How Bitcoin Investments Have Performed Over the Last 5 Years: A Retrospective Look

A Look Back: Bitcoin's Price 5 Years Ago

Hindsight is always 20/20, especially in the world of investing. The cryptocurrency market, known for its dramatic peaks and troughs, often leaves people wondering, "what if?" One of the most common hypothetical questions revolves around its biggest player: Bitcoin. To understand the potential growth, we first need to travel back in time five years.

In mid-2019, the crypto market was in a period of recovery after the significant crash of 2018. Bitcoin was no longer the obscure digital currency it was in its early days, but it hadn't yet reached the mainstream adoption we see today. During May 2019, the price of a single Bitcoin hovered around the $8,500 mark. For many, this price seemed high at the time, but as we'll see, it represented a significant opportunity for those who chose to invest.

Calculating Your Potential Returns: Three Scenarios

To truly grasp the impact of an investment made five years ago, let's break it down into a few common scenarios. For these calculations, we'll use a starting price of $8,500 per Bitcoin in May 2019 and a hypothetical present-day value of approximately $68,000 per Bitcoin. It's important to remember these are estimates, as prices fluctuate constantly.

Scenario 1: A $100 Investment

A $100 investment is a common entry point for many new investors looking to test the waters. Back in 2019, putting $100 into Bitcoin would have purchased a fraction of a coin. The math would look like this: $100 divided by the $8,500 price per coin would have netted you approximately 0.01176 BTC.

Fast forward to today. If you had held onto that small fraction of a Bitcoin, its value would have grown substantially. At a price of $68,000 per BTC, your 0.01176 BTC would now be worth around $799. This represents an incredible return of nearly 700%, turning a small, experimental investment into a significant gain.

Scenario 2: A $1,000 Investment

Let's increase the initial investment to $1,000. For many, this represents a more substantial but still manageable commitment. In May 2019, a $1,000 investment would have acquired a larger portion of a Bitcoin. By dividing $1,000 by the $8,500 price, you would have owned approximately 0.1176 BTC.

Holding that investment for five years would have been a very profitable decision. With Bitcoin's price reaching $68,000, your 0.1176 BTC would now have a value of approximately $7,996. This single investment would have generated nearly $7,000 in profit, showcasing the powerful growth potential Bitcoin has demonstrated over the long term.

Scenario 3: A $5,000 Investment

For our final scenario, let's consider a more significant investment of $5,000. This amount would have purchased a substantial piece of the digital asset. At $8,500 per coin, a $5,000 investment would have secured you roughly 0.5882 BTC—more than half a Bitcoin.

The returns on this scale are truly life-changing for many. Today, that 0.5882 BTC would be valued at a staggering $39,997. An initial investment of $5,000 could have blossomed into nearly $40,000 in just five years. It's also worth noting that if you had sold at Bitcoin's all-time high of over $73,000 in early 2024, that same investment would have briefly been worth over $42,900.