Volatility of cryptocurrencies explained

Bitcoin Fell Below $90,000 - Source: Getty
Representative image for high price fluctuation in crypto (Image via Getty)

The volatility of a cryptocurrency refers to rapid changes in its price. Cryptos are highly volatile, and their prices may change rapidly in a matter of a few hours. For example, during each of the two separate years 2021 and 2025, Bitcoin saw enormous changes – in the 30-40% range – over a very short period. By the start of January 2025, its price had increased to $126,000, which then proceeded to fall by almost 30% with huge selling pressure and liquidation sales.

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Several cryptocurrencies showed a decrease of 20-30% on a monthly basis, and they also showed recoveries. So, it is important to look for the origins of such events to ride effectively in the cryptocurrency market.

Note: Crypto investments involve significant risk. Do not take the views mentioned here as financial advice. Please conduct thorough research before making any investment.


What "volatility" means regarding cryptocurrency prices

This is the variation in prices, representing how rapidly and extensively asset prices increase or decrease.

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  • Major coins could be volatile, changing as much as 5-10%, compared to natural stock price fluctuations ranging from 1-3%.
  • Larger fluctuations happened in 2021.
  • Prices show major ups and downs in value over short intervals.

Why do cryptocurrency prices swing?

1) Assumption

Numerous financiers purchase digital assets anticipating an increase in value. Whispers might be only a rumor for probable listings on major exchanges, but they still create significant buys.

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2) Low liquidity

When only a few cryptos have neither buyers nor sellers attached to them, one big discount sends retail prices tumbling instantly.


3) Lack of standardization in valuation

Cryptos as an intrinsic value do not follow any objective standard unit of measurement. Some experts predict that, in the near future, the price of one Bitcoin may be $20000, while others think it could be $150000. This high range is due to Bitcoin's high volatility.

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4) Whales & manipulation

Large investors tend to have significant market impacts, enabling them to determine market trends on account of large transactions, some of which may lead to buying/selling spirals.


5 ) Regulation shocks

Government decisions also cause volatility, often leading to 20-30% price drops within one week, just like what happened during the Chinese mine closure restrictions.


6 )Technical risks

Technical glitches can have a profound influence on crypto volatility. Tokens on chains like the Ronin network may just suddenly crash because of hacking or software failure. An example of this would be the 600-million-dollar attack on the Ronin network in 2022.

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7) Global economic factors

The macroeconomic policies of federal banks also have an impact on crypto price volatility.

A representative image of a bank (Image via Unsplash/@etiennemartin)
A representative image of a bank (Image via Unsplash/@etiennemartin)

One such macroeconomic tool is the interest rate. Frequent cases involve situations where interest rates are high, which forces people to withdraw money from volatile investments into safer ones like cryptocurrencies.

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8) Media & social influence

These factors could lead to plummeting or skyrocketing stock values within short periods based on the content on social media platforms, such as tweets, news releases, and even utterances from influencers.


9) High leverage

Cryptocurrency exchanges allow transactions at up to five times the standard margin levels. Small declines in prices trigger sales, leading to more significant declines; these are called "cascade bankruptcies."


10) Novel applications

Crypto offerings based on non-fungible tokens or game assets, better known as gaming tokens, may create surges in buying interest and make prices shoot up in no time.

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11) 24/7 Global markets

The prices of cryptocurrencies vary on different platforms; speculators take advantage of these gaps by practicing swift arbitrage, which results in higher volatility.


12) Human psychology

In comparison with social network anxiety about missing opportunities, emotional buying is driven more by fear than excitement.

For example, in 2025, there were sharp increases and decreases in Bitcoin's price due to aggressive selling pressure. In some cases, the price rise pushed BTC's value to as high as $125,000.

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What volatility in cryptocurrency prices means to investors

Advantages:

  • High profit potential
  • 24/7 always-on market

Disadvantages:

  • Higher chance of losses
  • Emotional stress with constant changes in prices

In summary, embrace volatility in cryptocurrency prices without fear; comprehend its nature instead. Manage potential dangers by keeping informed and risk only funds that you can afford to lose. A fluctuation occurring in a cryptocurrency is not a mistake but rather an inherent characteristic of how financial markets operate.

As a means of gaining confidence, understanding why market fluctuation occurs is the first step to obtaining trust and wealth. It does not matter whether the price of a cryptocurrency skyrockets or nosedives; an experienced trader will plan properly and hedge risks to make the most of the crypto market.

Edited by Niladri Roy