May 19, 2026 – Nuremberg, Germany
based on Queenbird DCA Calculator Data Monthly Bitcoin purchases since 2015 returned +4,515%, while investors would have endured a 76.7% drawdown, and DCA underperformed the overall investment in Coinbird’s tested short-term scenarios.
New analysis from independent cryptocurrency comparison platform Coinbird shows what a controlled monthly purchase of Bitcoin since 2015 could have yielded, while also showing where the popular “just DCA in Bitcoin” narrative oversimplifies reality.
The results are based on Coinbird’s Bitcoin DCA calculator, which uses historical Bitcoin price data from CoinGecko and allows users to model recurring investment scenarios going back to 2013.
To run backtesting or explore alternative scenarios, users can visit here.
Key findings
- An investor who started a $100 per month Bitcoin DCA plan in January 2015 would have made 137 monthly purchases through May 2026, investing a total of $13,700. As of May 19, 2026, the resulting portfolio of 8,219 BTC will be worth approximately $632,315 USD, representing a total return of +4.515% on invested capital. This strategy accumulated Bitcoin at an average acquisition cost of around $1,667 per Bitcoin, because early purchases acquired a much larger amount of Bitcoin before the price spike.
- For investors who started later, near the May 2021 market peak before the 2022 crash, the $100 per month DCA plan still yields +84.34% returns in the May 2021-May 2026 scenario, turning $6,100 invested across 61 monthly purchases into about $11,244. Over the same period, the total investment of the full amount made in May 2021 returned approximately +43%. In this specific scenario, DCA outperformed because the strategy automatically accumulated more bitcoins during the 2022 bear market.
- Importantly, Total Investment outperformed DCA over the one-, two-, three-, and four-year horizons in the Coinbird scenarios tested. DCA appeared only five years ago after a full cycle of failures and recoveries. The conclusion that “DCA outperforms lump sum” is not universal It depends greatly on the start date and market regime.
- DCA investors over the entire period still saw a maximum drawdown of -76.72% during the 2022 bear market, confirming that frequent purchases do not eliminate volatility or the psychological difficulty of holding onto funds during extreme declines.
Philip During, founder of Coinbird, said:
“The interesting finding is not just that Bitcoin has risen since 2015.
“The interesting finding is that in this historical scenario, automatic monthly buying through breakdowns, all-time highs and regulatory uncertainty still leads to extraordinary results over the long term.
“At the same time, the drawdowns show why this strategy is more difficult to live than it looks on the chart in hindsight.”
Coinbird’s Bitcoin DCA calculator is available for free and allows users to test different investment amounts, purchase periods, and start dates dating back to 2013.
methodology
The analysis simulates repeated Bitcoin purchases over the specified monthly interval using historical CoinGecko price data.
Lump sum comparisons assume that the entire planned contribution amount is invested up front at the beginning of the specified period.
Accounts do not include taxes and trading fees. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
About Queenbird
Coinbird is an independent cryptocurrency comparison and market intelligence platform that helps retail investors compare cryptocurrencies, exchanges, and wallets with clearer data.
on Coinbird.comusers can explore live market data, compare providers, use cryptocurrency calculators, and follow market indicators such as the Bitcoin Rainbow Chart, Bitcoin Dominance, and Altcoin Season Index.
Coinbird is operated by Coinbird GmbH and is the international platform for kryptovergleich.deone of the leading cryptocurrency comparison portals in Germany, serving more than 2 million users annually.
Across both platforms, Coinbird combines transparent data, practical tools, and educational guides for new and experienced cryptocurrency investors alike.
communication
Philip DornerFounder of Coinbird GmbH
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