What Is the Best Time of Day to Buy Bitcoin?
Buying bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies can be exciting yet nerve-wracking. With prices fluctuating rapidly, it‘s difficult to time your trades perfectly. Is there an optimal time of day to buy bitcoin when prices tend to be lower? Can buying at certain times increase your profit potential?
In this comprehensive guide, we‘ll explore everything you need to know to determine the best time of day to buy bitcoin.
Key Things To Know About Bitcoin Trading Times
Here are some key things to understand about bitcoin‘s price action during the day:
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Bitcoin trades 24/7 – As a global decentralized currency, bitcoin trades all day, every day, including weekends and holidays. Prices can move rapidly at any time.
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Volatility is common – Bitcoin is known for its volatility. Major price swings of 5-10% in a day are not unusual. Sometimes even 20-30%+ daily moves happen during particularly volatile periods.
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Different global trading sessions – Bitcoin trading volumes tend to peak at different times globally as session open/close in North America, Europe, and Asia. Different macro factors can drive prices up or down during these periods.
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Weekends tend to be slower – Weekend bitcoin trading tends to be slower with less volatility. However there are still buyers and sellers so prices can still move.
So when should you look to buy? Here are some tips…
Best Time of Day To Buy Bitcoin
Generally the best time of day to buy bitcoin is when global bitcoin trading activity slows down on weekends. This is generally the period with the least volatility.
Many traders also recommend buying on significant price dips during corrections and major red days in the markets. Adding at lower levels helps reduce your overall cost basis.
Here are the best times to monitor and consider buying bitcoin:
Sunday Evening (N. America) / Monday Morning (Asia)
Sunday evening in North America is Monday morning in Asia. Trading activity tends to be slower during this period with less volatility.
With fewer buyers and sellers, there is less upward or downward pressure on prices. Transaction fees also tend to be lower when trading activity calms.
If prices have dipped from intraweek highs, Sunday evening offers a good chance to buy the dip before volatility returns on Monday morning in North America. The one caveat is that unexpected news can still move markets.
Monday Morning/Afternoon (North America)
Bitcoin trading tends to slow down over weekends with less volatility Saturday and Sunday. If prices have corrected from intraweek highs, Monday late-morning to early afternoon offers another opportunity to pick up bitcoin at discounted rates.
Again fewer buyers and sellers translates to less volatility and more favorable pricing. Transaction fees also tend to lower. However, volatility begins picking up as North America enters Monday afternoon and evening.
Significant Intraday Price Dips
No matter what day it is, significant bitcoin price drops of 5% or more during the day often present good opportunities to buy at better prices before they rebound.
These dips are hard to predict but often occur following an adverse news/regulatory/macro event that negatively affects trader sentiment. Consider setting buy limit orders 5-10% below market and be patient.
Timeframes like Sunday during weekends and Monday mornings tend to offer better entry prices. But intraweek and intraday dips take advantage of downside volatility regardless of the day. The key is giving yourself a discount from recent highs.
How Bitcoin Trading Changes Throughout The Day
Bitcoin trades 24/7 but its volatility tends to follow certain patterns tied to peak trading in global markets as different regions open and close for business. Here is how intraday bitcoin volatility tends to move:
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Mornings (in region) tend to be volatile – For North American markets, mid to late morning often brings increased volatility as traders position around the day ahead. The same applies to Asian and European trading session opens.
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Afternoons are most active – During the afternoon is typically when trading activity peaks as more traders are watching markets. For US traders this is early to mid afternoon when europe closes and afternoon macro news hits wires.
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Evenings calm after late-day rally/selloff – In the evening trading tends to calm with books being squared ahead of the next open. Occasionally end-of-day imbalance rallies/sells off into the close before stabilizing late evening.
So each regional trading session often follows an intraday arc – active/volatile on the open, peaking activity in the afternoon, slowing down into the evening close.
Thus weekends tend to be slower overall – especially Sundays – making them optimal times to buy during lower volatility/volume. Intraday dips also let you take advantage of short-term downswings at discounted prices.
Some Additional Buying Tips
Beyond the specific windows outlined earlier in this guide, here are some additional general tips when looking to buy bitcoin:
Set Limit Buy Orders Below Market
Consider placing set limit orders 5-15% below current prices rather than buying at market. Patient buyers often get filled at better rates during dips and downswings. Periods of volatility offer chances for limit orders to convert to market at favorable levels compared to current prices.
Dollar Cost Average Over Time
Rather than investing your entire capital upfront, consider dollar cost averaging into a bitcoin position over several weeks/months. This helps reduce overall cost basis and smooths entry points rather than buying on a single volatile day.
Use Dips To Accumulate
Bitcoin corrections tend to appear somewhat regularly every few months. Use these periodic 5-30% dips to add to long-term holdings at lower prices. Each accumulation phase eventually feeds into subsequent bull runs achieving new highs every cycle.
Conclusion
Determining the precise "best" times to buy bitcoin is certainly more art than science. As a 24/7 global asset BTC prices can move rapidly or stagnate for extended periods regardless of geographies.
That said, there are some observable patterns and cycles offering windows of lower volatility and better pricing based on global trading flows. Savvy bitcoin buyers look to take advantage by picking their entry points judiciously.
Most importantly have a plan in place and stick to disciplined buying rules and targets to remove emotion-driven decisions under pressure. Over the long-term, buying and holding bitcoin through bull/bear cycles generally produces the best returns vs trying to time entries perfectly.
So pay attention to weekly and intraday volatility flows for potential buy opportunities at favorable pricing. And perhaps most of all, be patient for dips and slow weekends to make some bitcoin buys at lower than average going rates for boosted upside.
I hope you’ve found this guide on finding the best bitcoin buy times informative and helpful. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any other questions!
All the best,
[Your name]
Online Privacy & Cybersecurity Expert