Bitcoin price in 2012
How bitcoin's price moved through 2012, month by month, and the events behind the moves.
Bitcoin started at $4.71 on January 1, 2012 and ended 2012 at $13.55, a rise of 187%. Its highest daily close was $13.76 on December 13, 2012 and its lowest was $4.26 on February 16, 2012.
2012 at a glance
- Open
- $4.71
- Close
- $13.55
- Change over the year
- +187%
- Highest daily close
- $13.76 (Dec 13)
- Lowest daily close
- $4.26 (Feb 16)
- Intraday high (StatMuse)
- $17.76
- Intraday low (StatMuse)
- $3.77
Bitcoin price by month in 2012
| Month | Close | High (daily close) | Low (daily close) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | $5.54 | $7.10 | $4.87 | +17.5% |
| February | $4.87 | $6.10 | $4.26 | −12.0% |
| March | $4.89 | $5.39 | $4.55 | +0.3% |
| April | $4.94 | $5.37 | $4.71 | +1.1% |
| May | $5.18 | $5.18 | $4.93 | +4.8% |
| June | $6.68 | $6.69 | $5.21 | +28.9% |
| July | $9.32 | $9.32 | $6.45 | +39.5% |
| August | $10.10 | $13.45 | $7.83 | +8.4% |
| September | $12.39 | $12.50 | $10.01 | +22.7% |
| October | $11.15 | $12.96 | $10.13 | −10.1% |
| November | $12.59 | $12.59 | $10.53 | +12.9% |
| December | $13.55 | $13.76 | $12.50 | +7.6% |
"Close" is the price at the end of the month's last day. Change is against the previous month's close.
What happened in 2012
- November 28: the first halving at block 210,000 cuts the reward from 50 to 25 BTC per block.
- A quieter year: the price climbs from about $5 to about $13.
The first halving happened this year. Read how halvings work and when the next one is.
What $100 did in 2012
$100 of bitcoin bought at the start of the year ($4.71) would have been worth about $287.33 at the end of 2012, before fees and taxes. Bought at the year's high close instead, it would have been worth $98.48. Timing within a single year mattered a lot. To see what it would be worth today, use the Bitcoin investment calculator.
About these numbers
Prices are Coin Metrics' daily closing reference prices in US dollars. Other sources differ a little: the 2012 close was $13.53 on StatMuse, a gap of 0.1% from ours. Prices from 2010 to 2013 come mostly from Mt. Gox and a few small exchanges, so treat them as approximate. See the method and cross-check for every year.
Frequently asked questions
What was the price of bitcoin in 2012?
It ranged from a low daily close of $4.26 to a high of $13.76. It started at $4.71 and ended the year at $13.55.
What was bitcoin's highest price in 2012?
The highest daily close was $13.76 on December 13, 2012. The highest intraday trade, per StatMuse, was $17.76.
Did bitcoin go up or down in 2012?
Up: it gained 187% from its opening price to the December 31 close.
Sources
- Coin Metrics free daily network data, PriceUSD (GitHub archive, CC BY-NC 4.0)
- Bitcoin price by year: open, high, low, close (StatMuse Money)
- Controlled supply (Bitcoin Wiki)
Written for beginners and checked against the sources listed. Last reviewed November 4, 2026. This page is educational and is not financial, tax or legal advice. How we write and check pages.