If You Bought $5 in Bitcoin 7 Years Ago, You'd Be $4.4 Million Richer (2024)

Seven years ago, the value of a single bitcoin was worth a quarter-of-a-cent. Today, that single bitcoin is worth upwards of $2,200.

Monday marked the seventh anniversary of what is said to be the first recorded instance of bitcoin used in a real world transaction. Over the course of seven years, bitcoin’s value has multiplied 879,999 times over since 2010. If an investor had decided to spend five dollars back then on about 2,000 bitcoins, that stake would be worth $4.4 million today. With $1,200 spent on some 480,000 bitcoins, the investor would be worth at least $1.1 billion today.

The early months of 2017 have been particularly heady days for bitcoin. Since the beginning of the year, the value of the cryptocurrency has surged as it gains legitimacy in countries like Japan. Investors have also come to see the currency as something of a safe haven asset amid geopolitical turmoil — and there’s been plenty of that in recent months, in both Europe and the United States.

And that first transaction? A software programmer on “Bitcoin Talk” known as Lazlo Hanyecz offered to 10,000 bitcoins for a couple of pizzas. For a least three days, no one took bite of the offer, with Hanyecz writing: “So nobody wants to buy me pizza? Is the bitcoin amount I’m offering too low?”

A user eventually paid about $25 for two pizzas. In today’s bitcoins, those pizzas cost Hanyecz $22 million.

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If You Bought $5 in Bitcoin 7 Years Ago, You'd Be $4.4 Million Richer (2024)

FAQs

How much money would I have if I invested in Bitcoin 5 years ago? ›

Bitcoin prices have fallen over 30% from their high twice, and over 60% once, over the past five years alone! But you'd be pretty happy if you'd bought five years ago and held on for dear life. A $1,000 investment in Bitcoin five years ago will have grown to over $13,000 today.

What if you put $1000 in Bitcoin 5 years ago? ›

If you had invested $1,000 into bitcoin five years ago, the investment would have grown by 1,352% and be worth around $14,524 as of Feb. 14. If you had bought $1,000 worth of bitcoin 10 years ago, it would have grown by 7,644% and be worth around $77,443 as of Feb.

How much should I invest in Bitcoin to get rich? ›

While this is a lower-bound scenario, we can use it as a baseline to show what it takes for investors to become Bitcoin millionaires. Assuming an annualized return of 30%, one would need to invest roughly $85,500 annually for five years to hit millionaire status.

Can you buy $5 worth of Bitcoin? ›

In theory it takes only a few dollars to invest in cryptocurrency. Most crypto exchanges, for example, have a minimum trade that might be $5 or $10. Other crypto trading apps might have a minimum that's even lower.

How much will $100 Bitcoin be worth in 10 years? ›

A $100 investment in Bitcoin could purchase 0.00607 BTC today based on a price of $16,466.14 at the time of writing. If Bitcoin hits the $1 million price target by Wood in 2030, the $100 investment would turn into $6,070. This represents a gain of 5,970% from now until 2030.

How much will I get if I put $1 dollar in Bitcoin? ›

1 USD equals 0.000015 BTC. The current value of 1 United States Dollar is -2.97% against the exchange rate to BTC in the last 24 hours. ​ The current Bitcoin market cap is $1.33T. ​Create a free Kraken account to instantly convert USD to BTC today.

How much will 1 ethereum be worth in 2030? ›

Per a financial report in Forbes, a single share of Ether could reach highs of $40,000 by the end of 2030.

How much will a Bitcoin be worth in 20 years? ›

Jurrien Timmer, Director of Global Macro at Fidelity Investments, predicts a staggering future for Bitcoin, suggesting that the value of a single Bitcoin could soar to $1 billion by 2038 to 2040.

How much will Bitcoin cash be worth in 5 years? ›

Bitcoin Cash (BCH) Price Prediction 2030
YearPrice
2025$ 496.68
2026$ 521.51
2027$ 547.59
2030$ 633.90
1 more row

Can you make $100 a day with crypto? ›

Can You Make $100 a Day With Crypto? It is possible to make $100 per day, but there is no guarantee or specific technique you can use to ensure it happens. Cryptocurrency trading, lending, staking, and investing all come with significant risks because it is such a volatile and unpredictable asset.

How many millionaires hold Bitcoin? ›

With that in mind, the actual numbers behind the Bitcoin distribution are still surprising: 46.8 million wallet addresses have more than $1. 10,000 wallets have more than $10 million in Bitcoin. 100,000 wallets have more than $1 million.

Can you convert Bitcoin into cash? ›

‍A: Bitcoin ATMs allow you to sell Bitcoin in exchange for cash. You need to verify your identity, typically through a government-issued ID, phone number, and a picture. You then send Bitcoin to the ATM's wallet and receive cash equivalent. The transaction process can take around 10-20 minutes.

Can you just buy Bitcoin and leave it? ›

After buying the coins, you will need to transfer them to a digital wallet or use a third-party service like Coinbase to store your coins. If you only want to buy cryptocurrency as an investment, you may be able to do so through your brokerage.

How many people own 1 Bitcoin? ›

However, some estimates can be made based on blockchain data and surveys of Bitcoin holders. According to data from Bitinfocharts, as of March 2023, there are approximately 827,000 addresses that hold 1 bitcoin or more, representing around 4.5% of all addresses on the Bitcoin network.

How does Bitcoin work for beginners? ›

Bitcoin is a form of digital currency that uses blockchain technology to support transactions between users on a decentralized network. New Bitcoins are created as part of the mining process, as a reward to people whose computer systems help validate transactions. Buying Bitcoin exposes you to a volatile asset class.

What if I invest $100 in Bitcoin 5 years ago? ›

Thus, a mere $100 stake in Bitcoin five years ago, when it was trading at around $7,000, would have resulted in an immediate 50% crash as the digital coin fell to $3,500 in early 2019.

What is the return of Bitcoin for 5 years? ›

Average returns
PeriodAverage annualised returnTotal return
Last year112.5%112.5%
Last 5 years64.5%1,104.4%
Last 10 years67.6%17,355.7%

Is investing $1000 in Bitcoin worth it? ›

If we go by Wood's predictions of Bitcoin hitting $1 million in 2030, that would represent a 1,288% price increase from today's price. In turn, $1,000 in Bitcoin bought today would produce a return of $12,880 return in six years.

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