Volatility
The size of an asset's price fluctuations, usually measured as the standard deviation of returns over a period.
Volatility measures how much a price moves, usually as the standard deviation of returns. It is often annualized by multiplying a daily figure by the square root of 252, the approximate number of trading days in a year. Higher volatility means wider expected price ranges, not necessarily a directional view.
On our site, volatility is shown over a stated window, such as 30 days. Compare it with the asset's own history and with peers, since a level that is normal for crypto is high for a utility.
Traders care because volatility sets position sizing, option prices and the chance that a stop or liquidation level is reached.
Worked example (illustrative numbers, not real data): a stock's daily standard deviation is 1.5 percent. Annualized, that is 1.5 times the square root of 252, about 23.8 percent. A one-standard-deviation daily move is about 1.50 dollars on a 100 dollar price.