Bitcoin Historical Annual Returns (10 Years, 5 Years, 3 Years, 1 Year)

From its humble beginnings successful 2008 to today, Bitcoin’s history has been comparatively short but very eventful. The original protocol for this celebrated integer rate was created successful 2008 by Satoshi Nakamoto, believed to beryllium a pseudonym for an chartless developer aliases group of developers. 

Nakamoto launched nan Bitcoin web conscionable a twelvemonth later and began mining nan currency— an estimated 1 cardinal bitcoins were mined successful nan early years.

The creator(s) of this first-of-its-kind plus developed nan cryptocurrency successful consequence to nan Great Recession of 2007-2009, spurred by a distrust of nan accepted banking strategy and concerns astir its stability. 

Given nan caller values of Bitcoin, it’s difficult to judge nan rate first started trading connected exchanges successful 2010 astatine nether $0.10. Since then, it’s knowledgeable astronomical maturation and immoderate beautiful chaotic value swings.

At its astir caller high, 1 bitcoin was worthy complete $64,000—a acold outcry from trading for pennies successful its earliest days. 

Whether you’re reasoning of investing successful Bitcoin aliases you’ve held this cryptocurrency for respective years, it’s nosy to look backmost astatine this groundbreaking asset’s history. Read connected for insights connected Bitcoin milestones, humanities returns, and really its returns comparison to those of different assets.

Bitcoin Performance Milestones

Since being created, Bitcoin has knowledgeable respective milestones. Here’s a look backmost astatine immoderate of nan astir important moments successful nan short history of this cryptocurrency:

• In March 2010, Bitcoin began trading connected nan now-defunct Bitcoin Market, 1 of nan first-ever cryptocurrency exchanges.

• A Florida man named Laszlo Hanyecz bought pizza pinch 10,000 bitcoins successful May 2010, making it nan first clip anyone utilized nan rate to acquisition something.

• In June 2011, Bitcoin saw its first important value spike, climbing to a worth of $29.60 (up from conscionable $0.30 successful January) earlier declining again later that year.

• The 2nd half of 2013 marked different awesome spike—from $68 connected July 4th to $1,237 connected December 3rd earlier declining again.

• One of Bitcoin’s astir important increases happened successful 2017, pinch its worth surging from astir $1,000 astatine nan commencement of nan twelvemonth to $19,345 by mid-December. 

• The Bitcoin hype cooled successful 2018, resulting successful important declines—its lowest worth was astir $3,232 successful December of that year.

• In 2019, Bitcoin saw different spike, hitting $13,813 connected June 26th earlier declining.

• After seeing humble ups and downs done October 2020, Bitcoin’s worth began to surge again. It deed an astronomical high of complete $68,000 successful November 2021.

• Bitcoin dropped by complete 75% successful 2022

• Bitcoin continues to hover astir nan $30k people successful 2023

Bitcoin Total Return (10 Year, 5 Year, 3 Years, 1 Year)

While Bitcoin isn’t exempt from nan volatility cryptocurrencies often experience, it’s delivered immoderate awesome returns complete nan years. Here’s a look astatine Bitcoin’s yearly returns from 2010 to 2022:

And here’s a look astatine monthly returns, if you consciousness for illustration getting a deeper dive:

While Bitcoin has knowledgeable immoderate chaotic monthly value swings and a mates of years wherever its worth has declined, you tin spot that its declines person been eclipsed by immoderate unthinkable gains. Now let’s research really Bitcoin’s worth has changed complete 10, 5, 3, and 1 years.

Bitcoin 10-Year Return

Let’s opportunity you bought 1 bitcoin connected August, 3rd 2013, for $1,106.75, its value astatine nan time. If you held that 1 bitcoin until August 3rd, 2023, it would’ve been worthy $29,310.44, and your full ROI for nan 10 years would beryllium 2,546.8%.

Bitcoin 5-Year Return

We’ll besides presume you purchased 1 Bitcoin for this example. A azygous bitcoin was weighted astatine $965.31 connected August, 3rd, 2018, and its worth climbed to $29,310.44 by August 2023. Using our calculation above, your full ROI for those 5 years would beryllium 294.1%.

Bitcoin 3-Year Return

A azygous bitcoin was weighted astatine $11,246.20 successful August 2020, and its worth climbed to $29,310.44 astatine nan extremity of 2021. Your full ROI for those 3 years would beryllium 160.6%.

Bitcoin 1-Year return

If you purchased a azygous bitcoin successful August 2022, you would’ve paid astir $22,626.83. In 1 year, that worth would’ve accrued to $29,310.44. Your full returns for that twelvemonth would beryllium 29.54%.

Bitcoin Multi-Year Returns Compared

How Much You’d Have If You Invested $1,000 successful Bitcoin 10, 5, 3, aliases 1 Year Ago

Instead of buying 1 bitcoin, let’s opportunity you decided to invest $1,000 into Bitcoin. Here’s a look astatine really this $1,000 finance would’ve performed if you bought and held your Bitcoin for 10, 5, 3, and 1 years.

While Bitcoin’s earliest investors would person benefitted nan astir from buying and holding their Bitcoin, those who’ve invested precocious besides fared well.

How Does Bitcoin Compare to Other Asset Classes?

Bitcoin vs. Gold

If you comparison Bitcoin’s returns to gold’s returns, you’ll announcement a stark difference. Bitcoin has an mean yearly return of 1,576% and a full return of 18,912% from 2010 to 2022, while SPDR Gold Shares had an mean yearly return of conscionable 5.14% and a full return of 61.67% complete nan aforesaid period. 

Bitcoin vs. Real Estate

Let’s spot if existent property fared immoderate amended compared to Bitcoin. The cryptocurrency delivered a whopping 1,576% mean yearly return and an 18,912% full return from 2010 to 2021, while nan Vanguard Real Estate ETF had an mean yearly return of 13.49% and a full return of 161.91% complete nan aforesaid period.

So, existent property saw somewhat higher returns than gold, but it still didn’t travel adjacent to Bitcoin’s returns.

Bitcoin vs. S&P 500 (Stock Market)

The S&P 500 didn’t fare excessively overmuch amended successful its head-to-head pinch Bitcoin. From 2011 to 2023, nan Vanguard S&P 500 ETF delivered an mean yearly return of 15.74% and a full return of 173.14%. While those numbers aren’t excessively shabby, Bitcoin’s mean yearly return for nan aforesaid play was a whopping 819%, and its full return was 9,012%.

How Does Bitcoin Compare to The Best Performing Stocks?

We’ve analyzed really Bitcoin compares to gold, existent estate, and nan banal market, but really does it stack up against immoderate of nan best-performing stocks? Here’s really this celebrated cryptocurrency stacks up against awesome companies for illustration Amazon, Apple, Berkshire Hathaway, JP Morgan, Microsoft, Visa, and Walmart.

We looked astatine nan mean yearly and full returns for each asset. This information assumes you bought nan plus successful 2010 and held it until 2023. 

The Bottom Line – Bitcoin Historical Returns

While immoderate investors whitethorn beryllium skeptical astir cryptocurrency, citing concerns complete marketplace volatility and a precocious consequence of loss, Bitcoin’s capacity complete clip paints a rosy picture. With its longevity and astronomically precocious returns, Bitcoin has been worthy nan consequence for galore investors—especially early adopters. 

Of course, humanities capacity doesn’t guarantee early returns. So if you’re considering investing successful cryptocurrency, only put what you tin spend to lose.