Why does cryptocurrency price volatility matter to a miner?

Volatility means the MLRT price can move sharply in short periods, in either direction. For a miner it matters because your break-even calculation uses today's price, and a swing can flip you from net-positive to net-negative on electricity overnight without you changing anything. It is a risk to understand, not a feature to chase. The practical response is to plan around what you can measure, your power cost and your output in MLRT, and to treat the price as a variable you do not control. If your mining only makes sense when the price is high, you are exposed to volatility rather than insulated from it. Aiming to cover power keeps volatility from dictating your decisions.