Bitcoin (BTC) Price Chart 

A price chart is the visual reflection of an asset’s valuation over a period of time. It shows the current rate, historical changes, and trading volume, among other details that can help traders identify emerging opportunities. In the case of Bitcoin, the information available on the chart depicts the changes in BTC’s price in fiat funds. This is how traders and exchanges determine the cost needed to buy bitcoin.

About Bitcoin (BTC) and blockchain technology

The history of cryptocurrency begins with Bitcoin. While cryptography, and its ability to secure a network, existed long before this usage, the blockchain model was first implemented for financial transactions using BTC.

Blockchain

Blockchain is a digital ledger network where data is stored and archived in blocks. Every block is connected to the previous and next one, in a chain. For better data protection, the network uses cryptographic keys, a complex string of data, to secure the information stored on each block. As such, once data is minted onto a block, it cannot be edited. 

Anyone with a computer and a good internet connection can be a member of the blockchain ecosystem. There is no single server or device where data is stored — a blockchain is fully decentralized. Security and decentralization are the two atlases of blockchain and cryptocurrency technologies. These features have helped BTC, and by extension crypto writ large, to capture the attention of retail and enterprise participants alike.

Let’s get back to Bitcoin, a digital asset

To understand its nature, Bitcoin is often referred to as digital gold. Unlike traditional fiat currency, BTC and other cryptocurrencies have no material realization. You can not get bitcoins out of an online network, touch them, or put them in your pocket. Rather, Bitcoin allows the storage and transfer of funds without banks and other financial institutions. 

Additionally, transactions are anonymous. Every crypto owner has their online “name” in the form of a long string of letters and numbers, known as a wallet address. The network doesn’t require participants to reveal their real names or any other personal info. OK, but how does the network know who sent funds? Every Bitcoin wallet has a private key and a unique owner’s signature. Only a wallet holder, who knows a private key (signature) can confirm the funds withdrawal.

How transactions are confirmed on the blockchain

Validating the signature is only one step of the transaction confirmation process. Before BTC reaches its recipient, miners must proceed and confirm the transfer. Miners are the most active and probably most important members of the blockchain ecosystem. They use their computing power to include new transactions into blocks. If transactions are successful, miners get rewards in BTC extracted from the blockchain. 

Every transaction should receive at least three confirmations before it is credited to the recipient’s wallet. The amount of confirmations shows how many blocks were created after this particular transfer. The more blocks added, the more secure the transaction. Why so? Information combines into the blocks in a strict chronological order. Additionally, data is synchronized on millions of computers.

If attackers want to reverse or corrupt a transaction, they must go through the block's security system, decrypting all data in the blocks ahead. The approach protects blockchain operations, on the other hand, users must be super attentive when sending their crypto. A typo in the wallet address may lead to loss of funds because transactions cannot be reversed. One of the only ways to retrieve mis-sent crypto is to communicate with the receiver, and ask them to return the funds.

Bitcoin supply

The total supply of BTC is defined as 21 million coins. Once miners extract the final piece of BTC, there will be no additional coins left in the network. It's hardly possible that developers will change the protocol to extend the supply. Likely, mining is not the only way to obtain crypto. Miners are usually selling their BTC or other crypto rewards on the crypto exchanges. So, almost everyone can register at a bitcoin exchange platform and simply purchase coins for traditional currencies (eg. U.S. dollars, euros) or other crypto. At CEX.IO, it's even possible to buy crypto with a debit or credit card.

How to define a current bitcoin price index

There are many resources to review the current/historical BTC price. Some statistics portals are gathering data from different exchanges, others use market data from a single crypto platform. That’s why it’s necessary to define your goals first. If you’re curious about the current price of BTC, an independent statistical site or price aggregator could be a great place to discover that information. Those who prefer taking part in crypto trading would be wise to study market indicators on a platform that suits their unique needs.

Now, how does one study the market? BTC price analysis is not as scary as it sounds. Familiarity with the fundamental indicators of price charts is important for understanding the general crypto landscape, or any evolving trends related to specific currencies. The BTC/USD (Bitcoin to USD) price chart reflects the value of 1 BTC in U.S. dollars. Green and red pillars on the chart are candlesticks, a method of tracking market fluctuations that’s pervasive across the industry.

The color of a candle shows a price trend for a selected period (from a few minutes to days or years): green indicates an uptrend, while red shows a price decline. The last candle on the right shows the current price index. It is the medium value between the highest and lowest rates of completed trades within the selected timeframe.

How to buy bitcoin at CEX.IO

CEX.IO users can buy crypto simply and quickly without even studying market charts. We offer an automated calculation and immediate purchase via our Instant Buy. Just enter the amount of BTC you wish to purchase in a desired fiat currency, and the system will display the equivalent value in BTC based on current prices. From here, there are two primary pathways to pay for crypto: use funds deposited to your CEX.IO account or buy BTC with a credit card (just like you do when buying goods online). 

CEX.IO is a regulated platform, which means we have legal permission to work with both cryptocurrencies and fiat money (this includes processing card payments, bank transfers, cryptocurrencies, and more). We've obtained a Money Services Business status in FinCEN, Money Transmitter Licenses (MTLs) in over 30 U.S. states, and PCI DSS certificate (Level 1). Moreover, we regularly check input and output operations to prevent illegal activity, such as money laundering. CEX.IO users enjoy a best-in-class trading environment, alongside crypto and fiat storage services.

How to sell bitcoins and cash out funds

At CEX.IO you can easily sell your BTC at the current Bitcoin price, get cash, and withdraw that cash to a preferred off-ramp. Users from eligible countries can take advantage of fast and handy card withdrawals, or alternatively, request a bank transfer or use Skrill or Epay wallet. Visit our Limits and Commissions page to ensure the preferred payment method is available in your country. 

We made CEX.IO a secure and intuitive platform for selling bitcoins (BTC) for USD, EUR, and GBP. In turn, over six million global users participate in the digital economy via CEX.IO’s award-winning ecosystem of products and services. Our proprietary tools can assist crypto curious newcomers and savvy enthusiasts alike to find success in digital finance while remaining within their desired risk appetite.

Selling crypto instantly

We’ve launched an Instant Sell product that remains the quickest, and most straightforward way to exchange your crypto into fiat. We’ve added this feature in the CEX.IO mobile crypto app, so people who prefer an active lifestyle can enjoy their crypto experience on-the-go. After selling your BTC, you can immediately top up the connected debit or credit card. Together, these steps only take a few minutes.

Competitive trading fees

Price charts, trading volume measures, market depth indicators, market and limit trading orders – these and more instruments are available to eligible participants on our latest product offering, CEX.IO Spot Trading. This is where you can try different spot trading strategies, and trade crypto against traditional fiat money and other digital assets. We offer a flexible and transparent fee schedule for this type of trading, determined by your monthly volume. In short, users who trade more, enjoy lower trading fees.

Wire transfers available

Once you decide to sell your crypto, you can off-ramp those funds with a variety of payment rails. We offer instant card withdrawals, wallet transfers (Epay, Skrill), and wire bank transfers. This is possible by using domestic bank transfers like SEPA for Europeans, or Faster Payments for users from Great Britain. Read more details on the Limits and commissions page.

Bitcoin price history from day one

It’s a tradition within the crypto community to celebrate Bitcoin Pizza Day every year, on May 22. The observence commemorates the story of a guy who bought two pizzas for 10,000 bitcoins in 2010, and made a buzz after the BTC price increased exponentially. Still, this episode is remarkable in the history of all cryptocurrencies. It was the first commercial payment made in crypto.

In 2011, BTC was traded at $0.30, which is still considered its first price. A few years later, in 2013, the first cryptocurrency hit a record high of $1,000. The major driver was a rising number of businesses accepting BTC. However, the popularity of cryptocurrencies was only gaining momentum, and it was too early to talk about a significant price boost.

As the years passed, crypto enthusiasts increased their numbers. Online mining pools and exchange platforms made it effortless for everyone to experiment with bitcoin. The ease of purchasing and selling cryptocurrencies together with the high market volatility attracted participants from around the globe. Cryptocurrency wasn’t just an idea of anonymous transactions anymore, it became an alternative pathway to financial independence complete with fresh methods to transfer funds, hedge assets, and build a portfolio. Crypto mainstreaming was further aided by the second bitcoin halving that subsequently pushed crypto markets to the moon. Throughout 2017, BTC value grew from roughly $900 a coin to almost $20,000. We can only guess the taste of two pizzas worth $200 million…

BTC halving

We’ve mentioned an important blockchain event that significantly affects the bitcoin price over time — a bitcoin halving. Let’s review some facts. 

Approximately every four years, the mining block reward is decreased by two times so as to control the supply of unlocked BTC. Theoretically, the limited offer, together with a growing demand, should boost the price. Let’s compare the bitcoin historical price data: 

• Some believe the halving in 2016 helped triggered the BTC rally in 2017; 
• The last halving event, which occurred in May 2020, is thought to be another such catalyst for BTC to reach upwards of $40,000. 

However, there were other reasons why BTC raised so much in value. For example, due to the coronavirus pandemic, many institutional participants paid attention to crypto as a way to hedge their funds. Still, there are many reasons why an asset rises or falls in value, so we must always evaluate various factors when studying the market.

As you can see, crypto trading can be exciting for those who study the market carefully to make smart decisions. Nowadays, you don’t need special equipment or academic knowledge to explore price charts and trade digital tokens. Beyond BTC, there are hundreds of other cryptocurrencies that enthusiasts choose to diversify their crypto portfolios. 

For example, CEX.IO offers over 100 different crypto you can buy, sell, and exchange. And over 200 currency combinations, including crypto-to-crypto (ETH to BTC, XRP to USD) and fiat-to-crypto (BTC to EUR, ETH to USD, XRP to GBP) pairs. At CEX.IO, users always have the freedom to choose their own path through the crypto ecosystem.