What was Litecoin's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2018?

Litecoin's CAGR from 2018 to September 2026 was -13.1% 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 Litecoin compare to the S&P 500 since 2018?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2018 would be worth approximately $3,301.62 today. Litecoin underperformed the S&P 500 by $3,009.66.

What is the inflation-adjusted return on $1,000 in Litecoin since 2018?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2018, the real purchasing-power value of the Litecoin position is approximately $224.88 in 2018 dollars. After inflation, the investment has lost purchasing power compared with the original amount.

How did Litecoin perform in 2018?

Litecoin fell 87% during 2018, from $231.67 at the start of the year to $30.46 at the start of 2019.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Litecoin in 2018?

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$291.96

−$708.04 loss0.29x-13.1% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $3,302

No tax on a loss. Selling can offset tax on other gains.

Compare with

Growth Over Time

Performance Metrics

Total Invested

$1,000.00

Current Value

$291.96

Total Loss

−$708.04

Multiplier

0.29x

CAGR

-13.1%

Max Drawdown

-86.9%

Inflation-Adjusted

$224.88

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2018 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Litecoin	$291.96	0.29x
S&P 500	$3,301.62	3.30x
Gold	$3,224.25	3.22x
Savings (2% APY)	$1,189.05	1.19x

Back in 2018

In July 2018, the Litecoin Foundation acquired a 9.9% stake in Germany's WEG Bank through a deal with payments firm TokenPay. coindesk.com
In 2018, a gallon of gas averaged $2.72, a movie ticket averaged $9.11 and the new iPhone XS started at $999. eia.gov apple.com hollywoodreporter.com
During 2018 itself, Litecoin fell 87%, #92 of the 94 investments we track. The best was The Trade Desk (+150%); the worst was Cardano (−94%). Full 2018 results →

$1,000 in Litecoin, year by year

Of the 94 investments we track that were available at the start of 2018, Litecoin ranks #92 by growth to today, in the bottom quarter — just behind Cardano and ahead of Bitcoin Cash. See the full 2018 ranking →

Litecoin started 2018 at its highest start-of-year price up to then, after rising 5,251% in 2017. It has been worth less than the $1,000 put in at every January since, and still is today. Its best January was 2022, at $632.54. Today it's 54% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 5 of the 8 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 Jan 2018 ($1,000) to Dec 2018 ($132.27), a drop of 87%. At its lowest month-end, in Dec 2018, it was worth $132.27.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2018	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2019	$131	−87%	$956
Start of 2020	$178	+36%	$1,257
Start of 2021	$538	+202%	$1,489
Start of 2022	$633	+18%	$1,916
Start of 2023	$302	−52%	$1,569
Start of 2024	$315	+4.2%	$1,981
Start of 2025	$445	+41%	$2,477
Start of 2026	$331	−26%	$2,920
Today	$292	−12%	$3,302

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 2018, Litecoin was priced at $231.67. $1,000 would have bought about 4.32 LTC. Litecoin launched in 2011 as a faster, lighter version of Bitcoin.

Measured from one January to the next, Litecoin's best year since then was 2020 (+202%) and its worst was 2018 (−87%). Holding on wasn't easy: between the start of 2018 and the start of 2019, the position fell 87% from its high.

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Litecoin at the start of 2018 would be worth approximately $291.96 today — a 0.29x return ($708.04 loss) over 8.7 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 2018 (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 of2018 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.