Bitcoin reclaimed the critical $100,000 price point on Thursday, triggering a surge of buying activity as investors eagerly cheered the cryptocurrency's return to six-figure territory.
Bitcoin Surpasses $100,000 Psychological Threshold After Two-Month Dip
16 May 2025 - 17:22 CEST
At the crucial point just after 3pm UTC the world’s leading digital asset jumped almost 2% to $101,301 during a sharp rally. Traders rushed to capitalize on the momentum, with 8 May trading volumes reportedly exceeding the 30-day average by 53% amid this psychological milestone.
A dopamine trigger
Investors have become accustomed to feeling good about significant Bitcoin rallies over the past decade. However, the impact of seeing the coin’s price cross the six-figure threshold undoubtedly comes with psychological implications that speak to the coin’s unique characteristics.
“$100K is an obvious psychological milestone”
Edward Chin, co-founder of Parataxis Capital, told Bloomberg that he expects this milestone to have a measurable impact on the price of BTC in the coming quarter. “$100K is an obvious psychological milestone ... Given all of the public company BTC treasury plays in the market and more coming down the pipeline, I think BTC will move meaningfully higher into year-end.”
This marks Bitcoin's return to territory first conquered in December 2024, when it initially broke the $100,000 barrier amid capital inflows following the U.S. presidential election. The latest upswing comes after weeks of volatility across global financial markets, with investors navigating concerns over the US’s trade assault and geopolitical uncertainties.
Q2 resurgence
While Bitcoin remains below its 20 Jan record of $109,000—established shortly after President Trump’s inauguration—its second-quarter resurgence has significantly outperformed global equities and other traditional assets with technical indicators suggesting further bullish momentum.
Bitcoin’s growing legitimacy and perceived resilience stems from favourable policy and regulatory developments that have prompted an increasing flow of institutional money. The psychological impact of BTC now routinely crossing the $100,000 barrier may encourage more widespread adoption of the $2 trillion asset class, assuming price stability or further gains come to fruition.
