Glossary · Trading & markets
ATH / ATL (all-time high / low)
ATH = the highest price an asset has ever traded; ATL = the lowest. Reference points for retracement math, "down X% from ATH" headlines, and psychological resistance.
Last updated April 30, 2026
How it works
Both numbers come from the asset's full historical price record across all venues (typically aggregated by data providers like CoinGecko, CoinMarketCap, or TradingView). For long-running assets, ATL is usually the launch price; ATH is whatever the most recent cycle peak was.
Bitcoin's history at a glance:
| Cycle peak | ATH at that point |
|---|---|
| Nov 2013 | ~$1,200 |
| Dec 2017 | ~$19,500 |
| Apr 2021 | ~$64,800 |
| Nov 2021 | ~$69,000 |
| Mar 2024 | ~$73,800 |
| 2026 (current cycle) | $107k+ depending on day |
ATL for Bitcoin is essentially $0.0008 (mid-2010 forum trades), or ~$0.06 if you only count exchange trading. Either way, the multiple from ATL to ATH is in the millions.
Example
When media writes "Solana is down 86% from its all-time high," they're referring to:
- ATH: $260 (Nov 2021)
- Bottom: $8 (Dec 2022)
- Drawdown: -97% intraday peak-to-trough
By 2024, SOL had recovered to ~$200 — still ~23% below ATH but a 25× from the bottom.
This calculation matters because:
- "% from ATH" frames how punishing a drawdown was. Peak-to-trough in crypto regularly hits 80%+ on top assets, 95%+ on alts.
- "% to ATH" measures recovery work. A coin down 50% needs 100% to recover; down 80% needs 400%; down 95% needs 1900%. The math gets brutal fast.
Why it matters
Trading patterns around ATH and ATL:
- ATH as resistance. Price often pauses or reverses at the previous ATH because long-term holders treat it as "exit at break-even" — they bought near the top last cycle and have been waiting.
- Round-number ATHs get extra attention. Bitcoin breaking $100k in late 2024 triggered media-driven buying not just because it was an ATH but because of the round number.
- ATL is a worse signal. "Coin made a new ATL" usually means continued downside — there's no buy support level below ATL by definition.
- Cycle highs vs all-time highs differ. A bull-cycle high might be the highest in 2 years but lower than the all-time peak. Both points matter; "ATH" specifically means the highest ever.
For investors: ATH-anchoring is dangerous when used to refuse buying. "I won't buy BTC unless it's back at the cycle low" missed every multi-year bull market in crypto. The opposite ("only buy when price is below previous ATH") is a defensible rule but produces few entries during sustained bulls.
The cleanest use of ATH/ATL: as factual reference, not as a trading signal in isolation.