What was Cardano's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2019?

Cardano's CAGR from 2019 to September 2026 was 26.0% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. Cardano significantly outperformed traditional equity markets on an annualized basis.

How does Cardano compare to the S&P 500 since 2019?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2019 would be worth approximately $3,453.01 today. Cardano outperformed the index by $2,522.10 — 1.73x the return of the S&P 500.

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

Sold today, the $4,975.11 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $5,228.84. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $4,791.03, 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 Cardano since 2019?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2019, the real purchasing-power value of the Cardano position is approximately $4,686.61 in 2019 dollars. Inflation shrinks the gain, but the investment still grew faster than prices.

How did Cardano perform in 2019?

Cardano fell 20% during 2019, from $0.041 at the start of the year to $0.0328 at the start of 2020.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Cardano in 2019?

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$5,975

+$4,975 profit5.98x26.0% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $3,453

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$5,229

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

$5,975.11

Total Profit

$4,975.11

Multiplier

5.98x

CAGR

26.0%

Max Drawdown

-94.8%

Inflation-Adjusted

$4,686.61

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2019 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Cardano	$5,975.11	5.98x
S&P 500	$3,453.01	3.45x
Gold	$3,277.07	3.28x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,165.76	1.17x

Back in 2019

In September 2019, IOHK announced a partnership with New Balance to use the Cardano blockchain to verify that the company's sneakers are authentic. coindesk.com
In 2019, a gallon of gas averaged $2.60, a movie ticket averaged $9.16 and the new iPhone 11 Pro started at $999. eia.gov apple.com hollywoodreporter.com
During 2019 itself, Cardano fell 20%, #93 of the 100 investments we track. The best was Chainlink (+511%); the worst was Stellar (−60%). Full 2019 results →

$1,000 in Cardano, year by year

Of the 100 investments we track that were available at the start of 2019, Cardano ranks #28 by growth to today — just behind Morgan Stanley and ahead of Meta. See the full 2019 ranking →

Cardano started 2019 94% below its start-of-2018 high, after falling 94% in 2018. It was worth less than the $1,000 put in at the start of 2020, and has been above it since the start of 2021. Its best January was 2022, at $31,969. Today it's 81% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 4 of the 7 full years since. It moved ahead of the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at the start of 2021 and has stayed ahead since. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from Aug 2021 ($68,273) to Jun 2026 ($3,550), a drop of 95%. At its lowest month-end, in Mar 2020, it was worth $752.38.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2019	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2020	$801	−20%	$1,315
Start of 2021	$4,427	+453%	$1,557
Start of 2022	$31,969	+622%	$2,004
Start of 2023	$6,013	−81%	$1,641
Start of 2024	$14,500	+141%	$2,072
Start of 2025	$20,591	+42%	$2,591
Start of 2026	$8,121	−61%	$3,054
Today	$5,975	−26%	$3,453

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 2019, Cardano was priced at $0.041. $1,000 would have bought about 24,402 ADA. Cardano is a proof-of-stake blockchain launched in 2017; its coin is ADA.

Measured from one January to the next, Cardano's best year since then was 2021 (+622%) and its worst was 2022 (−81%). Holding on wasn't easy: between the start of 2022 and the start of 2023, the position fell 81% from its high.

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Cardano at the start of 2019 would be worth approximately $5,975.11 today — a 5.98x return ($4,975.11 profit) over 7.7 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 2019 (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 of2019 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.