Bitcoin first crossed $100,000 on December 5, 2024, during a post-election rally. U.S. coverage described the move as happening Wednesday night, December 4, reflecting the time-zone difference. The Associated Press, citing CoinDesk data, reported an intraday high of $103,713—but the price was back below $100,000 by Thursday afternoon. The milestone marked a momentary market price, not a close above $100,000 or a signal of what would happen next.
When did Bitcoin first break $100,000?
Bitcoin’s first reported move above $100,000 took place overnight on December 4–5, 2024. Reports dated December 5 described the threshold crossing, while U.S. accounts called it a Wednesday-night event. The difference is a matter of time zone, not a disagreement about the day of the rally. The Associated Press’s account provides the date and the cited market figures.
The threshold was a symbolic round number: one bitcoin briefly traded for more than $100,000 in the cited market data. It was an intraday crossing, not proof that Bitcoin finished the day above that price.
How high did Bitcoin go, and how quickly did it fall back?
The Associated Press, citing CoinDesk, reported that Bitcoin reached $103,713 after first topping $100,000. The AP said the price had slipped below $100,000 by Thursday afternoon. These are observations from that report and data source, not a single official price applicable to every exchange or trading pair. The reviewed coverage does not establish one universal peak across all venues.
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For context, the same AP report gave a price of $69,374 on U.S. Election Day, November 5, 2024. That comparison shows the scale of the subsequent move in the reported observations; it is not a calculated return for every buyer, since purchase timing, venue, fees and execution price differ.
What was behind the rally?
Contemporary coverage framed the rise in part around investor expectations for a more crypto-friendly U.S. administration after Donald Trump’s election. Reuters discussed those expectations alongside flows into U.S. Bitcoin-backed exchange-traded funds. The AP and BBC also connected the market’s attention to Trump’s announcement that he had nominated Paul Atkins to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Those explanations describe the market context and interpretations reported at the time; they do not establish that any one policy expectation, nomination or fund flow caused Bitcoin’s price to rise. Reuters’s coverage, the AP report and the BBC report provide contemporaneous accounts.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What does the $100,000 milestone mean for investors?
It records that the market price briefly crossed a prominent round-number threshold. It does not tell an investor whether Bitcoin was a suitable purchase, whether a trade could have been executed at the reported high, or whether the price would stay above that level. The quick retreat below $100,000 illustrates why an intraday milestone should not be confused with a sustained price level.
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