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it would be worth today
$898.36
−$101.64 loss0.90x-1.8% a year
The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $2,218
No tax on a loss. Selling can offset tax on other gains.
Growth Over Time
Performance Metrics
Total Invested
$1,000.00
Current Value
$898.36
Total Loss
−$101.64
Multiplier
0.90x
CAGR
-1.8%
Max Drawdown
-90.2%
Inflation-Adjusted
$746.52
Benchmark Comparison
How does $1,000.00 invested in 2021 compare across different asset classes?
| Asset | Value Today | Return |
|---|---|---|
| Bitcoin Cash | $898.36 | 0.90x |
| S&P 500 | $2,218.04 | 2.22x |
| Gold | $2,213.49 | 2.21x |
| Savings (2% APY) | $1,120.46 | 1.12x |
Back in 2021
- In November 2021, a fraudulent press release falsely claimed Kroger would accept Bitcoin Cash; the grocer confirmed it was fake and it was taken down. coindesk.com
- In 2021, a gallon of gas averaged $3.01 and the new iPhone 13 Pro started at $999. eia.govapple.com
- During 2021 itself, Bitcoin Cash rose 26%, #62 of the 111 investments we track. The best was Solana (+11,084%); the worst was Zoom (−49%). Full 2021 results →
$1,000 in Bitcoin Cash, year by year
Of the 111 investments we track that were available at the start of 2021, Bitcoin Cash ranks #91 by growth to today, in the bottom quarter — just behind Boeing and ahead of Intuit. See the full 2021 ranking →
Bitcoin Cash started 2021 86% below its start-of-2018 high, after rising 68% in 2020. It's worth less than the $1,000 put in today; the last January it was above that was 2026. Its best January was 2026, at $1,746. Today it's 49% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 4 of the 5 full years since. It has trailed the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at every January since, and still does. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from Apr 2021 ($2,901) to Dec 2022 ($283.50), a drop of 90%. At its lowest month-end, in Dec 2022, it was worth $283.50.
| When | Worth | Change | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start of 2021 | $1,000 | — | $1,000 |
| Start of 2022 | $1,256 | +26% | $1,287 |
| Start of 2023 | $283 | −77% | $1,054 |
| Start of 2024 | $756 | +167% | $1,331 |
| Start of 2025 | $1,265 | +67% | $1,664 |
| Start of 2026 | $1,746 | +38% | $1,962 |
| Today | $898 | −49% | $2,218 |
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 2021, Bitcoin Cash was priced at $342.98. $1,000 would have bought about 2.92 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 2021 would be worth approximately $898.36 today — a 0.90x return ($101.64 loss) over 5.7 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 2021 (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 of2021 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.
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Ethereum · 2021
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See how every stock and crypto ranked since 2021 →
$1,000 in Bitcoin Cash, by year
$1,000 in Bitcoin Cash:1 year ago5 years ago