If You Invested $10,000 in Bitcoin 10 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today
Key Points
Bitcoin's unbelievable past returns easily make this one of the top performing assets in recent memory.
Investors who have been watching this cryptocurrency from the sidelines might have no better opportunity to buy than right now.
- 10 stocks we like better than Bitcoin ›
Less than two decades ago, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) was an unknown project whose network was essentially worthless. Today, it's a global financial asset that is penetrating capital markets and benefiting from regulatory clarity.
If you invested $10,000 in the world's oldest and most valuable cryptocurrency 10 years ago, here's how much you'd have today.
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With a trailing 10-year return of 16,900% (as of March 20), Bitcoin could've turned a $10,000 starting investment into $1.7 million today. This easily makes it one of the best performing assets of the century. This magnificent gain has occurred despite the crypto trading 44% off its peak right now.
Bitcoin's long-term investors have deserved the financial rewards. They've had to endure extreme volatility, as the digital asset's price has plummeted more than 50% on numerous occasions. Being able to stomach the wild swings is certainly not easy.
While the ups and downs will surely continue, the trend is clear. Bitcoin, now with a market cap of $1.4 trillion, has attracted more capital over time. And driven by its decentralization, scarcity, security, and neutrality, its price appreciation should keep up over the next 10 years and beyond.
With Bitcoin trading significantly below its all-time record, prospective investors who have been observing from the sidelines might not have a better chance to buy this dominant cryptocurrency.
Should you buy stock in Bitcoin right now?
Before you buy stock in Bitcoin, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Bitcoin wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $503,592!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,076,767!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 913% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 185% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of March 24, 2026.
Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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