Turn a price line into clearer risk measures: how widely daily returns moved and how far BTC/USD fell below its earlier peak.
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Realized volatility uses past returns. It rises when day-to-day changes spread farther from their average, whether those changes are up or down. This tool annualizes daily log-return variation with the square root of 365.
It is a description of the selected history, not a forecast of the next year.
At every point, the calculator remembers the highest earlier close. Drawdown is the percentage distance below that peak. Maximum drawdown is the deepest point in the selected window.
Open the full Bitcoin price history →A short range answers what happened recently. A five-year range includes more market regimes and may reveal a much deeper loss. Always name the range when quoting either number.
The calculation uses the chart’s public closing observations. A price may have moved farther during the interval. Source, quote currency, candle spacing, and time zone all matter.
Compare the chart with current crypto markets, the crypto comparison tool, and guides about market structure. A number cannot explain custody, leverage, liquidity, or policy risk on its own.
Past volatility does not decide whether Bitcoin is suitable for a person. Bitcoin.now provides no personalized recommendation, target, or trading function.
The same price series produces four measures, but each answers a different question.
| Figure | Calculation | Plain-English question | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Period return | (Last close ÷ first close) − 1 | How far apart are the selected endpoints? | Ignores the path and every move between them |
| Realized volatility | Daily log-return standard deviation × √365 | How widely did daily returns spread? | Past dispersion is not a forecast |
| Maximum drawdown | Deepest percentage fall from a prior running peak | What was the worst peak-to-trough loss in this window? | Depends on the selected start, end, venue, and closes |
| Current drawdown | Last close versus the highest earlier close | How far is the endpoint below its visible peak? | Can shrink because the window drops an older peak |
Use the Bitcoin price history to inspect the underlying closes and the data methodology to check venue and fallback rules.
Return rewards the endpoints, volatility measures dispersion, and drawdown measures loss from a prior peak. Reading them together prevents one flattering number from hiding the path.
A window can finish higher after one or more deep falls. Maximum drawdown shows the largest peak-to-trough decline visible inside that same range.
Large positive and negative daily moves both raise realized volatility. Drawdown tracks only distance below a running peak.
| Pattern | Return | Volatility | What to investigate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smooth rise | Positive | Relatively lower | Liquidity and starting valuation |
| Sharp fall, full recovery | Near zero or positive | High | Maximum drawdown and recovery time |
| Slow decline | Negative | May be moderate | Persistent drawdown |
| Sideways whipsaw | Near zero | High | Trading range and path risk |