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Bitcoin’s price has fluctuated up and down ever since its inception in 2009, leaving some investors with notable gains — or losses — and others left wondering what might have been if only they had invested sooner or held.
Remember the guy who made the first real-world bitcoin transaction in 2010? He paid 10,000 bitcoins for two pizzas. The coins were worth about $40 then, and more than $990 million when Bitcoin’s price hit another all-time high in November 2024.
For those who invested early in Bitcoin and stayed invested, the rewards have been nothing short of staggering, but could just as likely have been a total loss. Crypto is highly speculative, driven solely by investor sentiment, and thousands of coins never crack even $0.01 in value.
Still, just how much would you have if you had bought $1,000 worth of Bitcoin a decade ago?
How much money you’d have if you invested $1,000 in Bitcoin 10 years ago
Every crypto investor wants a time machine to invest yesterday in the best-performing crypto, but let’s look at where Bitcoin started and how it’s going now.
Bitcoin’s price has experienced several swings over the years, driven almost entirely by investor sentiment, though crypto isn’t immune to other shifts in the market, such as fluctuating interest rates and the introduction of spot Bitcoin ETFs.
Debuting in January 2009, Bitcoin’s price broke the $1 milestone for the first time in February 2011. Fast-forward to November 2024 when Bitcoin soared to several record highs, even briefly hitting $99,000 on Nov. 21 — up from a previous all-time high of $73,750 in March this year.
With those price fluctuations in mind, here’s how much a $1,000 investment in Bitcoin is worth today if you’d invested one year ago, five years ago, 10 years ago and 15 years ago. The calculation is based on $98,000, which is about where Bitcoin traded today, Nov. 21, 2024. Historical price data are from CoinMarketCap.
- 1 year ago: If you invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2023, your investment would be worth $2,621.
- 5 years ago: If you invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2019, your investment would be worth $11,942.
- 10 years ago: If you invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2014, your investment would be worth $257,522.
- 15 years ago: If you invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2009, your investment would be worth $99 billion. Bitcoin traded at $0.00099 per bitcoin in late 2009, when $1 equaled 1,309.03 bitcoins.
Those gains are wild but it bears repeating: Crypto is speculative. You could have lost the entire $1,000. Still, let’s double down on the regret and say you took the speculative nature to heart and only invested $1 in Bitcoin.
- 1 year ago: A $1 investment would be worth $2.62 since Bitcoin is up 162 percent from November 2023.
- 5 years ago: A $1 investment would be worth $11.94 since Bitcoin is up 1,094 percent from November 2019.
- 10 years ago: A $1 investment would be worth $257.52 since Bitcoin is up 25,652 percent from November 2014.
- 15 years ago: A $1 investment would be worth nearly $99 million since Bitcoin is up 9,898,990,000 percent from late 2009.
Is Bitcoin a good investment?
As exciting as it can be to dream about big wins, big losses are just as possible. Investing in crypto is extremely risky and comes with cybersecurity and regulatory challenges. Crypto prices can plunge simply based on what other investors are willing to pay for it. Whether Bitcoin will continue its upward momentum in price is impossible to predict.
You should only invest money in crypto that you’re comfortable losing. If you do invest in crypto, maintain a diversified portfolio and know that investing in Bitcoin ETFs is an option. An exchange-traded fund can be a cheaper and easier way to trade Bitcoin, though an ETF doesn’t make investing in crypto any less speculative.
Wishing you’d bought in?
A financial advisor can work with you to create a balanced portfolio that meets your short- and long-term goals — and Bankrate’s AdvisorMatch can help you connect with a CFP® professional.
Bottom line
Bitcoin has skyrocketed and plummeted throughout its life. You could just as easily have won big or lost big. There are thousands of cryptocurrencies that will never amount to much value. Don’t let these big gains in the world’s most successful cryptocurrency blind you. The price of crypto isn’t backed by anything tangible. Price volatility is the rule, not the exception. Invest with caution.
Editorial Disclaimer: All investors are advised to conduct their own independent research into investment strategies before making an investment decision. In addition, investors are advised that past investment product performance is no guarantee of future price appreciation.
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