How Much Did Bitcoin Cost When It First Came Out

If you think the stock market'due south rise has been impressive, await until you see how Bitcoin has performed.

Bitcoin'south rise has certainly been a remarkable one. In only 12 years, this cryptocurrency has gone from having no monetary value to surging above $60,000 for a brief period. And for investors who got in during the early days and have held on, the returns take been absolutely remarkable.

While we obviously can't go back in time, it can be fun to expect at the amount of money fabricated by those with the foresight to go in on the ground floor of successful investments.

So here's how much yous would have if you had bought Bitcoin a decade ago, earlier most people had whatever idea what a cryptocurrency was.

The brusque answer

At the showtime of May 2011, Bitcoin was trading for approximately $iii.l (that isn't a typo). So, $1,000 would accept bought approximately 286 Bitcoins, not counting any transaction costs. Every bit of April 27, 2021, Bitcoin trades for $54,680.

That means 286 Bitcoins would be worth approximately $15.6 1000000 today, assuming you held on to them for the past 10 years.

It's important to mention that the last sentence is a
big
assumption. If you had been fortunate enough to dip into your savings and buy a bunch of Bitcoins at $3.50 each, would you take been tempted to sell when the toll first spiked to $100? What about when it outset broke through $1,000? Or the start time information technology eclipsed $ten,000? Many investors who got in during the early years of Bitcoin ended up selling at least
some
of their positions on the way up.

A timeline of Bitcoin prices

Speaking of the major milestones Bitcoin has hit over the years, here's a quick history of its prices.

• Bitcoin'due south network came into beingness in 2009 when the showtime block of Bitcoin was mined on Jan. three. All the same, there was no monetary value or marketplace for Bitcoin until at least 2010. In fact, in March 2010, an early adopter attempted to sale 10,000 Bitcoins for $50 (total), but couldn't find a buyer.
• The get-go real-globe Bitcoin transaction occurred in May 2010, where ten,000 Bitcoins were used to pay for 2 pizzas, valuing each Bitcoin at a fraction of a cent. Today, the value of this amount of Bitcoin would be nearly $550
  million.
• Bitcoin start crossed the $1.00 threshold in February 2011, just over a decade ago.
• The first major surge in Bitcoin popularity occurred in 2013, with prices spiking as high every bit $1,242 in November of that yr before retreating.
• The 2d major surge occurred in 2017. The cryptocurrency bankrupt through its previous 2013 high of $ane,242 in March, reaching as high as $19,783 in Dec of that twelvemonth earlier retreating.
• After 2017, involvement in Bitcoin fell for a considerable flow of fourth dimension. The price bottomed at $3,300 in Dec 2018 and didn't break through its 2017 loftier again until November 2020.
• Bitcoin first crossed the $50,000 threshold in Feb 2021 and briefly bankrupt through $threescore,000 in April.

Is $100,000 Bitcoin going to happen soon?

If in that location's one key takeaway, it is that the digital currency has been
very
unpredictable. Bitcoin has seen two major peaks, not counting the current rise. And each time, it has retreated considerably and taken several years to eclipse the previous highs.

It's entirely possible that we'll meet $100,000 Bitcoin in a affair of months or even sooner. But it's important to realize that $x,000 or less is likewise very possible. If you make up one's mind to buy Bitcoin at the current toll level, do and then with its volatile and unpredictable nature in heed.