Bitcoin Price Drops 43% in 2022, 23% in 2020, 59% in 2015, 53% in 2012

Bitcoin’s price history reveals four instances where the digital asset experienced year-over-year declines on July 4, interrupting its general upward trend. These drops occurred during broader market corrections and periods of distress within the digital asset industry.

The most recent decline happened in 2022, when the price fell to $19,750, a significant drop from the $34,973 level seen a year prior. This downturn coincided with a widespread crypto winter, marked by the collapse of several large industry firms and tightening macroeconomic conditions.

Similarly, in 2020, the price on July 4 was $9,084, down from $11,764 on the same date in 2019. This reflected a market correction following a mid-2019 rally.

Earlier bear cycles also resulted in lower prices. A prolonged downturn following the failure of the Mt. Gox exchange contributed to the price falling from $637 in 2014 to $257 in 2015.

The first recorded year-over-year decline in Bitcoin’s history occurred in 2012, when the price was $7, down from $15 in 2011.

These four declines stand as exceptions in Bitcoin’s 14-year pricing record for the date, which otherwise shows a strong pattern of long-term appreciation. In the other ten years, the asset posted gains, including the rise from $58,659 in 2024 to $109,433 in 2025.

Analysts suggest that these declines are not indicative of a broader trend but rather reflect specific market conditions and events that impacted the digital asset industry during those periods. The overall trajectory of Bitcoin’s price remains one of long-term growth, with occasional corrections and downturns.