On the heels of Tesla’s purchase of $1.5 billion in Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency is hotter than ever, hitting new highs and nudging more fence-sitters into action.
It’s hardly the first big surge for digital currencies. For years, enthusiasts and skeptics have watched them redefine volatility, with prices often changing by thousands of dollars each day. Those fluctuations have made many traders hesitate to jump on board.
Whether you believe the analysts who say cryptocurrencies are a bubble that will inevitably pop and cost people billions or you follow the Bitcoin bulls, like the Winklevoss twins, knowing when to act is key. Hesitation can be costly, though.
If you’d taken a chance on Bitcoin in the past (and held on to it), you’d undoubtedly be pretty happy today. Here’s a look at what a token $100 investment in Bitcoin would be worth as of midmorning Monday, when the value of a Bitcoin, per Coindesk, is $43,741.59.
July 28, 2010: In the early days, a Bitcoin cost investors just 6¢ each. That $100 investment would now be worth (brace yourself) $72,902,650.
Dec.12, 2011: It didn’t take long for Bitcoin to gain ground. Within a year, it was selling for $3.19, meaning your $100 would buy you 31.3 Bitcoin—which are worth $1,371,210 today.
Dec. 10, 2012: By late 2012, Bitcoin had jumped to $13.54 each. Your $100 would have a current value of $323,055.
Dec. 16, 2013: This is the year that Bitcoin began its real climb. By December, it was selling for $638, which (at the time) seemed unthinkable. You’d have only gotten a portion of a Bitcoin for your $100, but it would still be worth $6,856.
Dec. 8, 2014: The rally, it seemed, was over. Bitcoin had slumped to $350 in late 2014. It would have been a good time to buy. A $100 investment would have a value of $12,498 today.
Dec. 7, 2015: Call it the calm before the storm. Bitcoin rose to $424 over 12 months, a reasonable surge. Had you put $100 into it, that investment would have increased to $10,316.
Dec. 12, 2016: You can almost hear the bomb ticking at this point. Bitcoin was trading for $780. Your $100 invested then would fetch $5,608 today.
Dec. 10, 2017: Bitcoin-mania was fully underway by this point, with prices exploding to $13,160. That $100 would today be worth $332.
Dec. 14, 2018: Newton’s law applies to cryptocurrencies too, sometimes. Prices had plunged throughout the year, dropping to $3,212.21. It wasn’t a bad buying opportunity, apparently. A $100 spend then would be worth $1,362.
Dec. 17, 2019: Things were climbing again; a Bitcoin was worth $6,584.03, but even the most enthusiastic traders had no idea what the coming year would bring. Your $100 investment right before the pandemic would be worth $664 now.
Dec. 5, 2020: The g-force from Bitcoin’s climb in 2020 would make even an experienced astronaut black out. By early December, the cryptocurrency was worth $19,045.02. That $100 would be worth $230 today. You’re doubling your money in a short time, but somehow it’s still not satisfying.
Feb. 5, 2021: Let’s say you jumped into Bitcoin last Friday—and were lucky enough to buy at the low $37,462.59. Good timing. That $100 is worth $117 today—a pretty impressive return in no time on a currency that’s so expensive these days that percentage jumps are harder and harder to come by.
