$1,000 in Bitcoin in 2015

A $1,000 investment in Bitcoin (BTC) made in January 2015 would be worth about $248,216 as of May 2026 (latest complete month) — a ×248 return, or +62.7% per year. Adjusted for US inflation (CPI), that equals $174,466 in 2015 dollars. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested would have grown to $4,275.

In plain terms: after stripping out +42.3% US inflation since January 2015, today's $248,216 buys roughly what $174,466 bought back in 2015 — a ×174 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
$248,216
×248 · +62.7%/yr
Inflation-adjusted
$174,466
in 2015 dollars
S&P 500 instead
$4,275
same period, dividends reinvested
Gold instead
$3,916
same period, futures price

The actual numbers: Bitcoin since 2015

BTC price in January 2015$314.78
BTC price as of May 2026$78,133
Nominal return×248 (+62.7%/yr)
US CPI inflation since January 2015+42.3%
Real (inflation-adjusted) return×174 (+57.7%/yr)
Same money in the S&P 500$4,275

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

What happened in 2015

2015 marked the bottom of the 2013–15 bear market: Bitcoin spent January near $200 and ended the year around $430. Ethereum launched in July and traded below $1 by October. Peak crypto-is-dead sentiment — and, in hindsight, a generational entry.

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Year
Month
Worth today
$248,216
×248 · +62.7%/yr
Inflation-adjusted
$174,466
in 2015 dollars
S&P 500 instead
$4,275
dividends reinvested
Gold instead
$3,916
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 2015

How much would $1,000 invested in Bitcoin in 2015 be worth today?

About $248,216 as of May 2026 — a ×248 return. Adjusted for inflation, that equals $174,466 in 2015 dollars. This assumes a one-time purchase in January 2015 at $314.78 and never selling.

What does “inflation-adjusted” mean here?

US consumer prices rose +42.3% between January 2015 and May 2026 (CPI). So $248,216 today buys roughly what $174,466 bought in 2015. We deflate by CPI to show the gain in actual purchasing power.

Did Bitcoin beat the S&P 500 since 2015?

Yes. $1,000 in Bitcoin grew to $248,216, versus $4,275 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 2015?

+62.7% per year nominal (CAGR over 11.3 years), or +57.7% 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 2015

Ethereum ETHDogecoin DOGEXRP XRPLitecoin LTCMonero XMR

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.