What was Bitcoin Cash's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2020?

Bitcoin Cash's CAGR from 2020 to September 2026 was 6.3% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. However, this came with substantially higher volatility and drawdown risk.

How does Bitcoin Cash compare to the S&P 500 since 2020?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2020 would be worth approximately $2,626.14 today. Bitcoin Cash underperformed the S&P 500 by $1,120.69.

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

Sold today, the $505.45 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $1,429.63. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $1,385.15, 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 Cash since 2020?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2020, the real purchasing-power value of the Bitcoin Cash position is approximately $1,195.12 in 2020 dollars. Inflation shrinks the gain, but the investment still grew faster than prices.

How did Bitcoin Cash perform in 2020?

Bitcoin Cash rose 68% during 2020, from $204.67 at the start of the year to $342.98 at the start of 2021.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Bitcoin Cash in 2020?

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$1,505

+$505.45 profit1.51x6.3% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $2,626

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$1,430

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

$1,505.45

Total Profit

$505.45

Multiplier

1.51x

CAGR

6.3%

Max Drawdown

-90.2%

Inflation-Adjusted

$1,195.12

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2020 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Bitcoin Cash	$1,505.45	1.51x
S&P 500	$2,626.14	2.63x
Gold	$2,769.41	2.77x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,142.91	1.14x

Back in 2020

In April 2020, Bitcoin Cash went through its first halving, cutting the mining reward from 12.5 to 6.25 BCH per block. coindesk.com
In 2020, a gallon of gas averaged $2.17 and the new iPhone 12 Pro started at $999. eia.gov apple.com
During 2020 itself, Bitcoin Cash rose 68%, #33 of the 103 investments we track. The best was Tesla (+747%); the worst was AMC Entertainment (−73%). Full 2020 results →

$1,000 in Bitcoin Cash, year by year

Of the 103 investments we track that were available at the start of 2020, Bitcoin Cash ranks #77 by growth to today — just behind Home Depot and ahead of Target. See the full 2020 ranking →

Bitcoin Cash started 2020 92% below its start-of-2018 high, after rising 36% in 2019. It was worth less than the $1,000 put in at the start of 2023, and has been above it since the start of 2024. Its best January was 2026, at $2,926. Today it's 49% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 5 of the 6 full years since. It was ahead of the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at the start of 2026 but has fallen behind it since. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from Apr 2021 ($4,862) to Dec 2022 ($475.09), a drop of 90%. At its lowest month-end, in Dec 2022, it was worth $475.09.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2020	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2021	$1,676	+68%	$1,184
Start of 2022	$2,104	+26%	$1,524
Start of 2023	$474	−77%	$1,248
Start of 2024	$1,267	+167%	$1,576
Start of 2025	$2,120	+67%	$1,970
Start of 2026	$2,926	+38%	$2,322
Today	$1,505	−49%	$2,626

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 2020, Bitcoin Cash was priced at $204.67. $1,000 would have bought about 4.89 BCH. Bitcoin Cash split from Bitcoin in August 2017 to allow bigger blocks.

Measured from one January to the next, Bitcoin Cash's best year since then was 2023 (+167%) and its worst was 2022 (−77%). Holding on wasn't easy: between the start of 2022 and the start of 2023, the position fell 77% from its high.

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Bitcoin Cash at the start of 2020 would be worth approximately $1,505.45 today — a 1.51x return ($505.45 profit) over 6.7 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 2020 (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 of2020 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.