$1,000 in Cardano in 2023

A $1,000 investment in Cardano (ADA) made in January 2023 would be worth about $994 as of May 2026 (latest complete month) — a ×0.99 return, or −0.2% per year. Adjusted for US inflation (CPI), that equals $894 in 2023 dollars. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested would have grown to $1,967.

In plain terms: after stripping out +11.2% US inflation since January 2023, today's $994 buys roughly what $894 bought back in 2023 — a ×0.89 gain in actual purchasing power.

Cardano is a proof-of-stake blockchain built around an academic, peer-review-driven development process. ADA was among the best performers of the 2017 bubble and again in 2021, but the persistent gap between its market cap and actual on-chain usage makes it a favorite target of critics.

Data as of · updated weekly

Worth today
$994
×0.99 · −0.2%/yr
Inflation-adjusted
$894
in 2023 dollars
S&P 500 instead
$1,967
same period, dividends reinvested
Gold instead
$2,622
same period, futures price

The actual numbers: Cardano since 2023

ADA price in January 2023$0.25
ADA price as of May 2026$0.248
Nominal return×0.99 (−0.2%/yr)
US CPI inflation since January 2023+11.2%
Real (inflation-adjusted) return×0.89 (−3.3%/yr)
Same money in the S&P 500$1,967

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

What happened in 2023

2023 was the quiet recovery from the FTX bottom: Bitcoin climbed from $16,500 to about $42,000 as fear faded and BlackRock's spot-ETF filing in June rewrote the institutional narrative.

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Year
Month
Worth today
$994
×0.99 · −0.2%/yr
Inflation-adjusted
$894
in 2023 dollars
S&P 500 instead
$1,967
dividends reinvested
Gold instead
$2,622
same period

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

FAQ: Cardano returns since 2023

How much would $1,000 invested in Cardano in 2023 be worth today?

About $994 as of May 2026 — a ×0.99 return. Adjusted for inflation, that equals $894 in 2023 dollars. This assumes a one-time purchase in January 2023 at $0.25 and never selling.

What does “inflation-adjusted” mean here?

US consumer prices rose +11.2% between January 2023 and May 2026 (CPI). So $994 today buys roughly what $894 bought in 2023. We deflate by CPI to show the gain in actual purchasing power.

Did Cardano beat the S&P 500 since 2023?

No. $1,000 in Cardano is worth $994, while the same money in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested would be $1,967.

What was the average annual return of Cardano since 2023?

−0.2% per year nominal (CAGR over 3.3 years), or −3.3% 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.

Cardano in other years

201720182019202020212022202320242025

Other assets in 2023

Bitcoin BTCEthereum ETHSolana SOLDogecoin DOGEXRP XRPLitecoin LTCBNB BNBChainlink 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.