Key Takeaways
- • Grayscale said Bitcoin's realized volatility over the past 12 months was 43%, down 38 percentage points from 81% five years ago, per its October 15, 2026 report.
- • Grayscale said the 43% reading has moved Bitcoin into the volatility range of individual stocks in the S&P 500.
- • Realized volatility measures price swings based on actual past moves; a lower reading indicates less pronounced price fluctuation.
Summary
Grayscale, the crypto asset manager, said on October 15, 2026 that Bitcoin's realized volatility over the past 12 months stood at 43%, according to a report covered by Bloomingbit. That level is 38 percentage points below the 81% reading recorded five years earlier, a decline Grayscale characterized as sharp.
Realized volatility is calculated from actual price movements over a defined period, so a lower figure indicates that price swings were less pronounced. Grayscale said the decline has brought Bitcoin to a volatility level comparable with individual stocks in the S&P 500 index, which the firm presented as evidence of the asset's maturation.
The primary report did not provide additional methodology or breakdowns. Related coverage in the publisher's own archive has reported similar multi-year declines in Bitcoin volatility, including figures in the low-40% range for 2025 and a fall to the lowest levels since 2016 on certain measures, though those figures come from separate analyses and are not part of the Grayscale report itself.
Realized volatility is calculated from actual price movements over a defined period, so a lower figure indicates that price swings were less pronounced. Grayscale said the decline has brought Bitcoin to a volatility level comparable with individual stocks in the S&P 500 index, which the firm presented as evidence of the asset's maturation.
The primary report did not provide additional methodology or breakdowns. Related coverage in the publisher's own archive has reported similar multi-year declines in Bitcoin volatility, including figures in the low-40% range for 2025 and a fall to the lowest levels since 2016 on certain measures, though those figures come from separate analyses and are not part of the Grayscale report itself.
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