Why a price moves at all
A price is just the last handshake
Bitcoin's price isn't set by anyone. It's whatever the most recent buyer and seller agreed on. That's it. When you see $67,432, someone just bought at that number and someone just sold.
More buyers than sellers, price rises
If everyone wants in and few want out, buyers have to offer more to tempt someone into selling. The price climbs until enough sellers appear. Reverse it and the price falls.
Which is why news moves markets
News doesn't move the price directly. It changes what people believe, which changes whether they buy or sell. Same event, different beliefs, different price.
Check yourself
An exchange shows BTC at $67,000. What does that number actually represent?
- What Bitcoin is worth
- The price of the most recent trade
- An average of all exchanges today
Show the answer
The price of the most recent trade — It's the last trade that happened — a snapshot of one agreement, not a valuation.