Reality check · same cash schedule
What if I invested $100/month in nasdaq vs bitcoin since 2020?
Same $100/month into NASDAQ 100 and Bitcoin since 2020 on real prices.
Quick answer
On the same $100/month schedule from 2020-01-03 through 2026-09-04, NASDAQ 100 ended near $16,092 (contributed $8,055) while Bitcoin ended near $22,494.
| Asset | Contributed | Ending value | Max DD | Approx. ann. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NASDAQ 100 | $8,055 | $16,092 | 20.0% | 10.9% |
| Bitcoin | $8,055 | $22,494 | 66.3% | 16.5% |
NASDAQ 100 path
Blind $100/month DCA in NASDAQ 100.
Quick answer
If you invested $100/month into NASDAQ 100 from 2020-01-03 through 2026-09-04, you contributed about $8,055. Your historical portfolio would be worth about $16,092 (+99.8% vs cash in), or roughly 10.9% annualized vs contributions. Max drawdown along the path was about 20.0%. Before fees and taxes.
2020-01-03 → 2026-09-04
$100/month · Monthly DCA · NASDAQ 100
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 $100/month DCA into NASDAQ 100 have been worth?
- On this page’s window (2020-01-03 → 2026-09-04), blind DCA contributed about $8,055 and ended near $16,092. 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 $100/month DCA in Bitcoin.
Quick answer
If you invested $100/month into Bitcoin from 2020-01-03 through 2026-09-04, you contributed about $8,055. Your historical portfolio would be worth about $22,494 (+179.3% vs cash in), or roughly 16.5% annualized vs contributions. Max drawdown along the path was about 66.3%. Before fees and taxes.
2020-01-03 → 2026-09-04
$100/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 $100/month DCA into Bitcoin have been worth?
- On this page’s window (2020-01-03 → 2026-09-04), blind DCA contributed about $8,055 and ended near $22,494. 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.