What was Bitcoin's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2012?

Bitcoin's CAGR from 2012 to September 2026 was 92.7% 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 2012?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2012 would be worth approximately $7,971.77 today. Bitcoin outperformed the index by $15,840,565.23 — 1988x the return of the S&P 500.

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

Sold today, the $15,847,537.00 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $13,471,406.45. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $12,076,823.20, 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 2012?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2012, the real purchasing-power value of the Bitcoin position is approximately $11,162,037.10 in 2012 dollars. Even after inflation, this is an extraordinary real return — inflation only marginally reduces gains of this magnitude.

How did Bitcoin perform in 2012?

Bitcoin rose 152% during 2012, from $5.27 at the start of the year to $13.30 at the start of 2013.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2012?

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$15,848,537

+$15,847,537 profit15849x92.7% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $7,972

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$13,471,406

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

$15,848,537.00

Total Profit

$15,847,537.00

Multiplier

15849x

CAGR

92.7%

Max Drawdown

-75.6%

Inflation-Adjusted

$11,162,037.10

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2012 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Bitcoin	$15,848,537.00	15849x
S&P 500	$7,971.77	7.97x
Gold	$2,682.76	2.68x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,339.11	1.34x

Back in 2012

In November 2012, WordPress.com began accepting bitcoin as payment for some paid upgrades, one of the first major web platforms to do so. theregister.com
In 2012, a gallon of gas averaged $3.62, a movie ticket averaged $7.96 and the new iPhone 5 started at $199 with a two-year contract. eia.gov techcrunch.com deadline.com
During 2012 itself, Bitcoin rose 152%, the best of the 74 investments we track. The worst was AMD (−54%). Full 2012 results →

$1,000 in Bitcoin, year by year

Of the 74 investments we track that were available at the start of 2012, Bitcoin ranks #1 by growth to today, the best of them — ahead of NVIDIA. See the full 2012 ranking →

Bitcoin started 2012 at its highest start-of-year price up to then, after rising 1,657% in 2011. 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 $17,728,463. Today it's 11% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 10 of the 14 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 ($2,686,894) to Jan 2019 ($656,291), a drop of 76%.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2012	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2013	$2,524	+152%	$1,160
Start of 2014	$146,110	+5,689%	$1,536
Start of 2015	$59,583	−59%	$1,746
Start of 2016	$82,353	+38%	$1,770
Start of 2017	$189,374	+130%	$1,982
Start of 2018	$2,544,972	+1,244%	$2,414
Start of 2019	$700,759	−72%	$2,309
Start of 2020	$1,366,224	+95%	$3,036
Start of 2021	$5,507,021	+303%	$3,594
Start of 2022	$8,786,717	+60%	$4,626
Start of 2023	$3,136,622	−64%	$3,788
Start of 2024	$8,381,784	+167%	$4,784
Start of 2025	$17,728,463	+112%	$5,981
Start of 2026	$16,604,934	−6.3%	$7,050
Today	$15,848,537	−4.6%	$7,972

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 2012, Bitcoin was priced at $5.27. $1,000 would have bought about 190 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 2012 would be worth approximately $15,848,537.00 today — a 15849x return ($15,847,537.00 profit) over 14.7 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 2012 (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 of2012 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.