The crypto market is known for big price swings. Prices move on market mood, new rules and the wider economy. The holiday season, Christmas included, is no exception.
In this article, we look back at how three major coins did at Christmas over the years. They are Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH) and XRP. Prices below are rounded daily closes on December 25.
| Year | Bitcoin (BTC) | Ethereum (ETH) | XRP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | About $13,700 | About $715 | About $1 |
| 2018 | About $3,750 | About $128 | About $0.38 |
| 2019 | About $7,200 | About $125 | About $0.19 |
| 2020 | About $24,700 | About $627 | About $0.32 |
| 2021 | About $50,400 | About $4,095 | About $0.93 |
| 2022 | About $16,830 | About $1,218 | About $0.35 |
| 2023 | About $43,600 | About $2,270 | About $0.65 |
| 2024 | About $99,400 | About $3,500 | About $2.30 |
| 2025 | About $87,200 | About $2,900 | About $1.83 |
Bitcoin: A Festive Rollercoaster
Bitcoin is the first and best-known cryptocurrency. It has a history of both sharp rallies and steep drops around Christmas. A look back at past years shows some clear patterns.
2017 – The Bull Run
In 2017, Bitcoin had a huge bull run. It hit an all-time high of nearly $20,000 in mid-December. The rally then cooled. By Christmas Day, Bitcoin had pulled back to about $13,700, still far above where it started the year.
2018 – The Bear’s Arrival
The next year, 2018, looked very different. Bitcoin lost much of its value over the year. By Christmas, the mood was bearish. Bitcoin traded around $3,750, well below its old highs.
2019 – Consolidation
Christmas 2019 was a quiet time for Bitcoin. The price moved sideways at around $7,200. The market seemed to be finding its footing after two wild years.
2020 – Resurgence
In 2020, Bitcoin came roaring back. It recovered from the March 2020 crash. By Christmas, it had passed its old all-time high and traded near $24,700. Growing interest from big investors helped lift the mood.
2021 – A New All-Time High
Bitcoin kept climbing in 2021 and set new all-time highs. By Christmas, it traded at about $50,400. Big investors, wider acceptance and rising interest in digital assets all played a part.
2022 – A Year of Lows
2022 was a year of lows for Bitcoin. On December 25, it was worth about $16,830. The market lacked any strong upward push.
2023 – A Resilient Rally
Bitcoin bounced back strongly in 2023. It reached about $43,600 by Christmas. Investor confidence returned. Traders also looked ahead to the 2024 halving and a possible spot Bitcoin ETF approval. A halving cuts the reward miners get for each new block in half.
2024 and 2025 – Six Figures, Then a Pullback
Christmas 2024 was the strongest yet. Bitcoin closed December 25 near $99,400 after first topping $100,000 earlier that month. In 2025, Bitcoin set a new all-time high of about $126,080 on October 6. It then fell back and was near $87,200 by Christmas 2025.
Ethereum: Riding the Altcoin Wave
Ethereum is the second-largest cryptocurrency by market value. It has had its own share of Christmas moves.
2017 – Following Bitcoin’s Lead
Ethereum followed Bitcoin higher during the 2017 bull run. It traded at roughly $715 on Christmas Day. The whole crypto market was in a bullish mood.
2018 – Bearish Pressure
Like Bitcoin, Ethereum came under heavy pressure in 2018. It peaked at about $1,300 in January and fell to roughly $128 by Christmas. The end of the ICO boom and tighter regulatory scrutiny hit Ethereum’s price hard. An ICO, or initial coin offering, is a token sale used to raise money for a new project.
2019 – Stability and Development
Ethereum was fairly stable in 2019 and traded near $125 at Christmas. The focus moved to Ethereum 2.0. This upgrade aimed to fix speed limits and move the network to proof-of-stake. Proof-of-stake secures a blockchain with staked coins instead of mining.
2020 – Rising Interest and DeFi Boom
Ethereum bounced back in 2020. Interest in decentralized finance (DeFi) apps grew fast. By Christmas, ETH traded near $627.
2021 – All-Time Highs and Upgrades
Ethereum hit new all-time highs in 2021. It was above $4,000 at Christmas. The London hard fork was a key milestone that year. Work on the move to proof-of-stake also pushed ahead. That switch, known as the Merge, went live in September 2022.
2022 – Bears in Control
Ethereum ended Christmas 2022 at about $1,218. That was a big drop from the year before. Most coins across the crypto market fell that year.
2023 – Decent Recovery
Ethereum recovered in 2023 and reached about $2,270 by Christmas. Growth in decentralized apps (dApps) and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) helped. Key network upgrades also went smoothly.
2024 and 2025 – Higher Highs, Choppy Christmases
Ethereum traded near $3,500 at Christmas 2024. In 2025, it set a new all-time high of about $4,946 on August 24. By Christmas 2025, it had slipped to about $2,900.
XRP: Navigating Regulatory Challenges
XRP is the coin linked to the Ripple network. It has faced unique challenges around Christmas. Still, it has kept a strong and loyal community over the years.
2017 – Regulatory Optimism
In 2017, XRP rode a wave of optimism and new partnerships. By Christmas, it had surged to around $1.
2018 – Regulatory Uncertainty
Uncertainty clouded XRP in 2018. The price fell sharply from its early-year highs to about $0.38 by Christmas. Questions about whether XRP was a security hurt investor confidence.
2019 – Stability Amid Legal Issues
XRP was fairly stable in 2019. It traded near $0.19 at Christmas. Doubts about how regulators would treat XRP kept weighing on the coin.
2020 – SEC Lawsuit Impact
In December 2020, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Ripple. The news hit XRP’s price hard. XRP traded near $0.32 at Christmas and slid further in the days after.
2021 – Legal Developments and Fluctuations
XRP swung up and down in 2021 as the case moved forward. By Christmas, it traded near $0.93.
2022 – Facing Legal Uncertainties
XRP started 2022 at about $0.83. The SEC case was still open, and that weighed on the price. By Christmas 2022, XRP had fallen to about $0.35.
2023 – Legal Wins Propel XRP
In July 2023, Ripple won a key ruling against the SEC. A judge found that XRP sales on public exchanges were not securities sales. This boosted XRP, which traded near $0.65 by Christmas.
2024 and 2025 – The Case Closes
XRP jumped in late 2024 and was near $2.30 at Christmas. In August 2025, Ripple and the SEC dropped their appeals. That ended the case, with a $125 million penalty for Ripple. XRP hit an all-time high of about $3.65 in July 2025. It was near $1.83 by Christmas 2025.
Christmas 2024 Predictions
This section first ran in December 2023. It looked at the forces that could shape the market in 2024. Here is what it expected, followed by what actually happened.
What We Expected
- Derivatives trading had overtaken spot trading in 2023. We expected this to continue in 2024, with DeFi derivatives gaining ground.
- Funding for crypto firms hit a three-year low in 2023. Investors were cautious.
- We flagged possible interest rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve as a risk.
- The Bitcoin halving was due in April 2024. Past halvings came before big rallies, though the effect seemed to shrink each time.
- The overlap of artificial intelligence (AI) and crypto looked like a growing trend.
- Regulation, the wider economy and tech flaws remained key risks.
What Actually Happened
- The SEC approved the first U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs on January 10, 2024.
- The Bitcoin halving took place on April 19-20, 2024.
- The Federal Reserve did not hike. It started cutting rates in September 2024.
- Bitcoin closed Christmas 2024 near $99,400, its strongest Christmas on record.
- Ethereum (about $3,500) and XRP (about $2.30) also ended Christmas 2024 far above their 2023 levels.
As of November 3, 2026, Bitcoin trades near $77,600, Ethereum near $2,280 and XRP near $1.28, according to CoinGecko. For the latest moves, see our crypto market today page.
Conclusion
The Christmas record of Bitcoin, Ethereum and XRP shows how fast the crypto market can change. Each holiday season has had its own story. Some years brought bull runs and others brought bear markets. Rules and new technology shaped prices too.
There is no reliable “Christmas rally” pattern in these numbers. As the market keeps evolving, investors should stay alert. Look at the wider market picture during the holidays and beyond.
