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?

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 March 2024, Bitcoin soared to a record high of $73,750, according to CoinMarketCap. Bitcoin has been trading around $64,000 in mid-October 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 the closing price of $67,612 on Oct. 16, 2024. Historical price data are from CoinMarketCap.

• 1 year ago: If you invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2023, your investment would be worth $2,370.

• 5 years ago: If you invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2019, your investment would be worth $8,402.

• 10 years ago: If you invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2014, your investment would be worth $176,994.

• 15 years ago: If you invested $1,000 in Bitcoin in 2009, your investment would be worth $68.3 billion. Bitcoin traded at $0.00099 per bitcoin in October 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 $2.37 since Bitcoin is up 137 percent from October 2023.

• 5 years ago: A $1 investment would be worth $8.40 since Bitcoin is up 740 percent from October 2019.

• 10 years ago: A $1 investment would be worth $177 since Bitcoin is up 17,599 percent from October 2014.

• 15 years ago: A $1 investment would be worth $68 million since Bitcoin is up 6,829,490,000 percent from October 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 spot 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.

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.