What was Polkadot's compound annual growth rate (CAGR) since 2021?

Polkadot's CAGR from 2021 to September 2026 was -30.0% 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 Polkadot compare to the S&P 500 since 2021?

The same $1,000 invested in an S&P 500 index fund in 2021 would be worth approximately $2,218.04 today. Polkadot underperformed the S&P 500 by $2,089.41.

What is the inflation-adjusted return on $1,000 in Polkadot since 2021?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2021, the real purchasing-power value of the Polkadot position is approximately $106.89 in 2021 dollars. After inflation, the investment has lost purchasing power compared with the original amount.

How did Polkadot perform in 2021?

Polkadot rose 188% during 2021, from $9.29 at the start of the year to $26.72 at the start of 2022.

What If You Invested $1,000 in Polkadot in 2021?

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$128.64

−$871.36 loss0.13x-30.0% 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.

Compare with

Growth Over Time

Performance Metrics

Total Invested

$1,000.00

Current Value

$128.64

Total Loss

−$871.36

Multiplier

0.13x

CAGR

-30.0%

Max Drawdown

-98.2%

Inflation-Adjusted

$106.89

Benchmark Comparison

How does $1,000.00 invested in 2021 compare across different asset classes?

Asset	Value Today	Return
Polkadot	$128.64	0.13x
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 December 2021, Polkadot launched its first five parachains, including Acala and Moonbeam, after roughly five years of development. coindesk.com
In 2021, a gallon of gas averaged $3.01 and the new iPhone 13 Pro started at $999. eia.gov apple.com
During 2021 itself, Polkadot rose 188%, #10 of the 111 investments we track. The best was Solana (+11,084%); the worst was Zoom (−49%). Full 2021 results →

$1,000 in Polkadot, year by year

Of the 111 investments we track that were available at the start of 2021, Polkadot ranks #110 by growth to today, in the bottom quarter — just behind Rivian and ahead of Snap. See the full 2021 ranking →

It's worth less than the $1,000 put in today; the last January it was above that was 2022. Its best January was 2022, at $2,877. Today it's 96% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 2 of the 5 full years since. It fell behind the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at the start of 2023 and hasn't caught up. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from Oct 2021 ($4,607) to Jul 2026 ($81.70), a drop of 98%. At its lowest month-end, in Jul 2026, it was worth $81.70.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2021	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2022	$2,877	+188%	$1,287
Start of 2023	$464	−84%	$1,054
Start of 2024	$883	+90%	$1,331
Start of 2025	$714	−19%	$1,664
Start of 2026	$193	−73%	$1,962
Today	$129	−33%	$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, Polkadot was priced at $9.29. $1,000 would have bought about 108 DOT. Polkadot connects multiple blockchains; its DOT token launched in 2020.

Measured from one January to the next, Polkadot's best year since then was 2021 (+188%) and its worst was 2022 (−84%). Holding on wasn't easy: between the start of 2022 and the start of 2026, the position fell 93% from its high.

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Polkadot at the start of 2021 would be worth approximately $128.64 today — a 0.13x return ($871.36 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.