Bitcoin Market Cap Hits Record High After $18,450 Pump

Bitcoin’s monumental move to break $18,450 today has also lifted its market capitalization to new highs, which in turn has lifted that of the entire market
By Martin Young
Updated June 5, 2025
bitcoin market cap

Bitcoin’s monumental move to break $18,450 today has also lifted its market capitalization to new highs, which in turn has lifted that of the entire market back to February 2018 levels.

It has been a tumultuous Asian trading session this morning with Bitcoin prices surging to top out over $18,450 followed by a massive wick back down to the 50 hour moving average at $17,100. This is indicative of a lot of leveraged positions getting liquidated. Since then, BTC has recovered back to the $17,800 level where it currently trades.

The big move has added a further 10% to BTC prices over 24 hours as $1,700 gets added to prices in less than a day. Over the past week, the king of crypto has gained 20% while gains on the month are an even more impressive 60%.

From current prices, there is very little in terms of resistance between here and its previous peak of $20k which came in December 2017.

Advertisement
Advertisement

Its All About Bitcoin Market Cap

The big pump has lifted Bitcoin’s market capitalization to new highs according to data from Glassnode;

Industry experts have commented that market cap is now a better indicator of overall market sentiment and health than just looking at price alone. In his latest newsletter, co-founder at Morgan Creek Digital Anthony Pompliano explained;

“This is important because I believe the market cap metric is much more important than the price of a single bitcoin. The supply slowly increases, so total market cap better represents where the market is over time.”

BTC market cap peaked at around $340 billion according to Coinmarketcap, which is $5 billion higher than it was during the December 17, 2017 peak of $20K.

Analyst Nic Carter from Castle Island Ventures wrote a piece on a lot of other Bitcoin metrics that are also at an all-time high. These included wallet addresses with at least $10 in them, open CME futures interest, realized capitalization, BTC options open interest, BTC priced in various currencies other than USD, and Bitcoin held by Grayscale. He concluded;

“ATH in economic significance comes before unit price ATH”

Advertisement
Advertisement

Total Market Cap Over $500 Billion

Bitcoin’s massive move has lifted the total crypto asset market capitalization above $500 billion for the first time since February 2018.

Back then, prices had spiked again on their way down in a rapid retreat that lasted for around two years before levels could regain the half trillion milestone once again.

Advertisement
Martin Young
Martin has been writing on cyber security and infotech for two decades. He has previous forex trading experience and has been covering the blockchain and crypto industry since 2017.
Why trust CoinGape: CoinGape has covered the cryptocurrency industry since 2017, aiming to provide informative insights to our readers. Our journalists and analysts bring years of experience in market analysis and blockchain technology to ensure factual accuracy and balanced reporting. By following our Editorial Policy, our writers verify every source, fact-check each story, rely on reputable sources, and attribute quotes and media correctly. We also follow a rigorous Review Methodology when evaluating exchanges and tools. From emerging blockchain projects and coin launches to industry events and technical developments, we cover all facets of the digital asset space with unwavering commitment to timely, relevant information.
Investment disclaimer: The content reflects the author’s personal views and current market conditions. Please conduct your own research before investing in cryptocurrencies, as neither the author nor the publication is responsible for any financial losses.
Ad Disclosure: This site may feature sponsored content and affiliate links. All advertisements are clearly labeled, and ad partners have no influence over our editorial content.