Bitcoin DCA calculator
$100 a week into Bitcoin for the last three years turned $15,700 into $18,385, a +17.1% return. Change any input to test your own plan.
Daily closes from Aug 17, 2017 to Oct 19, 2026. Buys execute at the day's close. Fees are not included.
A lump sum on day one would have finished $26,926 ahead of DCA over this period. DCA traded some upside for a smoother ride: its worst drawdown was 43.1%.
What common Bitcoin DCA schedules returned
Each row replays the schedule against real daily closes, ending Oct 19, 2026.
| Schedule | Started | Invested | Value today | Return | Avg cost | Worst drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 a day for 1 year | Oct 19, 2025 | $3,660 | $3,974 | +8.6% | $76,319 | -22.8% |
| $100 a week for 1 year | Oct 19, 2025 | $5,300 | $5,738 | +8.3% | $76,544 | -23.8% |
| $100 a week for 3 years | Oct 19, 2023 | $15,700 | $18,385 | +17.1% | $70,767 | -43.1% |
| $100 a week for 5 years | Oct 19, 2021 | $26,100 | $50,428 | +93.2% | $42,891 | -48.7% |
| $500 a month for 3 years | Oct 19, 2023 | $18,500 | $21,995 | +18.9% | $69,701 | -43.7% |
| $500 a month since the data starts | Aug 17, 2017 | $55,500 | $307,333 | +453.8% | $14,965 | -74.8% |
Reading the Bitcoin numbers
The three-year weekly schedule made 157 purchases and accumulated 0.2219 BTC. The average cost of $70,767 sits below today's price of $82,870, so the position is in profit by $2,685.
Along the way the portfolio fell 43.1% from its peak at the worst point. That is the number to sit with before committing to a plan: if a drop that size would make you stop buying, the schedule is too aggressive.
Starting date changes everything
The table above shows the same BTC at different start dates. Returns swing widely because a schedule that begins near a market top spends its first year buying into a decline, while one that starts in a trough compounds from a low base. Use the date pickers to test a start you actually have in mind.
Frequently asked questions
- Is now a good time to DCA into Bitcoin?
- Nobody knows. What the data shows is that over the last three years a $100 weekly buy of BTC returned +17.1% with a worst drawdown of 43.1%. 6 of the 6 schedules tested here are in profit today.
- How much BTC would $100 a week have bought?
- Over three years, 157 purchases accumulated 0.2219 BTC at an average cost of $70,767 per coin, against a current price of $82,870.
- Did DCA beat a lump sum in Bitcoin?
- Over the last three years, no. A lump sum on day one would be worth $45,311 against $18,385 for weekly buys. DCA gave up some return for a smaller worst drawdown.
- Where does the price data come from?
- Daily closing prices for BTC/USDT from Binance, from Aug 17, 2017 to Oct 19, 2026, refreshed weekly.