ATH (All-Time High)
The highest price an asset has ever reached over its entire trading history.
How it works
An all-time high is the highest price an asset has ever reached. Until price exceeds the previous peak the high stands, however many years pass.
The figure depends on the unit of measurement. A coin can set a new high in dollars while remaining far below its peak against bitcoin — these are different things and should not be conflated.
Exchanges compute the high differently: some use traded prices, others count brief spikes in the order book. So the all-time high for one coin can differ by a few percent between two venues.
What the distance from the high means
An asset peaked at $100 and fell to $40. Here is what a return would require.
| Drop from the high | 60% |
| Gain needed to recover | 150% |
| A drop of 80% | needs a 400% gain |
| A drop of 90% | needs a 900% gain |
The asymmetry matters more than the number itself: the deeper the fall, the disproportionately larger the recovery required. This is why “the coin is only down 80%, it will come back” underestimates the task fourfold.
What to watch for
- A high is not a support levelA previous peak carries no obligation to be reached again. Thousands of coins with 2021 highs have not returned to them and probably will not.
- New highs often coincide with an influx of newcomersRecord headlines attract people who were not following the market before. That makes the area around a high the most crowded and the riskiest zone.
- Compare in one currencyHighs in dollars, in euros and in bitcoin occur on different days. The claim “a new all-time high” without naming the currency says almost nothing.