What was Bitcoin's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2016?

Bitcoin's CAGR from 2016 to September 2026 was 63.1% 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 2016?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2016 would be worth approximately $4,503.50 today. Bitcoin outperformed the index by $187,943.02 — 42.7x the return of the S&P 500.

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

Sold today, the $191,446.52 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $163,729.54. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $146,882.25, 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 2016?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2016, the real purchasing-power value of the Bitcoin position is approximately $141,678.42 in 2016 dollars. Even after inflation, this is an extraordinary real return — inflation only marginally reduces gains of this magnitude.

How did Bitcoin perform in 2016?

Bitcoin rose 130% during 2016, from $434.00 at the start of the year to $998.00 at the start of 2017.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2016?

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$192,447

+$191,447 profit192x63.1% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $4,503

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$163,730

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

$192,446.52

Total Profit

$191,446.52

Multiplier

192x

CAGR

63.1%

Max Drawdown

-75.6%

Inflation-Adjusted

$141,678.42

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2016 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Bitcoin	$192,446.52	192x
S&P 500	$4,503.50	4.50x
Gold	$3,955.93	3.96x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,237.13	1.24x

Back in 2016

In August 2016, hackers stole 119,756 bitcoin from users' accounts at Hong Kong exchange Bitfinex, one of the largest exchange breaches up to that time. fortune.com
In 2016, a gallon of gas averaged $2.14, a movie ticket averaged $8.65 and the new iPhone 7 started at $649. eia.gov apple.com deadline.com
During 2016 itself, Bitcoin rose 130%, #4 of the 85 investments we track. The best was Ethereum (+778%); the worst was Palo Alto Networks (−26%). Full 2016 results →

$1,000 in Bitcoin, year by year

Of the 85 investments we track that were available at the start of 2016, Bitcoin ranks #6 by growth to today, near the top — just behind AMD and ahead of Shopify. See the full 2016 ranking →

Bitcoin started 2016 44% below its start-of-2014 high, after rising 38% in 2015. 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 $215,274. Today it's 11% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 7 of the 10 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 ($32,627) to Jan 2019 ($7,969), a drop of 76%. At its lowest month-end, in Mar 2016, it was worth $960.44.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2016	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2017	$2,300	+130%	$1,120
Start of 2018	$30,903	+1,244%	$1,364
Start of 2019	$8,509	−72%	$1,304
Start of 2020	$16,590	+95%	$1,715
Start of 2021	$66,871	+303%	$2,030
Start of 2022	$106,696	+60%	$2,613
Start of 2023	$38,088	−64%	$2,140
Start of 2024	$101,779	+167%	$2,702
Start of 2025	$215,274	+112%	$3,379
Start of 2026	$201,631	−6.3%	$3,983
Today	$192,447	−4.6%	$4,503

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 2016, Bitcoin was priced at $434.00. $1,000 would have bought about 2.30 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 2016 would be worth approximately $192,446.52 today — a 192x return ($191,446.52 profit) over 10.7 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 2016 (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 of2016 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.