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

Chainlink's CAGR from 2019 to September 2026 was 66.0% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. Chainlink significantly outperformed traditional equity markets on an annualized basis.

How does Chainlink 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. Chainlink outperformed the index by $47,144.57 — 14.7x the return of the S&P 500.

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

Sold today, the $49,597.58 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $43,157.94. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $38,793.36, 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 Chainlink since 2019?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2019, the real purchasing-power value of the Chainlink position is approximately $39,686.51 in 2019 dollars. Even after inflation, this is an extraordinary real return — inflation only marginally reduces gains of this magnitude.

How did Chainlink perform in 2019?

Chainlink rose 511% during 2019, from $0.29 at the start of the year to $1.77 at the start of 2020.

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

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$50,598

+$49,598 profit50.6x66.0% a year

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

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$43,158

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

$50,597.58

Total Profit

$49,597.58

Multiplier

50.6x

CAGR

66.0%

Max Drawdown

-85.4%

Inflation-Adjusted

$39,686.51

Benchmark Comparison

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

Asset	Value Today	Return
Chainlink	$50,597.58	50.6x
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 June 2019, Google named Chainlink an official Cloud Partner in a push to bring big data onto blockchains. 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, Chainlink rose 511%, the best of the 100 investments we track. The worst was Stellar (−60%). Full 2019 results →

$1,000 in Chainlink, year by year

Of the 100 investments we track that were available at the start of 2019, Chainlink ranks #3 by growth to today, near the top — just behind NVIDIA and ahead of Dogecoin. See the full 2019 ranking →

Chainlink started 2019 52% below its start-of-2018 high, after falling 52% in 2018. 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 $69,089. Today it's 27% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 5 of the 7 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 Apr 2021 ($132,156) to Dec 2022 ($19,301), a drop of 85%.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2019	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2020	$6,110	+511%	$1,315
Start of 2021	$38,918	+537%	$1,557
Start of 2022	$67,681	+74%	$2,004
Start of 2023	$19,237	−72%	$1,641
Start of 2024	$51,630	+168%	$2,072
Start of 2025	$69,089	+34%	$2,591
Start of 2026	$42,101	−39%	$3,054
Today	$50,598	+20%	$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, Chainlink was priced at $0.29. $1,000 would have bought about 3,454 LINK. Chainlink supplies outside data such as prices to blockchain apps; its token is LINK.

Measured from one January to the next, Chainlink's best year since then was 2020 (+537%) and its worst was 2022 (−72%). Holding on wasn't easy: between the start of 2022 and the start of 2023, the position fell 72% from its high.

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Chainlink at the start of 2019 would be worth approximately $50,597.58 today — a 50.6x return ($49,597.58 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.