$1,000 in Litecoin in 2021

A $1,000 investment in Litecoin (LTC) made in January 2021 would be worth about $439 as of May 2026 (latest complete month) — a ×0.44 return, or −14.3% per year. Adjusted for US inflation (CPI), that equals $345 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 $439 buys roughly what $345 bought back in 2021 — a ×0.35 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
$439
×0.44 · −14.3%/yr
Inflation-adjusted
$345
in 2021 dollars
S&P 500 instead
$2,076
same period, dividends reinvested
Gold instead
$2,425
same period, futures price

The actual numbers: Litecoin since 2021

LTC price in January 2021$126.17
LTC price as of May 2026$55.38
Nominal return×0.44 (−14.3%/yr)
US CPI inflation since January 2021+27.1%
Real (inflation-adjusted) return×0.35 (−18.1%/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.

Recalculate with your amount and date

Results and the chart update instantly as you change the inputs.

Year
Month
Worth today
$439
×0.44 · −14.3%/yr
Inflation-adjusted
$345
in 2021 dollars
S&P 500 instead
$2,076
dividends reinvested
Gold instead
$2,425
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 2021

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

About $439 as of May 2026 — a ×0.44 return. Adjusted for inflation, that equals $345 in 2021 dollars. This assumes a one-time purchase in January 2021 at $126.17 and never selling.

What does “inflation-adjusted” mean here?

US consumer prices rose +27.1% between January 2021 and May 2026 (CPI). So $439 today buys roughly what $345 bought in 2021. We deflate by CPI to show the gain in actual purchasing power.

Did Litecoin beat the S&P 500 since 2021?

No. $1,000 in Litecoin is worth $439, while the same money in the S&P 500 with dividends reinvested would be $2,076.

What was the average annual return of Litecoin since 2021?

−14.3% per year nominal (CAGR over 5.3 years), or −18.1% 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.

Litecoin in other years

2013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025

Other assets in 2021

Bitcoin BTCEthereum ETHSolana SOLDogecoin DOGECardano ADAXRP XRPBNB 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.