$1,000 in BNB in 2021

A $1,000 investment in BNB (BNB) made in January 2021 would be worth about $16,275 as of May 2026 (latest complete month) — a ×16 return, or +68.7% per year. Adjusted for US inflation (CPI), that equals $12,801 in 2021 dollars. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested would have grown to $2,076.

In plain terms: after stripping out +27.1% US inflation since January 2021, today's $16,275 buys roughly what $12,801 bought back in 2021 — a ×13 gain in actual purchasing power.

BNB is the exchange token of Binance, the largest crypto exchange. Launched in the 2017 ICO wave, it accrues value through trading-fee discounts, periodic token burns and the BNB Chain ecosystem. Its fortunes are tightly coupled to Binance itself — the upside and the regulatory risk alike.

Data as of · updated weekly

Worth today
$16,275
×16 · +68.7%/yr
Inflation-adjusted
$12,801
in 2021 dollars
S&P 500 instead
$2,076
same period, dividends reinvested
Gold instead
$2,425
same period, futures price

The actual numbers: BNB since 2021

BNB price in January 2021$37.80
BNB price as of May 2026$615.18
Nominal return×16 (+68.7%/yr)
US CPI inflation since January 2021+27.1%
Real (inflation-adjusted) return×13 (+61.3%/yr)
Same money in the S&P 500$2,076

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

What happened in 2021

2021 was the peak of the everything-rally: Bitcoin hit $69,000 in November, Ethereum $4,800, Dogecoin did a 100× into May, and memecoins minted and destroyed fortunes within months. Most assets bought mid-2021 were deeply underwater within a year.

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Year
Month
Worth today
$16,275
×16 · +68.7%/yr
Inflation-adjusted
$12,801
in 2021 dollars
S&P 500 instead
$2,076
dividends reinvested
Gold instead
$2,425
same period

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

FAQ: BNB returns since 2021

How much would $1,000 invested in BNB in 2021 be worth today?

About $16,275 as of May 2026 — a ×16 return. Adjusted for inflation, that equals $12,801 in 2021 dollars. This assumes a one-time purchase in January 2021 at $37.80 and never selling.

What does “inflation-adjusted” mean here?

US consumer prices rose +27.1% between January 2021 and May 2026 (CPI). So $16,275 today buys roughly what $12,801 bought in 2021. We deflate by CPI to show the gain in actual purchasing power.

Did BNB beat the S&P 500 since 2021?

Yes. $1,000 in BNB grew to $16,275, versus $2,076 for the same money in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested over the same period.

What was the average annual return of BNB since 2021?

+68.7% per year nominal (CAGR over 5.3 years), or +61.3% 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.

BNB in other years

201720182019202020212022202320242025

Other assets in 2021

Bitcoin BTCEthereum ETHSolana SOLDogecoin DOGECardano ADAXRP XRPLitecoin LTCChainlink LINK

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.