ATH and ATL
All-Time High and All-Time Low — historical maximum and minimum crypto price.
ATH (All-Time High) is the historical maximum price of a cryptocurrency, and ATL (All-Time Low) is the historical minimum.
Bitcoin ATH examples:
•2013: $1,242
•2017: $19,783
•2021: $68,789
•2024: $73,750 (before halving)
Why they matter:
•ATH is psychological resistance — price struggles to break new ATH for first time
•"Price discovery" after ATH — no more historical resistance, market explores new levels
•ATL is often bear market bottom (but not always)
Largest drops from ATH (drawdown):
•BTC from 2017 ATH ($19,783) to 2018 bottom ($3,122): -84%
•BTC from 2021 ATH ($68,789) to 2022 bottom ($15,500): -77%
•ETH from 2021 ATH ($4,900) to 2022 bottom ($880): -82%
•Altcoins typically: -85% to -99% from ATH
Practical use:
•"Where is price from ATH?" — % to ATH shows potential downside
•Portfolio performance: "Portfolio is 50% from ATH" = user is at half of their peak
BTC ATH before halving (2024) is a historical anomaly — previous cycles ATH was after halving.