See how $100 invested in Bitcoin, the S&P 500 or Gold in 2010 would perform today, comparing the massive returns of BTC prices, the steady growth of the S&P 500 and the stability of gold.
Investing often means balancing risk and reward, and the performance of Bitcoin, the S&P 500, and gold over the past decade illustrates this best. If you had invested $100 in each in 2010, today's returns would vividly demonstrate their respective strengths and weaknesses. Bitcoin's explosive price growth has made early investors millionaires, while the S&P 500 has provided a steady and reliable income and gold has provided a safe haven in uncertain times. The price action of gold and the S&P 500 plays an important role in explaining why Bitcoin is the investment of the century.
Bitcoin, S&P 500, and Gold Performance: Historical Comparison
Bitcoin was created in 2009 by a pseudonymous person called "Satoshi Nakamoto." Despite a brief period of government resistance, the asset has begun to gain adoption and moved from the dark web to mainstream search engines, further bolstering its popularity. Bitcoin prices have risen 50% so far this year and are trading at $63,601.
Gold is a long-time competitor in global markets and has remained at the top of the financial food chain with little effort, mainly due to periodic global economic downturns. The asset has also grown in popularity, especially after the 2008 U.S. housing market crash, and may once again gain popularity in the expected global market downturn.
The S&P 500 is a benchmark index representing the 500 largest publicly traded companies in the United States, representing a more stable investment. Therefore, it can serve as a good indicator of the performance of the entire stock market. Since the beginning of the year, the S&P 500 has risen 20.24%.
Year-to-date performance of each asset class
Bitcoin: Up 50% year to date, trading around $63,880.
Gold: rose slightly and continued to play its role of preserving value.
S&P 500: Up 20.24% year to date, reflecting strong performance in U.S. equities.
Investment comparison: If you invested $100 in 2010
Bitcoin Price
The price of Bitcoin has risen dramatically, from $0.06 per coin in July 2010, when a $100 investment would have netted about 1,667 Bitcoins. Fast forward to 2024, and Bitcoin is priced at $63,880, making the initial $100 investment worth $105.7 million.
S&P 500 Index Price
The S&P 500 has been providing solid returns, surging more than 517.94% since 2010. However, accounting for inflation, those gains drop to 343%, meaning that $100 invested in the S&P 500 would be $443 today.
Gold Price
As for gold, the average price of gold was about $1,226 per ounce in 2010. An investment of $100 in gold would have yielded 0.081 ounces of assets in 2010. Since September 1, 2010, the price of gold has risen by about 213.7%, and the initial investment would have grown to $313.21.
While gold hasn’t performed as well as Bitcoin or as steadily as the S&P 500, its low returns reflect its role as a store of value.
How much would $100 invested in Bitcoin, S&P 500, and gold in 2010 be worth now
Bitcoin’s rise has undoubtedly outperformed traditional investments like gold and the S&P 500. A $100 investment in Bitcoin in 2010 would have made an investor a multimillionaire by 2024. While the S&P 500 has provided steady and reliable returns, growing 343% after adjusting for inflation, it pales in comparison to Bitcoin’s astronomical gains. Gold, while a reliable store of value, has underperformed relative to Bitcoin and the S&P 500, returning just 109% over the same period.
