Ethereum DCA calculator
$100 a week into Ethereum for the last three years turned $15,700 into $14,868, a -5.3% 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 $9,552 ahead of DCA over this period. DCA traded some upside for a smoother ride: its worst drawdown was 55.0%.
What common Ethereum 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 | $3,856 | +5.4% | $2,313 | -32.8% |
| $100 a week for 1 year | Oct 19, 2025 | $5,300 | $5,570 | +5.1% | $2,319 | -34.1% |
| $100 a week for 3 years | Oct 19, 2023 | $15,700 | $14,868 | -5.3% | $2,573 | -55.0% |
| $100 a week for 5 years | Oct 19, 2021 | $26,100 | $28,703 | +10.0% | $2,216 | -62.3% |
| $500 a month for 3 years | Oct 19, 2023 | $18,500 | $17,609 | -4.8% | $2,560 | -55.9% |
| $500 a month since the data starts | Aug 17, 2017 | $55,500 | $252,029 | +354.1% | $537 | -81.7% |
Reading the Ethereum numbers
The three-year weekly schedule made 157 purchases and accumulated 6.1020 ETH. The average cost of $2,573 sits above today's price of $2,437, so the position is underwater by $832.
Along the way the portfolio fell 55.0% 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 ETH 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 Ethereum?
- Nobody knows. What the data shows is that over the last three years a $100 weekly buy of ETH returned -5.3% with a worst drawdown of 55.0%. 4 of the 6 schedules tested here are in profit today.
- How much ETH would $100 a week have bought?
- Over three years, 157 purchases accumulated 6.1020 ETH at an average cost of $2,573 per coin, against a current price of $2,437.
- Did DCA beat a lump sum in Ethereum?
- Over the last three years, no. A lump sum on day one would be worth $24,420 against $14,868 for weekly buys. DCA gave up some return for a smaller worst drawdown.
- Where does the price data come from?
- Daily closing prices for ETH/USDT from Binance, from Aug 17, 2017 to Oct 19, 2026, refreshed weekly.