What was Bitcoin's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2013?

Bitcoin's CAGR from 2013 to September 2026 was 88.9% 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 2013?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2013 would be worth approximately $6,872.02 today. Bitcoin outperformed the index by $6,272,961.81 — 914x the return of the S&P 500.

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

Sold today, the $6,278,833.83 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $5,338,008.76. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $4,785,471.38, 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 2013?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2013, the real purchasing-power value of the Bitcoin position is approximately $4,488,347.50 in 2013 dollars. Even after inflation, this is an extraordinary real return — inflation only marginally reduces gains of this magnitude.

How did Bitcoin perform in 2013?

Bitcoin rose 5,689% during 2013, from $13.30 at the start of the year to $770.00 at the start of 2014.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2013?

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$6,279,834

+$6,278,834 profit6280x88.9% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $6,872

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$5,338,009

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

$6,279,833.83

Total Profit

$6,278,833.83

Multiplier

6280x

CAGR

88.9%

Max Drawdown

-75.6%

Inflation-Adjusted

$4,488,347.50

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2013 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Bitcoin	$6,279,833.83	6280x
S&P 500	$6,872.02	6.87x
Gold	$2,508.18	2.51x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,312.80	1.31x

Back in 2013

In October 2013, the FBI shut down Silk Road, an online black market that ran on bitcoin, and arrested its alleged operator in a San Francisco library. theregister.com
In 2013, a gallon of gas averaged $3.50, a movie ticket averaged $8.13 and the new iPhone 5s started at $199 with a two-year contract. eia.gov cnn.com hollywoodreporter.com
During 2013 itself, Bitcoin rose 5,689%, the best of the 76 investments we track. The worst was Gold ETF (GLD) (−28%). Full 2013 results →

$1,000 in Bitcoin, year by year

Of the 76 investments we track that were available at the start of 2013, Bitcoin ranks #1 by growth to today, the best of them — ahead of NVIDIA. See the full 2013 ranking →

Bitcoin started 2013 at its highest start-of-year price up to then, after rising 152% in 2012. 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 $7,024,737. Today it's 11% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 9 of the 13 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 ($1,064,657) to Jan 2019 ($260,049), a drop of 76%.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2013	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2014	$57,895	+5,689%	$1,324
Start of 2015	$23,609	−59%	$1,505
Start of 2016	$32,632	+38%	$1,526
Start of 2017	$75,038	+130%	$1,708
Start of 2018	$1,008,421	+1,244%	$2,081
Start of 2019	$277,669	−72%	$1,990
Start of 2020	$541,353	+95%	$2,617
Start of 2021	$2,182,105	+303%	$3,098
Start of 2022	$3,481,654	+60%	$3,988
Start of 2023	$1,242,857	−64%	$3,265
Start of 2024	$3,321,203	+167%	$4,124
Start of 2025	$7,024,737	+112%	$5,156
Start of 2026	$6,579,549	−6.3%	$6,077
Today	$6,279,834	−4.6%	$6,872

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 2013, Bitcoin was priced at $13.30. $1,000 would have bought about 75.19 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 2013 would be worth approximately $6,279,833.83 today — a 6280x return ($6,278,833.83 profit) over 13.7 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 2013 (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 of2013 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.