What was Bitcoin's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2014?

Bitcoin's CAGR from 2014 to September 2026 was 44.4% 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 2014?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2014 would be worth approximately $5,188.25 today. Bitcoin outperformed the index by $103,168.95 — 20.9x the return of the S&P 500.

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

Sold today, the $107,357.21 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $92,253.63. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $82,806.19, 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 2014?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2014, the real purchasing-power value of the Bitcoin position is approximately $78,675.31 in 2014 dollars. Even after inflation, this is an extraordinary real return — inflation only marginally reduces gains of this magnitude.

How did Bitcoin perform in 2014?

Bitcoin fell 59% during 2014, from $770.00 at the start of the year to $314.00 at the start of 2015.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2014?

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$108,357

+$107,357 profit108x44.4% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $5,188

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$92,254

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

$108,357.21

Total Profit

$107,357.21

Multiplier

108x

CAGR

44.4%

Max Drawdown

-75.6%

Inflation-Adjusted

$78,675.31

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2014 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Bitcoin	$108,357.21	108x
S&P 500	$5,188.25	5.19x
Gold	$3,506.66	3.51x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,287.08	1.29x

Back in 2014

In February 2014, Mt. Gox, then a leading bitcoin exchange, filed for bankruptcy protection in Tokyo and said about 850,000 bitcoins had been lost. techcrunch.com
In 2014, a gallon of gas averaged $3.36, a movie ticket averaged $8.17 and the new iPhone 6 started at $199 with a two-year contract. eia.gov apple.com variety.com
During 2014 itself, Bitcoin fell 59%, the worst of the 78 investments we track. The best was Palo Alto Networks (+118%). Full 2014 results →

$1,000 in Bitcoin, year by year

Of the 78 investments we track that were available at the start of 2014, Bitcoin ranks #3 by growth to today, near the top — just behind AMD and ahead of Broadcom. See the full 2014 ranking →

Bitcoin started 2014 at its highest start-of-year price up to then, after rising 5,689% in 2013. It was worth less than the $1,000 put in at the start of 2015 and 2016, and has been above it since the start of 2017. Its best January was 2025, at $121,336. Today it's 11% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 8 of the 12 full years since. It moved ahead of the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at the start of 2017 and has stayed ahead since. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from Dec 2017 ($18,389) to Jan 2019 ($4,492), a drop of 76%. At its lowest month-end, in Jan 2015, it was worth $282.48.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2014	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2015	$408	−59%	$1,137
Start of 2016	$564	+38%	$1,153
Start of 2017	$1,296	+130%	$1,290
Start of 2018	$17,418	+1,244%	$1,572
Start of 2019	$4,796	−72%	$1,503
Start of 2020	$9,351	+95%	$1,977
Start of 2021	$37,691	+303%	$2,340
Start of 2022	$60,138	+60%	$3,012
Start of 2023	$21,468	−64%	$2,467
Start of 2024	$57,366	+167%	$3,115
Start of 2025	$121,336	+112%	$3,894
Start of 2026	$113,647	−6.3%	$4,591
Today	$108,357	−4.7%	$5,188

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 2014, Bitcoin was priced at $770.00. $1,000 would have bought about 1.30 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 2017 (+1,244%) 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 2014 would be worth approximately $108,357.21 today — a 108x return ($107,357.21 profit) over 12.7 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 2014 (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 of2014 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.