Feeling a twinge of regret for ignoring the crypto market until now? These numbers aren't going to make you feel any better.
Cryptocurrency is booming right now, and it seems to be all anyone in finance wants to talk about.
Those of us who are just starting to pay attention now are probably kicking ourselves for ignoring the opportunity years ago -- when it would have been much cheaper to dip our toes in the water.
How much was ETH worth 5 years ago?
Ethereum is a decentralized blockchain (a database of cryptocurrency transactions). It supports thousands of cryptocurrencies and NFTs, including its native coin, Ether (ETH). It's the second-largest cryptocurrency, after Bitcoin.
According to Coindesk historical data, the price of ETH five years ago (on April 12, 2016) was $7.10 for one coin. If you bought $10 worth of the currency, you'd have 1.4 ETH. ($10 divided by $7.10 is 1.4.)
How much is ETH worth today?
The price of Ether as of April 12, 2021 is $2,144.42 for one coin. That's 302 times the price five years ago -- about 30,000% growth!
If you bought $10 of ETH 5 years ago, here's how much you'd have today
Growth like that is too phenomenal for most of us to fathom, so we'll do the math for you. If you bought $10 worth of Ethereum five years ago, you'd have about $3,020 today ($10 x 302). That's not exactly retirement money, but it's not bad for a $10 buy-in.
For anyone who saw the potential in cryptocurrency back then and did want to bet an early retirement on it, they could probably have reached that goal with an investment of about $4,100. Five years ago, $4,139 worth of Ethereum, left untouched, would be about $1.25 million today, enough to support $50,000 in annual living expenses for the next 25 years.
Is Ethereum a good investment now?
Like many other cryptocurrencies, Ethereum is having a moment right now. Its value is soaring -- up 1,224% from a year ago, and almost constantly rising in value since fall of 2020.
So does that make it a good investment?
If your reason for investing in cryptocurrency is to get rich quickly, it's not a good investment -- no investment is if that's your motivation. No investment comes with guaranteed returns, and crypto is more volatile than any other market.
All of cryptocurrency is just over a decade old, and Ethereum has been around for less than six years. Even though we've seen phenomenal jumps in value in that time, we've also seen significant drops. And the market doesn't have enough history -- like the traditional stock market -- to figure out whether it stands to stabilize and yield positive returns in the long run.
Folks who've earned thousands or millions of dollars in returns with the currency made big bets years ago and got lucky. Crypto investment is best for money you're willing and able to lose -- because your financial future can't depend on luck.
To get started with cryptocurrency trading, check out our list of the best cryptocurrency exchanges and apps.
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FAQs
If you bought $10 worth of Ethereum five years ago, you'd have about $3,020 today ($10 x 302). That's not exactly retirement money, but it's not bad for a $10 buy-in.
How much would i have if i invested in Ethereum 5 years ago? ›
How profitable has Ethereum been over the last five years? If you had put $300 into Ethereum five years ago, you'd have roughly $5,600 today. That's a 1,770% return, even higher than Bitcoin's 1,000% performance over the same period. The S&P 500, for comparison, increased in value by just 87%.
How much is $1,000 in Ethereum 5 years ago? ›
13, 2018, when ETH hit its all-time high of 1,432.88 and that $1000 investment would have turned into $1.67 million. Five years later to press-time and the $1,000 would be worth $709,740.70. The returns may not be as impressive, like those in 2018, but it is still a whopping 70,974% gain.
How much could Ethereum be worth in 5 years? ›
Ethereum (ETH) Price Prediction 2030
| Year | Price |
|---|
| 2025 | $ 3,955.96 |
| 2026 | $ 4,153.76 |
| 2027 | $ 4,361.45 |
| 2030 | $ 5,048.92 |
1 more rowBy the year 2025, Ethereum is expected to reach the maximum level of $6,500 with a minimum of $ 4,500 and an average of $5,500. And by the year 2030, it is expected that it may go up to a maximum of $20,500. The current year will witness the Dencun upgrade, which is anticipated to positively boost the value of ETH.
How much will 1 Ethereum be worth in 2030? ›
Ethereum (ETH) Price Prediction 2024-2040
| Year | Minimum Price | Maximum Price |
|---|
| 2027 | $11,892.81 | $14,527.55 |
| 2028 | $18,352.16 | $20,942.91 |
| 2029 | $26,883.31 | $31,829.82 |
| 2030 | $38,664.13 | $47,066.29 |
8 more rowsEthereum price prediction for 2050
If Ethereum were to grow by an average yearly rate of 11.1%, the ETH price prediction for 2050 would be approximately $52,692. This would imply a market capitalization of $5.91 trillion, based on the current ETH supply. No cryptocurrency has reached such a valuation so far.
How much is $500 dollars in Ethereum worth today? ›
How much will 1 Ethereum be worth in 2025? ›
Ethereum Price Prediction Table
| Year | Average Price* | Percent Increase |
|---|
| 2025 | $5,028.95 | 66.67% |
| 2026 | $7,487.33 | 40.00% |
| 2027 | $10,918.50 | 42.86% |
| 2028 | $15,768 | 50.00% |
8 more rowsEthereum (ETH) is the world's second-biggest cryptocurrency, behind Bitcoin (BTC). It was launched in July 2015 and first traded on August 7 for $2.77. The next day, the coin's value had fallen to $0.81. It remained under $1 until January 2016.
By 2017, Ether had gained popularity and reached the $100 mark in May 2017. By the end of 2017, Ether had reached a value of $774.69 and within the first week of 2018, it crossed the $1000 mark.
How high can Ethereum go in 2024? ›
ETH Price Prediction 2024-2030
| Year | Minimum Price / Maximum Price |
|---|
| 2024 | $6200 to $7500 |
| 2025 | $10,500 to $11,500 |
Can Ethereum Classic Reach $10,000? It's difficult to predict what will happen to cryptocurrency prices. It is possible that ETC will reach $10,000, but it's just as likely it will collapse and be worthless.
How much will 1 bitcoin be worth in 2030? ›
Bitcoin (BTC) Price Prediction 2030
| Year | Price |
|---|
| 2025 | $ 72,982.10 |
| 2026 | $ 76,631.20 |
| 2027 | $ 80,462.76 |
| 2030 | $ 93,145.70 |
1 more rowTop 10 Cryptos in 2024
| Coin | Market Capitalization | Current Price |
|---|
| Ripple (XRP) | $28 billion | $0.51 |
| Dogecoin (DOGE) | $22 billion | $0.15 |
| Tron (TRX) | $10 billion | $0.12 |
| Polkadot (DOT) | $9.9 billion | $6.9 |
6 more rowsBitcoin Price Prediction 2025
Therefore, the average Bitcoin price prediction for 2025 will potentially be $95,903.
How many years did it take Ethereum to reach 1000? ›
By 2017, Ether had gained popularity and reached the $100 mark in May 2017. By the end of 2017, Ether had reached a value of $774.69 and within the first week of 2018, it crossed the $1000 mark.
How much will 1 Ethereum be worth in 2040? ›
1 ETH would be worth $12,212 in 2040 based on a 11.8% yearly growth rate. Calculate your potential ETH profits with our Ethereum profit calculator. This is a much more realistic scenario, as it would translate to a $1.4 trillion market cap for Ethereum.
How much was Ethereum in 2015? ›
In 2015, the year that Ethereum first launched, the price started at around $0.74 and the lowest closing price for ETH was $0.42. The year 2015 was the only time when Ethereum was worth one dollar or less, with the exception of January 2016.
