$1,000 in Chainlink in 2021

A $1,000 investment in Chainlink (LINK) made in January 2021 would be worth about $766 as of May 2026 (latest complete month) — a ×0.77 return, or −4.9% per year. Adjusted for US inflation (CPI), that equals $602 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 $766 buys roughly what $602 bought back in 2021 — a ×0.6 gain in actual purchasing power.

Chainlink is the dominant oracle network, feeding real-world prices into DeFi protocols. LINK was one of the strongest altcoins of 2019–2021, but like most infrastructure tokens its price has chronically lagged the actual adoption of the technology it powers.

Data as of · updated weekly

Worth today
$766
×0.77 · −4.9%/yr
Inflation-adjusted
$602
in 2021 dollars
S&P 500 instead
$2,076
same period, dividends reinvested
Gold instead
$2,425
same period, futures price

The actual numbers: Chainlink since 2021

LINK price in January 2021$11.87
LINK price as of May 2026$9.09
Nominal return×0.77 (−4.9%/yr)
US CPI inflation since January 2021+27.1%
Real (inflation-adjusted) return×0.6 (−9.1%/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
$766
×0.77 · −4.9%/yr
Inflation-adjusted
$602
in 2021 dollars
S&P 500 instead
$2,076
dividends reinvested
Gold instead
$2,425
same period

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

FAQ: Chainlink returns since 2021

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

About $766 as of May 2026 — a ×0.77 return. Adjusted for inflation, that equals $602 in 2021 dollars. This assumes a one-time purchase in January 2021 at $11.87 and never selling.

What does “inflation-adjusted” mean here?

US consumer prices rose +27.1% between January 2021 and May 2026 (CPI). So $766 today buys roughly what $602 bought in 2021. We deflate by CPI to show the gain in actual purchasing power.

Did Chainlink beat the S&P 500 since 2021?

No. $1,000 in Chainlink is worth $766, while the same money in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested would be $2,076.

What was the average annual return of Chainlink since 2021?

−4.9% per year nominal (CAGR over 5.3 years), or −9.1% 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.

Chainlink in other years

201720182019202020212022202320242025

Other assets in 2021

Bitcoin BTCEthereum ETHSolana SOLDogecoin DOGECardano ADAXRP XRPLitecoin LTCBNB BNB

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.