If You Invested $500 in Bitcoin in 2017
If you had put $500 into bitcoin on January 1, 2017, when it cost $998.33, you would own 0.500839 BTC (50,083,891 sats). At today's $79,722 that is worth $39,928 — 80 times your money, or +56.2% a year. The same $500 in the S&P 500 would be about $1,997.
Live price Oct 26, 2026, 21:00 UTC · daily closes since Sep 17, 2014
What it was worth along the way
| Year end | Bitcoin price | Your $500 |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | $14,156 | $7,090 |
| 2018 | $3,743 | $1,874 |
| 2019 | $7,194 | $3,603 |
| 2020 | $29,002 | $14,525 |
| 2021 | $46,306 | $23,192 |
| 2022 | $16,547 | $8,288 |
| 2023 | $42,265 | $21,168 |
| 2024 | $93,429 | $46,793 |
| 2025 | $87,509 | $43,828 |
| 2026 today | $79,722 | $39,928 |
Highest: $62,481 on Oct 6, 2025. Lowest: $390 on Jan 11, 2017.
Compared with other choices
| $500 put into… | Worth today |
|---|---|
| Bitcoin | $39,928 |
| S&P 500 (dividends reinvested) | $1,997 |
| Gold | $1,731 |
| Keeping up with US inflation | $690 |
Same start date. S&P 500 total return index (Yahoo Finance), COMEX gold, US CPI-U. Before tax and fees.
Other amounts and years
FAQ
How much would $500 in bitcoin in 2017 be worth today?
About $39,928, bought on January 1, 2017 at $998.33 and valued at today's $79,722. That is 0.500839 BTC.
What was the most it was worth?
About $62,481 at the close on October 6, 2025. At its lowest, on January 11, 2017, it was worth $390 — 22% below what you paid.
Would it have been better to buy every month instead?
It depends on the path the price took. Try the same amount spread out with the bitcoin DCA calculator.
Does this include fees and taxes?
No. Exchange fees, spreads and taxes on gains would reduce the result. Prices are daily closes at 00:00 UTC; nothing here is investment advice.
Bitcoin prices: BTC-USD daily closes at 00:00 UTC (Yahoo Finance) and the live price. Past performance does not predict future results; nothing here is investment advice.