What was Bitcoin's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2011?

Bitcoin's CAGR from 2011 to September 2026 was 121.7% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. Bitcoin significantly outperformed traditional equity markets on an annualized basis.

How does Bitcoin compare to the S&P 500 since 2011?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2011 would be worth approximately $8,136.12 today. Bitcoin outperformed the index by $278,556,463.88 — 34238x the return of the S&P 500.

How much of the Bitcoin gain would you keep after taxes?

Sold today, the $278,563,600.00 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $236,780,060.00. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $212,266,463.20, and lower incomes pay 0%. State tax is extra, and gains inside a Roth IRA aren't taxed.

What is the inflation-adjusted return on $1,000 in Bitcoin since 2011?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2011, the real purchasing-power value of the Bitcoin position is approximately $192,175,394.29 in 2011 dollars. Even after inflation, this is an extraordinary real return — inflation only marginally reduces gains of this magnitude.

How did Bitcoin perform in 2011?

Bitcoin rose 1,657% during 2011, from $0.3 at the start of the year to $5.27 at the start of 2012.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2011?

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$278,564,600

+$278,563,600 profit278565x121.7% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $8,136

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$236,780,060

US federal long-term rates: 15% for most people, 0% on lower incomes, 20% + 3.8% on high incomes. No state tax included; none inside a Roth IRA.

Compare with

Growth Over Time

Performance Metrics

Total Invested

$1,000.00

Current Value

$278,564,600.00

Total Profit

$278,563,600.00

Multiplier

278565x

CAGR

121.7%

Max Drawdown

-75.6%

Inflation-Adjusted

$192,175,394.29

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2011 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Bitcoin	$278,564,600.00	278565x
S&P 500	$8,136.12	8.14x
Gold	$2,960.66	2.96x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,365.87	1.37x

Back in 2011

In June 2011, a Gawker story about Silk Road, an online drug marketplace that used bitcoin, brought the currency mainstream attention, and two U.S. senators demanded a crackdown. fortune.com
In 2011, a gallon of gas averaged $3.52, a movie ticket averaged $7.93 and the new iPhone 4S started at $199 with a two-year contract. eia.gov apple.com thewrap.com
During 2011 itself, Bitcoin rose 1,657%, the best of the 71 investments we track. The worst was Netflix (−60%). Full 2011 results →

$1,000 in Bitcoin, year by year

Of the 71 investments we track that were available at the start of 2011, Bitcoin ranks #1 by growth to today, the best of them — ahead of NVIDIA. See the full 2011 ranking →

It has been worth more than the $1,000 put in at every January since, and still is today. Its best January was 2025, at $311,430,000. Today it's 11% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 11 of the 15 full years since. It has been ahead of the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at every January since, and still is. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from Dec 2017 ($47,274,227) to Jan 2019 ($11,547,037), a drop of 76%.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2011	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2012	$17,567	+1,657%	$1,021
Start of 2013	$44,333	+152%	$1,185
Start of 2014	$2,566,667	+5,689%	$1,568
Start of 2015	$1,046,667	−59%	$1,783
Start of 2016	$1,446,667	+38%	$1,808
Start of 2017	$3,326,667	+130%	$2,024
Start of 2018	$44,706,667	+1,244%	$2,465
Start of 2019	$12,310,000	−72%	$2,357
Start of 2020	$24,000,000	+95%	$3,100
Start of 2021	$96,740,000	+303%	$3,670
Start of 2022	$154,353,333	+60%	$4,723
Start of 2023	$55,100,000	−64%	$3,868
Start of 2024	$147,240,000	+167%	$4,885
Start of 2025	$311,430,000	+112%	$6,107
Start of 2026	$291,693,333	−6.3%	$7,199
Today	$278,564,600	−4.5%	$8,136

Values at the start of each year (first trading day for stocks). The S&P 500 column includes reinvested dividends, like the stock values.

Historical Context

At the start of 2011, Bitcoin was priced at $0.3. $1,000 would have bought about 3,333 BTC. Bitcoin is the first cryptocurrency, launched in 2009 by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto. Its supply is capped at 21 million coins.

Measured from one January to the next, Bitcoin's best year since then was 2013 (+5,689%) and its worst was 2018 (−72%). Holding on wasn't easy: between the start of 2018 and the start of 2019, the position fell 72% from its high.

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Bitcoin at the start of 2011 would be worth approximately $278,564,600.00 today — a 278565x return ($278,563,600.00 profit) over 15.7 years.

Methodology & Sources

Price data: Historical prices are the January 1 opening price, from CoinGecko, CoinMarketCap and Yahoo Finance historical data. Current prices come from Yahoo Finance (CoinGecko as a backup) and refresh hourly; if that source is unavailable, the last saved price is used.

Calculation: Assumes a single purchase at the start of 2011 (or the first trading day, for companies that listed that year), held until today. No transaction fees, taxes, or slippage are included.

Benchmarks: The S&P 500 comparison uses the S&P 500 Total Return index (dividends reinvested, like an index fund) at the start of2011 and today. Gold uses the price per troy ounce. Savings account assumes a 2% APY compounded annually.

Inflation adjustment: Uses U.S. CPI-U annual averages from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 2026 CPI value is estimated.

Educational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Not financial advice.