If you were fortunate enough to invest $1,000 in Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) a decade ago on Sept. 3, 2016, you would have roughly $126,810 today -- an incredible return that absolutely crushed the market. Take a look at that incredible growth in the chart below:
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Note that the calculation excludes trading fees and taxes, and the exact total fluctuates daily with Bitcoin's price. Still, turning four figures into six figures in one decade is a remarkable result by any standard.
That's putting it lightly. Few things came remotely close to a 12,581% return -- a 62% annual rate -- in that time. Compare Bitcoin's annual rate of return with some other options you would have had in 2016.
Annualized Return (Sept. 2016-Sept. 2026)
Bitcoin suffered some brutal drawdowns along the way, and most investors jumped ship. It wasn't easy to hold on after a 70% crash while the "smart money" said to stay far away from Bitcoin.
Things have changed. Major institutions across Wall Street now hold Bitcoin. Motley Fool Research tracks major Bitcoin holdings by governments, public companies, and exchange-traded funds.
Of course, the flip side of that adoption is that it's highly unlikely we'll see returns in the future that come close to what we saw in the past. Still, I think Bitcoin is a smart addition as a small portion of a well-balanced portfolio.
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Johnny Rice has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Bitcoin. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
If You'd Invested $1,000 in Bitcoin 10 Years Ago, Here's How Much You'd Have Today was originally published by The Motley Fool