Bitcoin (BTC) up 3,900,000% Since First Ever TV Mention

In a recent tweet, Bitcoin historian Pete Rizzo spotlighted a key moment in Bitcoin's history: its first-ever mention on television back in 2011, when the price was trading at just $3.

"The 1st-ever Bitcoin mention in TV history happened at $3 in 2011," Rizzo stated in a tweet accompanied by a short video clip, adding that "Bitcoin is up 3,900,000% ever since."

That single TV moment marked the beginning of mainstream awareness for Bitcoin. Fast-forward to today, and the price of BTC has reached six figures from a price of $3. At the time of writing, BTC was trading at $117,867.

Rizzo's tweet serves as a reminder of how early Bitcoin is in its life cycle and how even small moments, like a TV mention 14 years ago, have played a significant role in the asset’s journey.

On July 11, the largest cryptocurrency reached an all-time high of $118,210, part of a broader rally in risk assets that has driven stocks to all-time highs.

Bitcoin's surge is being driven in part by institutional demand, with Bitcoin ETFs recently reporting their largest day of inflows in 2025. Bitcoin is up over 25% this year and 10% weekly in its strongest week since April 25.

Bitcoin to $150,000?

Bitcoin reached an all-time high above $118,000 in a major rally that triggered a large unwinding of short positions, with over a billion dollars worth of bets in shorts getting liquidated in a single day.

With Bitcoin now well over six figures, Bitcoin options traders are already setting their sights on higher prices.

According to Bloomberg, after Bitcoin surpassed $116,000 for the first time, the open interest, or number of existing contracts on the Deribit exchange, has become concentrated around Bitcoin call options with strike prices of $115,000 and $120,000. Longer-term options expiring in late September and December have also seen increased open interest, priced at $140,000 and $150,000, respectively.