Bitcoin first crossed $100,000 in early December 2024, but it did not end the year above that milestone: CoinGecko reports a 2024 year-end close of $93,508. The often-repeated claim of a 140% full-year surge is not established by the cited year-end reporting; Reuters described the gain as more than 120%.
When did Bitcoin cross $100,000?
Bitcoin first moved above $100,000 in early December 2024. Reuters reported the first break on December 5, while the Associated Press described the price rising above the threshold Wednesday night and slipping back below it by Thursday afternoon. This was an intraday milestone, not a price Bitcoin held through year-end.
Reuters’ December 5 report, republished by Kitco covers the first crossing and the market context. The Associated Press account describes the retreat below $100,000.
Did Bitcoin finish 2024 above $100,000?
No. CoinGecko’s 2024 Annual Crypto Industry Report puts Bitcoin’s year-end close at $93,508. The same report records a reported all-time high of $108,135 on December 17, 2024. The high, the first crossing, and the closing price are different points in the year’s price history.
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How much did Bitcoin rise in 2024?
Reuters’ December 31 retrospective described Bitcoin as having gained more than 120% during 2024. That account does not substantiate a 140% calendar-year return. A precise percentage depends on the price series and the start and end points used; the headline’s 140% figure does not specify those inputs, so it should not be treated as a verified full-year return.
For additional context, CoinGecko reports a 47.9% rally in the fourth quarter of 2024. That is a quarterly figure, not the full-year return. Reuters’ year-end account is available at Reuters.
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What was cited as driving the rally?
Contemporaneous coverage pointed to post-election optimism about a friendlier U.S. regulatory climate, spot Bitcoin ETF approval, and expectations around institutional investment. These are factors cited by reporters and market participants, not proof that any one development caused a particular share of the price increase.
Reuters quoted Geoff Kendrick, Standard Chartered’s global head of digital assets research, estimating that “Roughly 3% of the total supply of bitcoins that will ever exist have been purchased in 2024 by institutional money.” This is Kendrick’s estimate; the report does not provide enough methodology to treat it as independently verified.
What the milestone means for personal-finance readers
A round-number price milestone can make a volatile asset easier to discuss, but it does not by itself establish value, future performance, or suitability for an individual portfolio. Bitcoin’s 2024 crossing of $100,000 was brief, and its year-end close was lower than the threshold. Anyone comparing annual performance should use a defined price source and consistent start and end dates rather than infer a return from an intraday high or a headline percentage.
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