Bitcoin returned 155.41% in 2023 in United States Dollar terms, not accounting for taxes or transaction fees. On January 1, 2023, Bitcoin opened* at $16,265.19, and closed* December 31, 2023 at $16,547.50 a coin.
* Bitcoin trades continuously so there is no actual "open" and "close", only a first and last trade of a year. Prices based on CoinMarketCap data, sourced from Yahoo! Finance.
Last year, Bitcoin dropped precipitously after peaking at $47,881.41 a coin on January 2nd, 2022. The closing trade in 2023 was $42,265.19 a coin, meaning if you held (or HODLed, in cryptocurrency parlance), you would have seen the near-recovery of your investment. And it was less bumpy than you'd expect – the low of $16,521.23 in 2023 came on January 1.
Here's the daily 'closing' price of Bitcoin in 2023:
You can try our our bitcoin return calculator to see return between any two arbitrary dates. You can optionally adjust for inflation, measured by CPI.
On this page we present a daily gold return calculator. Enter any two dates since January 2, 1968, and we'll compute annualized and total returns on gold between those dates. We also optionally adjust the quoted returns for inflation (CPI).
This calculator fetches data every evening. There are no fixing prices on weekends, though, so note it's picking close data. If you need this information for trading purposes please keep the freshness in mind and verify all numbers manually. The calculator will automatically snap dates to the best available data.
For as long as recorded history notes, gold has held a special place in the jewelry – and the portfolios – of mankind.
However, while I can attest to the popularity of gold in jewelry (I asked my wife and she concurs!), I can't advise you on gold's suitability for an investment portfolio. Please consult a financial advisor to discuss if silver is an appropriate option, but I'll leave it up to you.
If you enjoy this calculator, please try some of our other calculators:
On this page we present a daily silver return calculator. Enter any two dates since January 2, 1968, and we'll compute annualized and total returns on silver between those dates. We also optionally adjust the quoted returns for inflation (CPI).
This calculator fetches data every evening. If you need this information for trading purposes, please keep the freshness in mind and verify all numbers manually. The calculator will automatically snap dates to the best available data.
We can heartily recommend silver in jewelry (a statement supported by by our wife). That in mind, however, we give no advice to the suitability of silver in a portfolio. Please consult a financial advisor to discuss if silver is an appropriate option.
If you enjoy this calculator, please try some of our other calculators:
On this page we present an automatically updating platinum return calculator. Enter any dates since January 31, 1980, and we will compute the annualized and total returns on a platinum investment. Optionally, adjust returns automatically for inflation (CPI).
Platinum prices are updated once a quarter, and resolution is one month. The tool will automatically snap to the best dates for your inputs.
Platinum was first labeled as a precious metal in the 1700s, giving it a fair amount of time to be considered as investment quality - although it has nowhere near the storied history of silver and gold. Hopefully this data helps you make sense of the platinum market... or maybe it allows you to grasp a bit of the market before you invest in a certain expensive type of jewelry.
We, however, give no advice to the suitability of platinum in a portfolio - please consult an advisor to discuss if platinum is an appropriate option.
If you enjoyed this calculator, please try some of our other calculators:
On this page we present a palladium return calculator. Enter any two dates since January 1, 1987, and we will compute the annualized and total returns on a palladium investment. Optionally, adjust the returns for inflation (CPI).
Palladium prices are updated once a quarter, and resolution is one month. The tool will automatically snap to the best dates for your inputs.
Palladium is a precious metal of more recent vintage, and has recently become a popular option as the material used in some engagement rings. According to Wikipedia, it's status as a precious metal came about right around World War II as a substitute for white gold. It is still used today on its own merits, or in an alloy with gold.
Palladium in engagement rings aside, we give no advice to the suitability of palladium in a investment portfolio - please consult an advisor to discuss if palladium is an appropriate option for your investment portfolio.
As always, hope you enjoy the calculator - bookmark it and check back often! (Well, not more than once a day - we set it to update around midnight Eastern time.)
If you enjoy this calculator, please try some of our other calculators:
Ethereum returned -67.5% in 2022 in United States Dollar terms, not including transaction fees.
* Ethereum trades continuously so there is no traditional open and close, only an open and close trade of a year. Prices are based on CoinMarketCap data, sourced from Yahoo! Finance.
Like most risk assets (and closely related bitcoin) in 2022, ethereum plunged. It hit a high of $3,876.79 on January 4th, 2022, but declined pretty steadily for the remainder of the year. The low of $896.11 was seen in a trade on June 18, 2022.
You can try our our ethereum return calculator to see return between any two arbitrary dates. You can optionally adjust for inflation, measured by CPI.
Bitcoin returned -64.2% in 2022 in United States Dollar terms, not including any transaction fees. On January 1, 2022, Bitcoin opened* at $46,311.75, and closed* December 31, 2022 at $16,547.50 a coin.
* Bitcoin trades continuously so there is no traditional open and close, only an open and close trade of a year. Prices are based on CoinMarketCap data, sourced from Yahoo! Finance.
Like most risk assets in 2022, bitcoin plunged quite a bit. It hit a high of $47.881.41 on January 2nd, 2022, but declined pretty steadily from there throughout the remainder of the year. The low of $15,599.05 was seen in a trade on November 21, 2021.
You can try our our bitcoin return calculator to see return between any two arbitrary dates. You can optionally adjust for inflation, measured by CPI.
Bitcoin returned 60.27% in 2021, not including any transaction fees. At 7:00 PM Eastern Time on December 31, 2020, bitcoin traded at $28,948. If you sold at 7:00 PM Eastern Time on December 31, 2021, bitcoin was trading at $46,394 per coin.
Bitcoin really started taking off in September of 2020, accelerating up from roughly $10,000 a coin to as much as $60,000 in the spring. Bitcoin found a trough right under $30,000 a coin in the summer, before taking off again and touching $68,958 on November 10.
That's all on top of bitcoin's gain of 308% in 2020 and 92% in 2019. In 2018, bitcoin lost 73.56%... but gained a wild 1,318% in 2017.
Try our bitcoin return calculator to see return between any two arbitrary dates. You can optionally adjust for inflation measured by CPI.
I sourced historical bitcoin price data from Bitfinex
Bitcoin returned 307.83% in 2020, not including any transaction fees. After midnight (in the morning) on January 1, 2020, bitcoin's first trade was at $7,205.55 a coin. And the closing trade on December 31, 2020, before midnight was for $29,374.15 a coin.
307.8% is an eye popping gain.
And last year, 92% was a heck of a return. Bitcoin lost 73.56% in 2018... and gained a wild 1,318% in 2017. That's one volatile security – bitcoin is speculation not investment.
As I've said in the past, bitcoin comes with no claim on the future value of an income stream, merely the claim on a limited number of future coins. Unlike gold and other precious metal, there is no 'physical' bitcoin.
That doesn't mean you shouldn't own bitcoin or another cryptocurrency – just go into your investment with your eyes open. Holding bitcoin is risky, but if it makes sense in the context of a broader portfolio? Have at it.
Could bitcoin deliver 10%+ gains in 2021? Yeah, its possible – and it could also fall off a cliff. Be appropriately cautious, and have fun. To see how it's done with better resolution, I built a bitcoin return calculator with inflation adjustments.
I sourced historical bitcoin price data from CoinMarketCap.
Bitcoin returned 92.00% in 2019, not including any transaction fees. After midnight UTC on January 1, 2019, bitcoin traded at $3,746.71 a coin. And the closing trade on December 31, 2019, before midnight UTC was for $7,193.60 a coin.
92% is a heck of a return.
Contrast that with bitcoin's 73.56% loss in 2018... and its 1,318% gain in 2017. Those are some wild numbers – so keep in mind that, even with 11 years of history, bitcoin is speculation not investment.
With bitcoin, you have no claims on the future value of an income stream – as it is with gold and other commodities. Unlike gold and other commodities, bitcoin is entirely virtual. It would be best if you regarded bitcoin as riskier than a typical investment.
I've characterized cryptocurrencies this way in the past, but it remains controversial. You don't need to avoid speculations entirely.
Speculations are still assets – they are just assets that tend to vary more in value than other assets. If you are saving money you need on a specific date (for example, a wedding this year) you shouldn't speculate with that money. For these scenarios, look at something on the über-safe end of the spectrum – something like a money market account, certificate of deposit (with appropriate end date!), or something similar.
If you're young and in good health and don't need money immediately? Have at it. Ditto if you want to deploy money that you otherwise aren't investing and can afford to lose.
Just be prepared for bitcoin's value to fall off a cliff. It's also – of course – possible that bitcoin can provide you with wild positive returns. Who knows?
Historical bitcoin price data comes from CoinMarketCap.
Also: I built a bitcoin return calculator that can factor in inflation.
Enjoy volatility? Have an iron stomach? Have money you could lose without too much pain? Bitcoin is a chance to speculate and a chance at significant gains.
Every year I've been tracking it, bitcoin has fluctuated wildly. We've seen it go up many times only to fall quickly. We've seen it cut 3/4 of its price in a year only to bounce back and recover.
The only thing I can predict: bitcoin's price will fluctuate in 2020.