The takeaway
Bitwise Bitcoin ETF shows a pronounced seasonal pattern over 2 years of data — strongest in May (+13.5%) and softest in August (−5.9%).
Right now
In July, the fund has risen 100% of years, averaging +7.0%, about +4.8 pts better than the S&P 500.
The full picture
Bitwise Bitcoin ETF's most dependable month has been May, higher in 2 of 2 years; August has been its least reliable, up just 0% of the time.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win rate % | ||||||||||||
| Median return % | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 |
Month by month
The fund's clearest edge over the S&P 500 lands in February (+14.0 pts); it has trailed the market most in August (−6.2 pts).
“vs S&P” is Bitwise Bitcoin ETF’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating Bitwise Bitcoin ETF’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Not enough recent May history to say whether the pattern still holds.
Figures are the typical (median) May return and how often it rose — the last 2 years versus the last 2(the heatmap’s default window). This verdict stays anchored to that 2-year window even if you zoom the chart, so it never disagrees with the badges above.
In plain English
Strip the year back and a single month does the heavy lifting: May, up in all 2 Mays while the other eleven tend to blur together.
Its average (+13.5%) and median (+13.5%) land within a hair of each other — the tell of steady, year-after-year gains rather than one outlier doing the work. Crucially, the gain is the fund's own rather than a rising tide's: May has cleared the S&P 500 by +12.8 points above the index. That consistency sets it apart from the field, where the average stock manages May only about 55% of the time.
A few other months pull their weight: July and September have also closed higher more often than not. At the other end of the calendar, August has been the soft spot — the weakest of 4 months that average a loss (−5.9%), and the edge isn't year-round — the fund has trailed the S&P 500 in August, June, and April. Its roughest month on record was a −16.8% February in 2025 — a reminder of how hard even a seasonal name can fall.
The takeaway is less about when to buy than what to expect: May aside, the fund's months offer little reliable tilt. With a short 2-year record, the signal is best held loosely.
Short answers on the fund's best month (May), its worst (August), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a pronounced degree. Since 2024 its best month (May, +13.5%) has run well ahead of its worst (August, −5.9%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
May has been the strongest, averaging +13.5% and closing higher in all 2 years on record since 2024.
It's the weakest, averaging −5.9% — historically a soft spot, though it still varies from year to year.
Explore
These names have the strongest July track records on record — a starting point for comparison.
Before you trade