What if I invested in Bitcoin?
$1,000 in Bitcoin five years ago, on Oct 19, 2021, is worth $1,289 today, a +28.9% return. Pick any date to test your own.
Buys at that day's close. Fees and taxes are not included.
$1,000 in Bitcoin on Oct 19, 2021 is worth $1,289 today. Holding through it meant sitting through a 76.6% drop at the worst point.
$1,000 in Bitcoin at the start of each year
Bought on the first trading day of the year, valued at the close on Oct 19, 2026.
| Year | Bought at | Worth today | Return | Annualised | Peak value | Worst drawdown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 → | $13,380 | $6,194 | +519.4% | +23.0% | $9,317 | -81.2% |
| 2019 → | $3,797 | $21,824 | +2082.4% | +48.5% | $32,830 | -76.6% |
| 2020 → | $7,201 | $11,508 | +1050.8% | +43.2% | $17,312 | -76.6% |
| 2021 → | $29,332 | $2,825 | +182.5% | +19.6% | $4,250 | -76.6% |
| 2022 → | $47,723 | $1,736 | +73.6% | +12.2% | $2,612 | -66.9% |
| 2023 → | $16,617 | $4,987 | +398.7% | +52.7% | $7,502 | -53.0% |
| 2024 → | $44,180 | $1,876 | +87.6% | +25.2% | $2,822 | -53.0% |
| 2025 → | $94,592 | $876 | -12.4% | -7.1% | $1,318 | -53.0% |
| 2026 → | $88,839 | $933 | -6.7% | -8.4% | $1,091 | -39.5% |
Reading the Bitcoin table
The spread between the best and worst starting year is the whole story of BTC: 2019 turned $1,000 into $21,824, while 2025 turned it into $876. Same coin, same holding discipline, different entry.
Annualised return is the fairer comparison across rows, since a purchase in 2018 has had far longer to compound than one in 2026. Worst drawdown shows the deepest fall each position took from its own peak, which is what a holder actually had to sit through.
If the entry date matters this much
That is the argument for spreading purchases out. The Bitcoin DCA calculator runs the same price history with a fixed weekly or monthly buy instead of a single date.
Frequently asked questions
- What would $1,000 in Bitcoin be worth today?
- It depends entirely on the date. Bought five years ago on Oct 19, 2021 it is worth $1,289. Bought at the start of 2019 it is worth $21,824, and at the start of 2025 it is worth $876.
- What was the best year to buy Bitcoin?
- Of the years with data, a purchase on the first trading day of 2019 did best: $1,000 became $21,824, an annualised +48.5%. The worst was 2025 at $876.
- How far did BTC fall along the way?
- The five-year position fell 76.6% from its peak at the worst point. Every row in the year table shows the same drawdown figure for that start date.
- Where does the price data come from?
- Daily closing prices for BTC/USDT on Binance from Aug 17, 2017 to Oct 19, 2026, refreshed weekly.