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

Stellar's CAGR from 2018 to September 2026 was -5.3% 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 Stellar 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. Stellar underperformed the S&P 500 by $2,682.33.

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

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2018, the real purchasing-power value of the Stellar position is approximately $477.01 in 2018 dollars. After inflation, the investment has lost purchasing power compared with the original amount.

How did Stellar perform in 2018?

Stellar fell 69% during 2018, from $0.36 at the start of the year to $0.113 at the start of 2019.

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

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$619.29

−$380.71 loss0.62x-5.3% 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

$619.29

Total Loss

−$380.71

Multiplier

0.62x

CAGR

-5.3%

Max Drawdown

-90.4%

Inflation-Adjusted

$477.01

Benchmark Comparison

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

Asset	Value Today	Return
Stellar	$619.29	0.62x
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 September 2018, IBM launched Blockchain World Wire, a cross-border payments system for financial institutions built on the Stellar network. 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, Stellar fell 69%, #87 of the 94 investments we track. The best was The Trade Desk (+150%); the worst was Cardano (−94%). Full 2018 results →

$1,000 in Stellar, year by year

Of the 94 investments we track that were available at the start of 2018, Stellar ranks #89 by growth to today, in the bottom quarter — just behind Alibaba and ahead of Snap. See the full 2018 ranking →

It has been worth less than the $1,000 put in at every January since, and still is today. Its best January was 2025, at $920.37. Today it's 33% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 4 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 Apr 2018 ($1,182) to Mar 2020 ($113.69), a drop of 90%. At its lowest month-end, in Mar 2020, it was worth $113.69.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2018	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2019	$313	−69%	$956
Start of 2020	$125	−60%	$1,257
Start of 2021	$356	+184%	$1,489
Start of 2022	$742	+108%	$1,916
Start of 2023	$197	−73%	$1,569
Start of 2024	$358	+81%	$1,981
Start of 2025	$920	+157%	$2,477
Start of 2026	$557	−39%	$2,920
Today	$619	+11%	$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, Stellar was priced at $0.36. $1,000 would have bought about 2,775 XLM. Stellar is a payments network founded in 2014; its coin is XLM.

Measured from one January to the next, Stellar's best year since then was 2020 (+184%) and its worst was 2022 (−73%). Holding on wasn't easy: between the start of 2018 and the start of 2020, the position fell 87% from its high.

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Stellar at the start of 2018 would be worth approximately $619.29 today — a 0.62x return ($380.71 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.