Polkadot DCA calculator
$100 a week into Polkadot for the last three years turned $15,700 into $6,932, a -55.8% return. Change any input to test your own plan.
Daily closes from Aug 18, 2020 to Oct 19, 2026. Buys execute at the day's close. Fees are not included.
Dollar-cost averaging into Polkadot over this period beat a lump sum on day one by $2,100.
What common Polkadot 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 | $3,239 | -11.5% | $1.27 | -26.8% |
| $100 a week for 1 year | Oct 19, 2025 | $5,300 | $4,681 | -11.7% | $1.27 | -28.6% |
| $100 a week for 3 years | Oct 19, 2023 | $15,700 | $6,932 | -55.8% | $2.54 | -67.8% |
| $100 a week for 5 years | Oct 19, 2021 | $26,100 | $8,480 | -67.5% | $3.46 | -81.9% |
| $500 a month for 3 years | Oct 19, 2023 | $18,500 | $8,302 | -55.1% | $2.50 | -69.6% |
| $500 a month since the data starts | Aug 18, 2020 | $37,500 | $10,905 | -70.9% | $3.86 | -85.3% |
Reading the Polkadot numbers
The three-year weekly schedule made 157 purchases and accumulated 6172.4045 DOT. The average cost of $2.54 sits above today's price of $1.12, so the position is underwater by $8,768.
Along the way the portfolio fell 67.8% 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 DOT 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 Polkadot?
- Nobody knows. What the data shows is that over the last three years a $100 weekly buy of DOT returned -55.8% with a worst drawdown of 67.8%. 0 of the 6 schedules tested here are in profit today.
- How much DOT would $100 a week have bought?
- Over three years, 157 purchases accumulated 6172.4045 DOT at an average cost of $2.54 per coin, against a current price of $1.12.
- Did DCA beat a lump sum in Polkadot?
- Over the last three years, yes. Weekly buys finished at $6,932 against $4,832 for the same money invested on day one.
- Where does the price data come from?
- Daily closing prices for DOT/USDT from Binance, from Aug 18, 2020 to Oct 19, 2026, refreshed weekly.