Try your own numbers
it would be worth today
$84,879
+$83,879 profit84.9x57.4% a year
The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $4,050
Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$72,297
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.
Growth Over Time
Performance Metrics
Total Invested
$1,000.00
Current Value
$84,878.58
Total Profit
$83,878.58
Multiplier
84.9x
CAGR
57.4%
Max Drawdown
-75.6%
Inflation-Adjusted
$63,815.15
Benchmark Comparison
How does $1,000.00 invested in 2017 compare across different asset classes?
| Asset | Value Today | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin | $84,878.58 | 84.9x |
| S&P 500 | $4,049.72 | 4.05x |
| Gold | $3,564.81 | 3.56x |
| Savings (2% APY) | $1,213.80 | 1.21x |
Back in 2017
- In December 2017, CME Group, the world's largest derivatives exchange operator, began trading bitcoin futures, a week after rival Cboe launched its own. fortune.com
- In 2017, a gallon of gas averaged $2.42, a movie ticket averaged $8.97 and the new iPhone X started at $999. eia.govapple.comdeadline.com
- During 2017 itself, Bitcoin rose 1,336%, #5 of the 87 investments we track. The best was XRP (+30,515%); the worst was AMC Entertainment (−54%). Full 2017 results →
$1,000 in Bitcoin, year by year
Of the 87 investments we track that were available at the start of 2017, Bitcoin ranks #5 by growth to today, near the top — just behind NVIDIA and ahead of AMD. See the full 2017 ranking →
Bitcoin started 2017 at its highest start-of-year price up to then, after rising 123% in 2016. 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 $96,717. Today it's 12% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 6 of the 9 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 ($14,742) to Jan 2019 ($3,601), a drop of 76%.
| When | Worth | Change | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start of 2017 | $1,000 | — | $1,000 |
| Start of 2018 | $14,360 | +1,336% | $1,218 |
| Start of 2019 | $3,823 | −73% | $1,165 |
| Start of 2020 | $7,453 | +95% | $1,532 |
| Start of 2021 | $30,043 | +303% | $1,814 |
| Start of 2022 | $47,936 | +60% | $2,334 |
| Start of 2023 | $17,112 | −64% | $1,911 |
| Start of 2024 | $43,768 | +156% | $2,414 |
| Start of 2025 | $96,717 | +121% | $3,018 |
| Start of 2026 | $90,588 | −6.3% | $3,557 |
| Today | $84,879 | −6.3% | $4,050 |
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
January 2017 marked the beginning of Bitcoin's most famous bull run. At ~$966, Bitcoin was climbing back toward its 2013 high — and most people still thought of cryptocurrency as internet funny money. The ICO boom was about to ignite, bringing a flood of retail investors into the market.
By December 2017, Bitcoin had exploded to nearly $20,000 — a 20x move in a single year that landed crypto on the front page of every newspaper. But the hangover was brutal: Bitcoin crashed over 80% through 2018, spending over a year below $5,000.
The key question for 2017 investors wasn't whether Bitcoin would crash (it did, spectacularly), but whether they could hold through the pain. Those who panic-sold at $3,200 in late 2018 locked in a 68% loss. Those who held saw their position recover and then multiply again through the 2020-2021 cycle and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much would $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2017 be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Bitcoin at the start of 2017 would be worth approximately $84,878.58 today — a 84.9x return ($83,878.58 profit) over 9.8 years.
What was Bitcoin's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2017?
Bitcoin's CAGR from 2017 to October 2026 was 57.4% 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 2017?
The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2017 would be worth approximately $4,049.72 today. Bitcoin outperformed the index by $80,828.86 — 21.0x the return of the S&P 500.
How much of the Bitcoin gain would you keep after taxes?
Sold today, the $83,878.58 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $72,296.79. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $64,915.48, 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 2017?
Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2017, the real purchasing-power value of the Bitcoin position is approximately $63,815.15 in 2017 dollars. Even after inflation, this is an extraordinary real return — inflation only marginally reduces gains of this magnitude.
Did Bitcoin crash after the 2017 bull run?
Yes — Bitcoin crashed approximately 84% from its December 2017 high near $20,000 to around $3,200 in December 2018. This was one of the largest drawdowns in any major asset class and tested the conviction of every holder.
Methodology & Sources
Price data: Historical prices are the January 1 opening price (midnight UTC) on major US exchanges (Coinbase, Kraken, Bitstamp), or CoinGecko and CoinMarketCap where a coin wasn’t yet trading on US exchanges. 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 2017 (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 of2017 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.
Other investments from 2017
NVIDIA · 2017
What If You Invested $1,000 in NVIDIA in 2017?
Tesla · 2017
What If You Invested $1,000 in Tesla in 2017?
Ethereum · 2017
What If You Invested $1,000 in Ethereum in 2017?
Apple · 2017
What If You Invested $1,000 in Apple in 2017?
See how every stock and crypto ranked since 2017 →
$1,000 in Bitcoin, by year
$1,000 in Bitcoin:1 year ago5 years ago10 years ago
Compare:Bitcoin vs EthereumBitcoin vs S&P 500Bitcoin vs GoldBitcoin vs NVIDIABitcoin vs TeslaBitcoin vs AppleXRP vs BitcoinDogecoin vs Bitcoin