$1,000 in Ethereum in 2022

A $1,000 investment in Ethereum (ETH) made in January 2022 would be worth about $610 as of May 2026 (latest complete month) — a ×0.61 return, or −10.8% per year. Adjusted for US inflation (CPI), that equals $516 in 2022 dollars. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested would have grown to $1,613.

In plain terms: after stripping out +18.2% US inflation since January 2022, today's $610 buys roughly what $516 bought back in 2022 — a ×0.52 gain in actual purchasing power.

Ethereum launched in 2015 as the first programmable blockchain and powers most of DeFi, NFT and stablecoin activity. Unlike Bitcoin, its value case rests on network usage rather than fixed scarcity, and its returns have tracked crypto cycles with higher beta than BTC — in both directions.

Data as of · updated weekly

Worth today
$610
×0.61 · −10.8%/yr
Inflation-adjusted
$516
in 2022 dollars
S&P 500 instead
$1,613
same period, dividends reinvested
Gold instead
$2,534
same period, futures price

The actual numbers: Ethereum since 2022

ETH price in January 2022$3,761
ETH price as of May 2026$2,293
Nominal return×0.61 (−10.8%/yr)
US CPI inflation since January 2022+18.2%
Real (inflation-adjusted) return×0.52 (−14.2%/yr)
Same money in the S&P 500$1,613

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

What happened in 2022

2022 was the worst year in crypto history: the Terra/Luna death spiral in May, Celsius and Three Arrows in June, FTX's bankruptcy in November. Bitcoin fell 64% and many altcoins lost 90%+. Buying in 2022 meant catching a falling knife — or, late in the year, the bottom.

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Year
Month
Worth today
$610
×0.61 · −10.8%/yr
Inflation-adjusted
$516
in 2022 dollars
S&P 500 instead
$1,613
dividends reinvested
Gold instead
$2,534
same period

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

FAQ: Ethereum returns since 2022

How much would $1,000 invested in Ethereum in 2022 be worth today?

About $610 as of May 2026 — a ×0.61 return. Adjusted for inflation, that equals $516 in 2022 dollars. This assumes a one-time purchase in January 2022 at $3,761 and never selling.

What does “inflation-adjusted” mean here?

US consumer prices rose +18.2% between January 2022 and May 2026 (CPI). So $610 today buys roughly what $516 bought in 2022. We deflate by CPI to show the gain in actual purchasing power.

Did Ethereum beat the S&P 500 since 2022?

No. $1,000 in Ethereum is worth $610, while the same money in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested would be $1,613.

What was the average annual return of Ethereum since 2022?

−10.8% per year nominal (CAGR over 4.3 years), or −14.2% 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.

Ethereum in other years

20152016201720182019202020212022202320242025

Other assets in 2022

Bitcoin BTCSolana SOLDogecoin DOGECardano ADAXRP 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.