ATH and ATL

ATH (all-time high) is an asset's highest price ever, and ATL (all-time low) is its lowest. They show how far the asset is from its peak and from its bottom.

How it works

ATH and ATL are measured over the asset's whole trading history. A new ATH means everyone who ever bought is in profit right now. That tends to draw attention and new buyers, and it also fuels FOMO.

The distance from ATH shows how deep the price has fallen. The math is lopsided: after a 50% drop you need a 100% gain to get back, and after a 90% drop you need 900%. Many altcoins never return to their ATH.

Traders treat a previous ATH as a key level: profit-taking often happens near it, and a breakout above it can speed up the move. New coins often set their ATL soon after launch, when early holders sell.

Example with numbers 1

A coin hit an ATH of $10 and now trades at $2, which is −80% from the peak. To get back to $10 it has to grow 5 times, a +400% move.

Example with numbers 2

You buy at the ATH for $100. The price falls 50% to $50, then rises 50% to $75. You are still down 25%, even though "up 50%" sounds like a full recovery.

Common mistake

A common mistake is thinking "down 80% from ATH means cheap". The price can drop another 80%, and the old peak may never come back. A fall from the high is not a reason to buy on its own; look at what changed in the project and the market, and decide by your plan.

Questions and answers

What are ATH and ATL in simple terms?

ATH is the highest price ever, ATL the lowest price ever. They are the asset's records up and down.

What does it mean when a coin is at ATH?

It means the price is higher than it has ever been. Everyone who bought earlier is in profit.

Why does the drop from ATH matter?

Getting back to the peak takes a bigger gain than the loss: after −50% you need +100%, after −90% you need +900%.

ATH and ATL

How it works

Questions and answers

Related terms

Read next