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

Stellar's CAGR from 2021 to September 2026 was 10.1% per year. For comparison, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% annually. Stellar significantly outperformed traditional equity markets on an annualized basis.

How does Stellar 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. Stellar underperformed the S&P 500 by $478.42.

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

Sold today, the $739.62 gain would be a long-term capital gain for US federal tax. At the 15% rate most people pay, you'd keep about $1,628.68. At the top rate of 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% net investment income tax) you'd keep about $1,563.59, 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 Stellar since 2021?

Adjusted for cumulative US inflation since 2021, the real purchasing-power value of the Stellar position is approximately $1,445.59 in 2021 dollars. Inflation shrinks the gain, but the investment still grew faster than prices.

How did Stellar perform in 2021?

Stellar rose 108% during 2021, from $0.128 at the start of the year to $0.267 at the start of 2022.

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

Try your own numbers

If I had putintoat the start of…

it would be worth today

$1,740

+$739.62 profit1.74x10.1% a year

The same $1,000 in an S&P 500 index fund: $2,218

Aftertax on the gain, you’d keep$1,629

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

$1,739.62

Total Profit

$739.62

Multiplier

1.74x

CAGR

10.1%

Max Drawdown

-86.6%

Inflation-Adjusted

$1,445.59

Benchmark Comparison

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

Asset	Value Today	Return
Stellar	$1,739.62	1.74x
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 October 2021, MoneyGram announced it would work with the Stellar network to offer instant money transfers using Circle's USDC stablecoin. 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, Stellar rose 108%, #14 of the 111 investments we track. The best was Solana (+11,084%); the worst was Zoom (−49%). Full 2021 results →

$1,000 in Stellar, year by year

Of the 111 investments we track that were available at the start of 2021, Stellar ranks #61 by growth to today — just behind Visa and ahead of Mastercard. See the full 2021 ranking →

Stellar started 2021 64% below its start-of-2018 high, after rising 184% in 2020. It was worth less than the $1,000 put in at the start of 2023, and has been above it since the start of 2024. Its best January was 2025, at $2,585. Today it's 33% below that, so selling then would have beaten holding. It rose in 3 of the 5 full years since. It fell behind the same $1,000 in the S&P 500 at the start of 2026 and hasn't caught up. Month by month, the deepest fall ran from Apr 2021 ($4,140) to Dec 2022 ($556.28), a drop of 87%. At its lowest month-end, in Dec 2022, it was worth $556.28.

When	Worth	Change	S&P 500
Start of 2021	$1,000	—	$1,000
Start of 2022	$2,084	+108%	$1,287
Start of 2023	$554	−73%	$1,054
Start of 2024	$1,005	+81%	$1,331
Start of 2025	$2,585	+157%	$1,664
Start of 2026	$1,564	−39%	$1,962
Today	$1,740	+11%	$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, Stellar was priced at $0.128. $1,000 would have bought about 7,794 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 2024 (+157%) and its worst was 2022 (−73%). Holding on wasn't easy: between the start of 2022 and the start of 2023, the position fell 73% from its high.

Frequently Asked Questions

A $1,000 investment in Stellar at the start of 2021 would be worth approximately $1,739.62 today — a 1.74x return ($739.62 profit) 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.