What if I invested in Ethereum?
$1,000 in Ethereum five years ago, on Oct 19, 2021, is worth $628 today, a -37.2% return. Pick any date to test your own.
Buys at that day's close. Fees and taxes are not included.
$1,000 in Ethereum on Oct 19, 2021 is worth $628 today, a loss of $372. It peaked at $1,246 on Aug 22, 2025.
$1,000 in Ethereum 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 → | $755 | $3,227 | +222.7% | +14.2% | $6,400 | -94.0% |
| 2019 → | $139 | $17,517 | +1651.7% | +44.4% | $34,738 | -79.3% |
| 2020 → | $131 | $18,633 | +1763.3% | +53.8% | $36,951 | -79.3% |
| 2021 → | $729 | $3,343 | +234.3% | +23.1% | $6,629 | -79.3% |
| 2022 → | $3,766 | $647 | -35.3% | -8.7% | $1,283 | -74.0% |
| 2023 → | $1,200 | $2,030 | +103.0% | +20.5% | $4,026 | -67.6% |
| 2024 → | $2,352 | $1,036 | +3.6% | +1.3% | $2,054 | -67.6% |
| 2025 → | $3,360 | $725 | -27.5% | -16.4% | $1,438 | -67.6% |
| 2026 → | $3,004 | $811 | -18.9% | -23.1% | $1,117 | -53.3% |
Reading the Ethereum table
The spread between the best and worst starting year is the whole story of ETH: 2020 turned $1,000 into $18,633, while 2022 turned it into $647. 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 Ethereum 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 Ethereum be worth today?
- It depends entirely on the date. Bought five years ago on Oct 19, 2021 it is worth $628. Bought at the start of 2020 it is worth $18,633, and at the start of 2022 it is worth $647.
- What was the best year to buy Ethereum?
- Of the years with data, a purchase on the first trading day of 2020 did best: $1,000 became $18,633, an annualised +53.8%. The worst was 2022 at $647.
- How far did ETH fall along the way?
- The five-year position fell 79.3% 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 ETH/USDT on Binance from Aug 17, 2017 to Oct 19, 2026, refreshed weekly.