$1,000 in Litecoin in 2018

A $1,000 investment in Litecoin (LTC) made in January 2018 would be worth about $246 as of May 2026 (latest complete month) — a ×0.25 return, or −15.5% per year. Adjusted for US inflation (CPI), that equals $184 in 2018 dollars. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested would have grown to $3,086.

In plain terms: after stripping out +34.2% US inflation since January 2018, today's $246 buys roughly what $184 bought back in 2018 — a ×0.18 gain in actual purchasing power.

Litecoin is a 2011 Bitcoin fork marketed as silver to Bitcoin's gold: faster blocks, four times the supply. It was a top-3 coin for much of the 2010s, but its relative position has eroded every cycle as newer chains captured the market's attention.

Data as of · updated weekly

Worth today
$246
×0.25 · −15.5%/yr
Inflation-adjusted
$184
in 2018 dollars
S&P 500 instead
$3,086
same period, dividends reinvested
Gold instead
$3,560
same period, futures price

The actual numbers: Litecoin since 2018

LTC price in January 2018$224.82
LTC price as of May 2026$55.38
Nominal return×0.25 (−15.5%/yr)
US CPI inflation since January 2018+34.2%
Real (inflation-adjusted) return×0.18 (−18.4%/yr)
Same money in the S&P 500$3,086

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

What happened in 2018

2018 was the crypto winter: Bitcoin fell 73%, Ethereum more than 80%, and most 2017 ICO tokens lost 95%+. A brutal lesson in what follows vertical years.

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Year
Month
Worth today
$246
×0.25 · −15.5%/yr
Inflation-adjusted
$184
in 2018 dollars
S&P 500 instead
$3,086
dividends reinvested
Gold instead
$3,560
same period

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

FAQ: Litecoin returns since 2018

How much would $1,000 invested in Litecoin in 2018 be worth today?

About $246 as of May 2026 — a ×0.25 return. Adjusted for inflation, that equals $184 in 2018 dollars. This assumes a one-time purchase in January 2018 at $224.82 and never selling.

What does “inflation-adjusted” mean here?

US consumer prices rose +34.2% between January 2018 and May 2026 (CPI). So $246 today buys roughly what $184 bought in 2018. We deflate by CPI to show the gain in actual purchasing power.

Did Litecoin beat the S&P 500 since 2018?

No. $1,000 in Litecoin is worth $246, while the same money in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested would be $3,086.

What was the average annual return of Litecoin since 2018?

−15.5% per year nominal (CAGR over 8.3 years), or −18.4% 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.

Litecoin in other years

2013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025

Other assets in 2018

Bitcoin BTCEthereum ETHDogecoin DOGECardano ADAXRP XRPBNB BNBChainlink LINKTRON TRX

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.