Cardano DCA calculator
$100 a week into Cardano for the last three years turned $15,700 into $8,888, a -43.4% return. Change any input to test your own plan.
Daily closes from Apr 17, 2018 to Oct 19, 2026. Buys execute at the day's close. Fees are not included.
A lump sum on day one would have finished $5,165 ahead of DCA over this period. DCA traded some upside for a smoother ride: its worst drawdown was 73.9%.
What common Cardano 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 | $3,202 | -12.5% | $0.2526 | -34.7% |
| $100 a week for 1 year | Oct 19, 2025 | $5,300 | $4,610 | -13.0% | $0.2541 | -37.1% |
| $100 a week for 3 years | Oct 19, 2023 | $15,700 | $8,888 | -43.4% | $0.3904 | -73.9% |
| $100 a week for 5 years | Oct 19, 2021 | $26,100 | $14,076 | -46.1% | $0.4098 | -82.6% |
| $500 a month for 3 years | Oct 19, 2023 | $18,500 | $10,693 | -42.2% | $0.3824 | -73.6% |
| $500 a month since the data starts | Apr 17, 2018 | $51,500 | $76,474 | +48.5% | $0.1488 | -94.0% |
Reading the Cardano numbers
The three-year weekly schedule made 157 purchases and accumulated 40215.4774 ADA. The average cost of $0.3904 sits above today's price of $0.2210, so the position is underwater by $6,812.
Along the way the portfolio fell 73.9% 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 -43.4% with a worst drawdown of 73.9%. 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 40215.4774 ADA at an average cost of $0.3904 per coin, against a current price of $0.2210.
- Did DCA beat a lump sum in Cardano?
- Over the last three years, no. A lump sum on day one would be worth $14,053 against $8,888 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 Oct 19, 2026, refreshed weekly.