$1,000 in Bitcoin in 2013

A $1,000 investment in Bitcoin (BTC) made in January 2013 would be worth about $5.86M as of May 2026 (latest complete month) — a ×5,861 return, or +91.7% per year. Adjusted for US inflation (CPI), that equals $4.07M in 2013 dollars. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested would have grown to $6,447.

In plain terms: after stripping out +44.2% US inflation since January 2013, today's $5.86M buys roughly what $4.07M bought back in 2013 — a ×4,066 gain in actual purchasing power.

Bitcoin is the first and largest cryptocurrency, created in 2009 by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto. Its fixed 21-million-coin supply and four-year halving cycle have historically produced violent boom-and-bust cycles around a long-term upward trend. It remains the benchmark asset of the entire crypto market.

Data as of · updated weekly

Worth today
$5.86M
×5,861 · +91.7%/yr
Inflation-adjusted
$4.07M
in 2013 dollars
S&P 500 instead
$6,447
same period, dividends reinvested
Gold instead
$2,772
same period, futures price

The actual numbers: Bitcoin since 2013

BTC price in January 2013$13.33
BTC price as of May 2026$78,133
Nominal return×5,861 (+91.7%/yr)
US CPI inflation since January 2013+44.2%
Real (inflation-adjusted) return×4,066 (+86.5%/yr)
Same money in the S&P 500$6,447

Methodology: start-of-month prices, one-time purchase, no fees or taxes assumed. Full methodology.

What happened in 2013

2013 packed in two bubbles: a spring run to roughly $260 around the Cyprus banking crisis, then a November blow-off above $1,100 on Chinese demand — followed by China's first exchange restrictions and the start of a long bear market.

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Year
Month
Worth today
$5.86M
×5,861 · +91.7%/yr
Inflation-adjusted
$4.07M
in 2013 dollars
S&P 500 instead
$6,447
dividends reinvested
Gold instead
$2,772
same period

Bitcoin vs S&P 500 total return vs uninvested cash eroded by CPI. Monthly grid, start-of-month prices.

FAQ: Bitcoin returns since 2013

How much would $1,000 invested in Bitcoin in 2013 be worth today?

About $5.86M as of May 2026 — a ×5,861 return. Adjusted for inflation, that equals $4.07M in 2013 dollars. This assumes a one-time purchase in January 2013 at $13.33 and never selling.

What does “inflation-adjusted” mean here?

US consumer prices rose +44.2% between January 2013 and May 2026 (CPI). So $5.86M today buys roughly what $4.07M bought in 2013. We deflate by CPI to show the gain in actual purchasing power.

Did Bitcoin beat the S&P 500 since 2013?

Yes. $1,000 in Bitcoin grew to $5.86M, versus $6,447 for the same money in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested over the same period.

What was the average annual return of Bitcoin since 2013?

+91.7% per year nominal (CAGR over 13.3 years), or +86.5% per year after CPI inflation.

Where does the data come from?

Crypto prices: Coin Metrics community data and Binance public market data. S&P 500: total-return index (^SP500TR). Inflation: US CPI (CPIAUCSL) from FRED. All series use a monthly grid and refresh weekly.

Bitcoin in other years

2010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025

Other assets in 2013

Litecoin LTC

Educational purposes only — not investment advice and not a recommendation to buy or sell any asset. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Calculations assume a one-time purchase at the start-of-month price, no fees, no taxes and no selling.