Biggest 1-Day Crypto Gain Ever: The Trades That Made…

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Bitcoin recorded a record single-day dollar gain at the time of $8,343 on 11 November 2024, according to Galaxy Research, rising from $80,427 to $88,770 following the U.S. presidential election results that week.
2. Bitcoin's largest percentage gains as reported by Decrypt include a 12 April 2013 move from $98.20 to $150.85 and an 18 November 2013 move from $494.94 to $712.76.
3. The November 2024 dollar record ranked only 49th in the percentage-gain list cited by Decrypt, based on CoinMarketCap data, showing that Bitcoin's higher valuation makes dollar swings look dramatic while relative moves remain modest.
4. Bitcoin surged approximately 7% to above $81,000 on 9 April 2025 after President Trump announced a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs, triggering a broad market relief rally.
5. The December 2017 rally of 27% from $14,057 to $17,899 came in the run-up to the Chicago Board Options Exchange and Chicago Mercantile Exchange launching Bitcoin futures contracts.

  Single-day price moves in cryptocurrency have produced both spectacular gains and devastating losses, often driven by events that traders had hours or minutes to react to. Bitcoin's $8,343 single-day dollar gain on 11 November 2024 was a record at the time, according to Galaxy Research, but that figure ranked only 49th when measured by percentage.The distinction between dollar gains and percentage gains matters because Bitcoin's rising base price makes absolute moves appear larger while the proportional impact shrinks.This article examines the specific trades and events behind the biggest one-day crypto gains in history, the catalysts that triggered them, and what patterns they reveal about how digital asset markets respond to shocks.

Bitcoin's Record Dollar Gain on 11 November 2024

Bitcoin opened at $80,427.69 on 11 November 2024 and closed at $88,770.73, a gain of $8,343 that Galaxy Research identified as a record at the time in dollar terms. The price touched an intraday peak of $89,864 before settling.The catalyst was the aftermath of the U.S. presidential election, with markets pricing in expected regulatory shifts under the incoming administration.The previous record dollar gain was $7,576 on 8 February 2021, when Bitcoin closed at $46,448 during the institutional adoption wave led by Tesla's $1.5 billion Bitcoin purchase. The third-largest single-day dollar jump was $6,561 on 8 August 2024. Each of these records occurred at progressively higher base prices, which means the percentage gains behind them were significantly smaller than early Bitcoin rallies.That mathematical reality explains why the $8,343 gain ranked only 49th in percentage terms. A 10% move on an $80,000 asset produces an $8,000 swing, while early Bitcoin percentage rallies of 40% or more occurred when the price sat below $1,000, producing far smaller absolute numbers.

The 2013 Rallies

The largest percentage gains reported by Decrypt include two major moves in 2013. On 12 April 2013, the price surged from $98.20 to $150.85 after falling from a monthly high of $232.11 the previous day. The rebound reflected the extreme volatility of a market with minimal liquidity, where relatively small buy orders could move the price by double-digit percentages.Another major percentage gain in the CoinMarketCap data occurred on 18 November 2013, when Bitcoin jumped from $494.94 to $712.76. That rally coincided with growing mainstream interest, fuelled by Bitcoin ATMs beginning to roll out worldwide and increasing media coverage of the cryptocurrency.The 2013 market had a total capitalisation measured in single-digit billions, making it susceptible to momentum-driven moves that would be impossible at current market sizes.Another major percentage gain in the CoinMarketCap data was the 27% rally in December 2017, when Bitcoin moved from $14,057 to $17,899 in the run-up to the CBOE and CME launching regulated Bitcoin futures contracts. Institutional access through futures provided a legitimacy signal that retail and institutional buyers interpreted as validation, triggering aggressive buying.

The April 2025 Tariff Pause Rally

Recent history shows that macro policy announcements can still produce significant single-day crypto moves. On 9 April 2025, Bitcoin surged above $81,000 with a gain exceeding 7% after President Trump announced a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs. Solana and XRP both rallied approximately 10% the same day, according to CoinDesk reporting.The move was part of a broader market relief rally that extended across equities and crypto simultaneously. Unlike the 2013 rallies driven by thin liquidity and retail speculation, the April 2025 move reflected institutional portfolio rebalancing in response to a specific policy catalyst. Bitcoin had fallen below $75,000 in the days preceding the announcement as tariff uncertainty weighed on risk assets globally.The pattern illustrates a shift in what drives single-day crypto gains. Early Bitcoin history featured percentage moves driven by retail adoption milestones and exchange launches. The current market structure produces moves driven by macroeconomic policy, institutional flows, and regulatory developments that affect risk appetite across multiple asset classes simultaneously.

Why Record Days Are Getting Smaller in Percentage Terms

Bitcoin's market capitalisation exceeded $1.5 trillion by late 2024, making 40% single-day moves far less likely than during Bitcoin's early years. The increasing presence of institutional holders, regulated futures markets, and options desks has contributed to a deeper market structure that can reduce the frequency of extreme percentage moves.The evolution is visible in the data. The two 2013 rallies occurred at a market capitalisation below $10 billion. The 27% move in December 2017 was around $300 billion. The $8,343 single-day dollar gain in November 2024, a record at the time according to Galaxy Research, represented roughly 10% at a market capitalisation exceeding $1.6 trillion.Each successive record dollar day delivered a smaller percentage gain because the denominator grew faster than the numerator. Altcoins retain the capacity for larger percentage swings due to lower liquidity and smaller market capitalisations. Memecoins and micro-cap tokens regularly produce 100% or greater daily moves, but these carry proportionally higher risk of total loss and are frequently driven by coordinated promotional campaigns rather than fundamental catalysts.

What's Next?

The Federal Reserve's October 27-28, 2026 meeting and ongoing regulatory developments under the GENIUS Act framework could provide the next macro catalysts capable of producing large single-day crypto moves. Bitcoin's 2026 price action will likely continue the pattern of progressively larger dollar gains but smaller percentage swings as institutional market structure deepens.

FAQs

What was Bitcoin's biggest single-day dollar gain reported at the time? Galaxy Research identified Bitcoin's $8,343 gain on 11 November 2024, when the price rose from $80,427 to $88,770 following the U.S. presidential election, as a record at the time. What was Bitcoin's biggest single-day percentage gain ever recorded? Decrypt's list, based on CoinMarketCap data, includes the 12 April 2013 move from $98.20 to $150.85 and the 18 November 2013 move from $494.94 to $712.76 among Bitcoin's largest single-day percentage gains.Why were some of Bitcoin's largest percentage gains recorded in its early years?
Early Bitcoin markets had extremely low liquidity and small capitalisation, meaning relatively modest buy orders could move the price by double-digit percentages. Can Bitcoin still produce 40% single-day gains at current prices? Bitcoin's larger market capitalisation, deeper institutional participation and regulated futures markets make 40% single-day gains far less likely than they were in 2013, although such a move cannot be ruled out. What caused Bitcoin to surge 7% on 9 April 2025? Bitcoin surged above $81,000 on 9 April 2025 after President Trump announced a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs, triggering a broad relief rally across both equities and crypto. Do altcoins have bigger single-day gains than Bitcoin? Altcoins regularly produce larger percentage gains than Bitcoin due to lower liquidity and smaller market capitalisations, but these moves carry proportionally higher risk of total loss. What is the difference between dollar gains and percentage gains in crypto? Dollar gains measure the absolute price increase, while percentage gains measure the proportional change; a $10,000 move on $100,000 Bitcoin is 10%, but $100 on $250 is 40%.

References

1. Decrypt: Bitcoin's Best Day Ever
2. Decrypt: Bitcoin's Biggest Single-Day Percentage Gains
3. CNBC: Bitcoin Surges on Trump Tariff Pause
4. CoinDesk: Bitcoin Jumps Above $80K on Tariff Pause