At 9:15 a.m. Eastern Time on May 15, 2026, the market price for a single Bitcoin (BTC) is $80,120.03. That’s a $546.24 jump from where it was trading yesterday morning and about $23,660 higher than it was one year ago.
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What is Bitcoin?
Bitcoin is widely recognized as the pioneering cryptocurrency and continues to hold the top spot in terms of name recognition and market size. Its market capitalization is roughly $1.33 trillion, putting it far ahead of second-place Ethereum with about $233 billion in market cap.
At a basic level, Bitcoin functions as a decentralized digital currency. Instead of relying on a central authority like a bank or government, it runs on a peer-to-peer network of computers. This design lets people transfer value straight to others without using a traditional financial intermediary.
Many investors turn to Bitcoin as a potential hedge against inflation in the U.S. dollar or as a way to branch out beyond conventional investments. Over the past decade, it has posted stunning gains, often outperforming major stock indexes, which has played a big role in its popularity.
At the same time, Bitcoin shares a key trait with other cryptocurrencies—it can be extremely volatile, with frequent and sometimes dramatic price changes.
Bitcoin price history
Since it was introduced in 2009, Bitcoin has been highly volatile and often headline-grabbing. One early milestone in its history involves developer Laszlo Hanyecz, who famously spent 10,000 Bitcoins on pizza. At the time of this writing, those coins would be valued at more than 668 million dollars.
Over the last decade or so, Bitcoin’s price has climbed more than 15,000%. This tremendous growth comes with a trade-off, as cryptocurrencies are known for their unpredictability. Bitcoin has undergone severe pullbacks—sometimes dropping tens of thousands of dollars within months—as well as dramatic recoveries. At the close of 2025, it was trading roughly 30% below the all-time high it hit that very October.
What affects Bitcoin’s price?
Several different dynamics can move Bitcoin’s price up or down, including:
- Investor speculation: Like many speculative assets, Bitcoin’s short-term price is heavily driven by trader psychology and buzz. In the near term, prices usually reflect investor beliefs and trading activity more than anything else.
- Adoption by major companies: When large corporations embrace Bitcoin or broader crypto technology, it can help support further growth. For example, Bitcoin’s price rose after companies such as Tesla and Ferrari announced plans to accept Bitcoin as a payment option.
- Economy: Bitcoin doesn’t track inflation figures or central bank decisions in the same way many traditional investments do. Still, it often benefits when the U.S. economy is strong, because people who feel financially secure may be more willing to allocate money to alternative assets that are a bit riskier—like crypto.
- Regulatory developments: As a relatively young asset class, cryptocurrency is still in the process of being fully regulated. New rules or enforcement actions can either instill confidence or create fear. Both cases can significantly affect Bitcoin’s price.
How to buy and invest in Bitcoin
If you’ve decided to invest in Bitcoin, there are multiple ways to do it. Here are some of the main options.
Buy Bitcoin on a cryptocurrency exchange
The most straightforward route is to buy Bitcoin directly. You set up an account with a crypto exchange, connect it to your bank, and then use your deposited cash to buy Bitcoin.
Invest in Bitcoin ETFs
For those who prefer a more traditional investment vehicle, Bitcoin exchange-traded funds are an alternative. A Bitcoin ETF holds Bitcoin on behalf of its shareholders, and its shares trade on standard stock exchanges. This option lets you skip the process of managing your own crypto wallet and can reduce the risk of losing access to your funds because of a password mistake or wallet issue.
Buy crypto stocks
Investors who don’t want to buy Bitcoin directly can also consider stocks of companies in the crypto space. These might include tech companies that support blockchain technology, public crypto exchanges, even payment processors. Because these companies may earn revenue from Bitcoin-related activity, their share prices can offer indirect exposure to Bitcoin’s performance.
Open a Bitcoin IRA
For retirement-focused investing, a Bitcoin IRA is another great option. Like a standard IRA, it’s a tax-advantaged account with similar contribution limits and tax rules, but it lets you allocate some of your retirement savings to Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies as alternative investments.
Bitcoin vs. other cryptocurrencies
Bitcoin might be the best-known name in crypto, but it is not your only choice. When weighing where to put your money, you may want to compare it with a few other major coins.
- Ethereum: Ethereum is currently the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap. Unlike Bitcoin, which was designed mainly as a form of money, Ethereum was built as a decentralized computing platform and is widely used for running applications and smart contracts.
- Tether: Tether is a stablecoin, meaning that its value is directly tied to another asset—in this instance, the U.S. dollar. Its peg typically keeps price movements smaller than Bitcoin’s, but that also means there’s less opportunity for outsized growth.
- XRP: XRP is a digital asset created to make sending money across borders faster and cheaper, focusing specifically on international transfers with low transaction costs.
Crypto coverage from Fortune
See our newsroom’s recent coverage of what’s been happening on the cryptocurrency scene:
- The crypto industry’s Clarity Act hits a critical juncture
- Stablecoin disruptors want to vanquish Visa but face a tough task ahead
- Trump Media posts $405 million loss driven by crypto holdings
Is it a good time to invest in Bitcoin?
When compared with long-standing blue-chip names such as Procter & Gamble or Walmart, Bitcoin is still a newcomer. That makes predicting its long-term behavior challenging. But its recent history has been impressive. As more companies start accepting Bitcoin as a payment method, its price may get a further boost, and as the asset matures, it might eventually see somewhat smoother price movements.
However, Bitcoin should not be treated as a sure bet. It’s wise to invest only money you can afford to have tied up and to ensure your broader portfolio is diversified, so other investments can help offset Bitcoin’s volatility.
For most people, Bitcoin is better viewed as a long-term, higher-risk holding than as a quick trade. It is not ideal for investors who are uncomfortable watching large price swings. But if you plan to hold it for years and keep it as a piece of a balanced portfolio, investing in Bitcoin could make sense for a portion of your overall strategy.
Frequently asked questions
How much will Bitcoin be worth in 2030?
While the answer is obviously unknowable, crypto experts are generally optimistic about the short-term success of Bitcoin. Some models price it at more than $700,000 by 2030, with conservative estimates closer to $300,000.
What is Bitcoin’s all-time high price?
As of this writing, Bitcoin reached its highest price ever on Oct. 6, 2025, pricing at a whopping $126,198.07.
Can you buy a fraction of a Bitcoin?
Yes, you can buy a fraction of a Bitcoin. Most cryptocurrency exchanges offer fractional investing, meaning you can buy portions of crypto coins. Thanks to fractional investing, you can invest in Bitcoin with as little as a few dollars.
How do I start investing in Bitcoin as a beginner?
If you want to invest directly in Bitcoin by owning the currency, you’ll typically open an account with a cryptocurrency exchange. Once the account is created, you can transfer money to your crypto account from your bank and place an order for Bitcoin and other tokens or coins. You can also indirectly invest in Bitcoin via an ETF or a business that uses Bitcoin.
What can you buy with Bitcoin?
You can use your Bitcoin holdings in several ways, from selling for cash to trading it for other coins. In some cases, you can also pay for purchases, such as with Tesla and Microsoft.
Does Bitcoin outperform the stock market?
Bitcoin has well outperformed the stock market since its launch, but its extreme volatility makes it far less than a guarantee to be a better investment than stocks.