If You Had Invested in Ethereum (ETH)
Smart-contract platform and second-largest crypto. Pick an amount and a starting month above — the result, the chart and the S&P 500 comparison update instantly, with dividends reinvested.
Ethereum price history
$1,000 invested in Ethereum — what it became
| Invested | Value today | Total return | Per year (CAGR) | S&P 500 same period |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start of 2025 (1 year ago) | $745 | -26% | -17.0% | $1,294 |
| Start of 2023 (3 years ago) | $1,548 | +55% | 13.0% | $1,970 |
| Start of 2021 (5 years ago) | $1,868 | +87% | 11.8% | $2,228 |
| 2017-11 (9 years, since our data begins) | $5,494 | +449% | 21.5% | $3,308 |
Monthly investing in Ethereum — projected forward
What if you started investing a fixed amount into Ethereum every month from today? This projection applies the coin's own historical average return to your plan — pick which history to assume, or set your own rate. Treat it as a what-if, not a forecast: few assets repeat their past.
Ethereum by the numbers
- Best full year: 2020 (+469%)
- Worst full year: 2018 (-82%)
- Deepest fall from a peak (monthly data): -90% — the price of holding any single coin
- Average return since 2017: 21.5% per year
Reading the results
Returns are computed from monthly adjusted prices in US dollars, meaning stock splits and reinvested dividends are included. A euro investor's result would additionally move with the USD/EUR exchange rate. And the obvious but essential caveat: these are the results of one specific coin picked with hindsight — past performance tells you what happened, not what happens next.
If numbers like these tempt you to invest, the boring path usually wins: a diversified index fund bought monthly. See how to start investing in Europe, compare costs in the broker comparison, or project your own plan with the compound interest calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What would $1,000 invested in Ethereum 10 years ago be worth today?
About $5,494 in USD with dividends reinvested — a total return of +449% from a $1,000 investment made at the start of 2016.
What is Ethereum's average annual return?
Since 2017, Ethereum has returned about 21.5% per year with dividends reinvested, and about 21.5% per year over the past 10 years. Averages hide large swings — see the best and worst years above.
Did Ethereum beat the S&P 500?
Over the past 10 years, $1,000 in Ethereum grew to about $5,494 while the same amount in an S&P 500 fund grew to about $3,308 — so Ethereum beat the index over that period. Other periods can tell a different story; use the calculator above to check any timeframe.