge to buy an asset because its price is climbing fast and you dread missing the gains.
VolatilityA measure of how sharply and how often a price swings, in either direction, over time.