Cardano DCA calculator
$100 a week into Cardano for the last three years turned $15,700 into $8,318, a -47.0% return. Change any input to test your own plan.
Daily closes from Apr 17, 2018 to Sep 12, 2026. Buys execute at the day's close. Fees are not included.
A lump sum on day one would have finished $4,939 ahead of DCA over this period. DCA traded some upside for a smoother ride: its worst drawdown was -75.3%.
What common Cardano DCA schedules returned
Each row replays the schedule against real daily closes, ending Sep 12, 2026.
| Schedule | Started | Invested | Value today | Return | Avg cost | Worst drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $10 a day for 1 year | Sep 12, 2025 | $3,660 | $2,774 | -24.2% | $0.2735 | -35.4% |
| $100 a week for 1 year | Sep 12, 2025 | $5,300 | $4,006 | -24.4% | $0.2743 | -33.8% |
| $100 a week for 3 years | Sep 12, 2023 | $15,700 | $8,318 | -47.0% | $0.3913 | -75.3% |
| $100 a week for 5 years | Sep 12, 2021 | $26,100 | $12,756 | -51.1% | $0.4241 | -82.6% |
| $500 a month for 3 years | Sep 12, 2023 | $18,500 | $9,884 | -46.6% | $0.3880 | -75.5% |
| $500 a month since the data starts | Apr 17, 2018 | $50,500 | $70,750 | +40.1% | $0.1480 | -94.0% |
Reading the Cardano numbers
The three-year weekly schedule made 157 purchases and accumulated 40125.4187 ADA. The average cost of $0.3913 sits above today's price of $0.2073, so the position is underwater by $7,382.
Along the way the portfolio fell -75.3% 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 ADA 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 Cardano?
- Nobody knows. What the data shows is that over the last three years a $100 weekly buy of ADA returned -47.0% with a worst drawdown of -75.3%. 1 of the 6 schedules tested here are in profit today.
- How much ADA would $100 a week have bought?
- Over three years, 157 purchases accumulated 40125.4187 ADA at an average cost of $0.3913 per coin, against a current price of $0.2073.
- Did DCA beat a lump sum in Cardano?
- Over the last three years, no. A lump sum on day one would be worth $13,257 against $8,318 for weekly buys. DCA gave up some return for a smaller worst drawdown.
- Where does the price data come from?
- Daily closing prices for ADA/USDT from Binance, from Apr 17, 2018 to Sep 12, 2026, refreshed weekly.