Bitcoin vs Gold: which won?
Bitcoin crushed Gold since 2011 — more than 5065× as much.
Bitcoin
Winner$13,647,881
13,648× · +93.6%/yr
gold
Runner-up$2,695
2.69× · +7.1%/yr
$1,000 lump sum · end of 2011 → 2026
Want a different year, amount, or a third asset in the mix?
Open this in the calculator →Head to head
| Bitcoin | gold | |
|---|---|---|
| $1,000 would be | $13,647,881 | $2,695 |
| Total return | 13,648× | 2.69× |
| Annual return | +93.6% | +7.1% |
| Best single year | +5506% (2013) | +13% (2026) |
| Worst single year | −49% (2014) | −11% (2026) |
| Deepest drop | −75.6% | −40.2% |
| The ride | White-knuckle rollercoaster | Remarkably smooth ride |
The story
Put $1,000 into each at the end of 2011 and leave it alone. By the latest data, the Bitcoin stake is worth about $13,647,881 — a 13,648× return, or roughly +93.6% a year. The same money in Gold grew to about $2,695 (2.69×). Bitcoin wins this window decisively: more than 5065× as much, or about $13,645,187 more on the same $1,000.
The lead didn't come on the same road. Bitcoin's path was a white-knuckle rollercoaster, while Gold was a remarkably smooth ride. So Bitcoin's win came with the bigger stomach test: more upside, but you had to sit through sharper swings to collect it.
Neither was a straight line. Bitcoin's ugliest calendar year was −49% (2014) and its worst peak-to-trough fall reached −75.6%, recovered by 2020. Gold bottomed at −11% (2026) with a deepest drop of −40.2%. If you'd sold in the worst of it, none of the headline numbers above would have been yours.
Those are nominal dollars. Prices rose about 47.0% over the same stretch, so the real, spending-power gain is smaller than the multiple suggests for both. And this is one start year out of many — pick a different year and the result can flip. Past performance never predicts the future; this is a history lesson, not advice. Run your own year and amount below.
Common questions
- Was Bitcoin or Gold a better investment since 2011?
- Over 2011–2026, Bitcoin was the better investment: $1,000 grew to about $13,647,881 (13,648×), versus about $2,695 (2.69×) for Gold — more than 5065× as much.
- How much would $1,000 in Bitcoin be worth versus Gold?
- Starting at the end of 2011, $1,000 in Bitcoin would be worth about $13,647,881 today, and in Gold about $2,695 — a difference of roughly $13,645,187 on the same stake.
- Which was more volatile, Bitcoin or Gold?
- Bitcoin was the wilder ride — white-knuckle rollercoaster — with a deepest fall of −75.6%, while Gold was remarkably smooth ride (deepest fall −40.2%).
- Did Bitcoin always beat Gold?
- No. This compares a single start year (2011, the first both have data for). Different entry years — especially buying after a crash versus near a peak — can change or even reverse the winner. Use the calculator to test any year.