What was Ethereum's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2023?

Ethereum's CAGR from 2023 to September 2026 was 24.0% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. Ethereum significantly outperformed traditional equity markets on an annualized basis.

How does Ethereum compare to the S&P 500 since 2023?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2023 would be worth approximately $2,103.46 today. Ethereum outperformed the index by $135.99 — 1.06x the return of the S&P 500.

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

Sold today, the $1,239.45 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $2,053.53. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $1,944.46, 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 Ethereum since 2023?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2023, the real purchasing-power value of the Ethereum position is approximately $2,093.13 in 2023 dollars. Inflation shrinks the gain, but the investment still grew faster than prices.

How did Ethereum perform in 2023?

Ethereum rose 97% during 2023, from $1,196.00 at the start of the year to $2,352.00 at the start of 2024.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Ethereum in 2023?

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$2,239

+$1,239 profit2.24x24.0% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $2,103

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$2,054

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

$2,239.45

Total Profit

$1,239.45

Multiplier

2.24x

CAGR

24.0%

Max Drawdown

-64.2%

Inflation-Adjusted

$2,093.13

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2023 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Ethereum	$2,239.45	2.24x
S&P 500	$2,103.46	2.10x
Gold	$2,310.86	2.31x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,076.98	1.08x

Back in 2023

In April 2023, Ethereum's Shanghai upgrade let validators withdraw staked ether for the first time since staking began in 2020. coindesk.com
In 2023, a gallon of gas averaged $3.52 and the new iPhone 15 Pro started at $999. eia.gov apple.com
During 2023 itself, Ethereum rose 97%, #24 of the 113 investments we track. The best was Solana (+913%); the worst was AMC Entertainment (−84%). Full 2023 results →

$1,000 in Ethereum, year by year

Of the 113 investments we track that were available at the start of 2023, Ethereum ranks #49 by growth to today — just behind Walmart and ahead of Gold ETF (GLD). See the full 2023 ranking →

Ethereum started 2023 68% below its start-of-2022 high, after falling 68% in 2022. 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 $2,801. Today it's 20% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 2 of the 3 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 Aug 2025 ($3,658) to Jun 2026 ($1,308), a drop of 64%.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2023	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2024	$1,967	+97%	$1,263
Start of 2025	$2,801	+42%	$1,579
Start of 2026	$2,481	−11%	$1,861
Today	$2,239	−9.7%	$2,103

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 2023, Ethereum was priced at $1,196.00. $1,000 would have bought about 0.836 ETH. Ethereum is a programmable blockchain launched in 2015. Its coin, ether (ETH), pays for running smart contracts and apps on the network.

Measured from one January to the next, Ethereum's best year since then was 2023 (+97%) and its worst was 2025 (−11%).

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Ethereum at the start of 2023 would be worth approximately $2,239.45 today — a 2.24x return ($1,239.45 profit) over 3.7 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 2023 (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 of2023 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.