More than just financial headlines are shaping Bitcoin’s renewed strength in 2025. Recently, the first cryptocurrency ranged between 109,000 and 113,000. Bitcoin has once again set the pace for digital culture. The Bitcoin price history, which has been characterized by the sharpest increases and deep corrections, has also served as the backdrop for NFT milestones. Now, NFTs are once again acquiring Bitcoin-native Ordinals, which are center stage.
Bitcoin’s Price History and NFT Beginnings
For over 15 years, cryptocurrency has shaped digital culture and innovative use cases. Its price has had explosive increases, sudden drops and sharp recoveries.
The 2017 spike preceding Bitcoin’s 20,000 USD price point pushed the cryptocurrency into mainstream culture, while early NFT experiments like CryptoPunks were laying the groundwork for what NFTs would become. In the next 4 years, Bitcoin surged to nearly 69,000 USD. It was during this time that NFTs entered the globe, as the 2021 trading volumes were over 17 billion USD, a perceived massive increase from 2020 trading volumes, according to Chainalysis.
Every phase of Bitcoin’s price history has its own impact on the growth of NFTs. Massive price increases brought more people into the crypto space and many of them searched for NFTs. The price decreases, however, challenged many individuals to see how much they could handle before folding.
The Crash Years that Tested Resilience
The years of crashing prices proved to be the most difficult, testing the resolve that people had to withstand the drop. When Bitcoin dipped below $20,000, NFTs and their associated floor prices also fell. Collections that had once sold for six figures experienced rapid depreciation, the number of trades for these assets disappeared and critics proclaimed that NFTs were, indeed, a fad and a market ploy to sell during the Bitcoin bull runs.
The ecosystem had proven more resilient than the critics had predicted. Bitcoin had resisted crashes back in 2011 and 2018 and NFTs this time mirrored that pattern. Artists, as ever, continued minting; developers built games that incorporated NFTs and new fee structures and improved tools were launched for new platforms. The technology and utility of NFTs did not diminish.
That adaptive nature carried into April of 2024, in the lead-up to Bitcoin’s scheduled halving, in which the rewards dropped from 6.25 BTC to 3.125 BTC per block. Each halving alters Bitcoin’s supply dynamics, and this helped set new optimism as 2025 enters.
A Rally, a Rebound, and Bitcoin-Native Art
By mid-2025, Bitcoin had confidently crossed the six-figure mark. Market recaps indicate that trading volume for Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies on some days and depending on how transactions were measured, surpassed USD 20 billion. That renewed volume extended to trading NFTs and their marketplaces, which had become active after a quieter 2023.
Once again, the blue-chip NFT collections like the Bored Ape Yacht Club and CryptoPunks are attracting attention, but the real headline for this cycle is the Bitcoin Ordinals. Started in early 2023, Ordinals permit images, text, or code to be inscribed on individual satoshis, the smallest unit of Bitcoin. Consequently, Bitcoin is now not just money but also a host for digital art and collectibles.
Adoption happens fast. Activity dashboards on Dune show that 2025 inscriptions surpassed 50 million. What started as a niche experiment is now a fast-growing NFT trend on Bitcoin’s base layer. This proves that there is no limit to creativity.
Cultural Momentum Returns
This resurgence feels unique compared to past waves. Back in 2021, Ethereum was the primary blockchain for minting NFTs, with some activities occurring on Solana and Flow. Today, the narrative includes Bitcoin. Ordinal collectors’ artifacts are linked directly to the chain touted as the definitive record of digital scarcity. For many artists, Bitcoin is superior in cultural value compared to other chains.
Also, NFT communities on Ethereum and Solana, among others, remain active. Collectors are cross-chain and actively source multiple works on different blockchains. The enthusiasm for NFTs is back, but this time, it feels more balanced and sustainable.
Why Bitcoin Still Matters for NFTs
Bitcoin’s price movements and historical data continue to influence the larger crypto ecosystem. Newly onboarded cryptocurrency users discover NFTs and digital collections after the initial coin purchase. During price falls, projects are forced to assess and refine their value proposition to the market for survival. This pattern has emerged in many cycles and with every repetition, NFTs come out stronger.
With Ordinals thriving on Bitcoin, NFTs are at the forefront. Most estimates project the minting blockchain to be around 110,000 dollars. Bitcoin’s legacy is proving the world of digital scarcity. NFTs extend this idea into other markets, including digital art, gaming and culture.
The main takeaway from 2025 is simple: Bitcoin price fluctuations impact more than the monetary results; they also affect the currents of digital innovation. As Ordinals and innovations expand in parallel to the “classic” NFT ecosystems, the relationship between Bitcoin and NFT culture is more apparent than ever.
