Reality check · same cash schedule
What if I invested $500/month in gold vs bitcoin since 2017?
Same $500/month into Gold and Bitcoin since 2017 on real prices.
Quick answer
On the same $500/month schedule from 2017-01-06 through 2026-09-04, Gold ended near $119,428 (contributed $58,267) while Bitcoin ended near $342,370.
| Asset | Contributed | Ending value | Max DD | Approx. ann. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold | $58,267 | $119,428 | 49.0% | 7.7% |
| Bitcoin | $58,267 | $342,370 | 85.9% | 20.0% |
Gold path
Blind $500/month DCA in Gold.
Quick answer
If you invested $500/month into Gold from 2017-01-06 through 2026-09-04, you contributed about $58,267. Your historical portfolio would be worth about $119,428 (+105% vs cash in), or roughly 7.7% annualized vs contributions. Max drawdown along the path was about 49.0%. Before fees and taxes.
2017-01-06 → 2026-09-04
$500/month · Monthly DCA · Gold
Loading chart…
The chart marks portfolio value over time for fixed-amount DCA and (when shown) a same-capital lump sum. Contributed cash rises in steps; ending value is mark-to-market on the last date (2026-09-04). Approx. annualized compares ending value to total contributed over the window length — not a pure time-weighted return.
How did we calculate this?
- Window: real market history from our published backtest bundle, typically from 2015 through the latest Friday in the series — we do not invent older decades.
- Contribution calendar: the engine runs on a weekly Friday grid. A “monthly” habit is converted to an equivalent weekly cash rate ((amount × 12) / 52) so the same engine can compare habits.
- Purchase timing: each period’s contribution is applied on that week’s bar in the series (close-based weekly path), not an intraday open fill.
- Assets: S&P 500, Bitcoin, and other series we publish — USD only. No FX conversion.
- Shares: fractional units are assumed. No brokerage commissions, bid–ask, or slippage are modeled.
- Dividends / income: returns follow the wealth path in the backtest bundle for that asset (not a fixed 7–10% toy rate).
- Lump sum (when shown): the same total cash as the DCA habit, invested on day one of the window, then marked to the same path.
Frequently asked questions
- How much would $500/month DCA into Gold have been worth?
- On this page’s window (2017-01-06 → 2026-09-04), blind DCA contributed about $58,267 and ended near $119,428. Change the calculator or a related what-if story for other amounts and start years.
- Is this a forecast or a historical backtest?
- Historical only. We replay published prices from 2015 onward. Past paths do not predict future returns.
- Do you include dividends, fees, and taxes?
- We use the asset’s backtest wealth path (USD) and assume fractional shares with no brokerage fees. Taxes and account wrappers are not modeled — treat the result as a pre-tax illustration.
- How do monthly contributions work in a weekly engine?
- A monthly dollar amount is converted to a weekly-equivalent cash rate so it can run on the same Friday grid as our other calculators. It is not twelve identical calendar-month fills.
- Can I compare DCA to investing everything at once?
- Yes — open the DCA vs lump sum calculator. It uses the same total cash: one lump on day one versus spreading buys across the window.
- Where can I learn the basics before I run a calculator?
- Start with our DCA guides — what DCA is, vs lump sum, weekly vs monthly, and crash behavior — then jump back into a historical calculator.
Try another habit
Bitcoin path
Blind $500/month DCA in Bitcoin.
Quick answer
If you invested $500/month into Bitcoin from 2017-01-06 through 2026-09-04, you contributed about $58,267. Your historical portfolio would be worth about $342,370 (+487.6% vs cash in), or roughly 20.0% annualized vs contributions. Max drawdown along the path was about 85.9%. Before fees and taxes.
2017-01-06 → 2026-09-04
$500/month · Monthly DCA · Bitcoin
Loading chart…
The chart marks portfolio value over time for fixed-amount DCA and (when shown) a same-capital lump sum. Contributed cash rises in steps; ending value is mark-to-market on the last date (2026-09-04). Approx. annualized compares ending value to total contributed over the window length — not a pure time-weighted return.
How did we calculate this?
- Window: real market history from our published backtest bundle, typically from 2015 through the latest Friday in the series — we do not invent older decades.
- Contribution calendar: the engine runs on a weekly Friday grid. A “monthly” habit is converted to an equivalent weekly cash rate ((amount × 12) / 52) so the same engine can compare habits.
- Purchase timing: each period’s contribution is applied on that week’s bar in the series (close-based weekly path), not an intraday open fill.
- Assets: S&P 500, Bitcoin, and other series we publish — USD only. No FX conversion.
- Shares: fractional units are assumed. No brokerage commissions, bid–ask, or slippage are modeled.
- Dividends / income: returns follow the wealth path in the backtest bundle for that asset (not a fixed 7–10% toy rate).
- Lump sum (when shown): the same total cash as the DCA habit, invested on day one of the window, then marked to the same path.
Frequently asked questions
- How much would $500/month DCA into Bitcoin have been worth?
- On this page’s window (2017-01-06 → 2026-09-04), blind DCA contributed about $58,267 and ended near $342,370. Change the calculator or a related what-if story for other amounts and start years.
- Is this a forecast or a historical backtest?
- Historical only. We replay published prices from 2015 onward. Past paths do not predict future returns.
- Do you include dividends, fees, and taxes?
- We use the asset’s backtest wealth path (USD) and assume fractional shares with no brokerage fees. Taxes and account wrappers are not modeled — treat the result as a pre-tax illustration.
- How do monthly contributions work in a weekly engine?
- A monthly dollar amount is converted to a weekly-equivalent cash rate so it can run on the same Friday grid as our other calculators. It is not twelve identical calendar-month fills.
- Can I compare DCA to investing everything at once?
- Yes — open the DCA vs lump sum calculator. It uses the same total cash: one lump on day one versus spreading buys across the window.
- Where can I learn the basics before I run a calculator?
- Start with our DCA guides — what DCA is, vs lump sum, weekly vs monthly, and crash behavior — then jump back into a historical calculator.