When investors talk about holding cryptocurrency for the long term, they usually mean weathering the storm of a multi-year cycle. Three years is widely considered a benchmark holding period in the crypto market — it is generally long enough to capture at least one major bull run, while also testing an asset's ability to survive a brutal bear market.
But not all cryptocurrencies perform the same over a three-year window. While Bitcoin is the undeniable market leader and Ethereum is the dominant smart contract platform, newer challengers like Solana have emerged with claims of faster technology and higher potential returns.
To cut through the noise, we used our historical investment calculator to run a clean, data-driven test: What would a $1,000 investment in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana made exactly three years ago be worth today?
The 3-Year $1,000 Investment Test: Full Results
We tracked the performance of a hypothetical $1,000 investment made three years ago in each of the three major assets. The data below reflects the exact buy-in price from three years ago and the current portfolio value, ranked by total return.
| Asset | Buy Price (3 Yrs Ago) | Current Value | Return (ROI) | Peak Value in Window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $23.18 | $3,216.21 | +221.62% | $10,908.43 | |
| $25,931.47 | $2,499.19 | +149.92% | $4,464.00 | |
| $1,827.46 | $1,052.63 | +5.26% | $2,615.46 |
The Verdict: Solana was the clear winner over the 3-year window, more than tripling the initial investment. Bitcoin also performed exceptionally well, returning nearly 150%. Ethereum, however, lagged significantly behind both, barely breaking even over the three-year period.
Breaking Down the Results
The numbers tell a fascinating story about market cycles, risk, and the changing hierarchy of the cryptocurrency market over the last 36 months.
Solana: The High-Beta Winner
Solana's victory in the three-year test highlights its status as a "high-beta" asset — meaning it tends to move in the same direction as Bitcoin, but with much greater volatility. Three years ago, Solana was trading at roughly $23 following the fallout from the FTX collapse, which had severely depressed its price. Investors who bought at that level were taking a significant risk, but were rewarded with a massive recovery. At its peak in late 2024, that $1,000 investment would have briefly been worth over $10,900. You can explore the full timeline on our Solana 3-year calculator page.
Bitcoin: The Reliable Foundation
Bitcoin's performance over the last three years is arguably the most impressive, despite not having the highest percentage return. To generate a 150% return on an asset that already had a market capitalization in the hundreds of billions of dollars requires massive institutional capital inflows. This three-year window captures the period leading up to and following the approval of spot Bitcoin ETFs in the United States, which fundamentally changed Bitcoin's market structure. Check the Bitcoin 3-year data for the exact peak dates.
Ethereum: The Underperformer
The biggest surprise in the data is Ethereum's severe underperformance relative to both Bitcoin and Solana. A $1,000 investment three years ago is currently worth just over $1,050 — a return of roughly 5%. While Ethereum successfully executed "The Merge" (transitioning to Proof of Stake) during this window, its price action has struggled. It lost market share to Bitcoin on the institutional side, and lost volume to Solana on the retail and decentralized finance side. See the Ethereum 3-year breakdown for more details.
Did you know? If you want to see how these coins performed in a different timeframe, you can use our calculators to check the returns for the entire 2021 bull run, or compare them over a longer 5-year holding period.
What Does This Mean for the Next 3 Years?
Historical data is essential for understanding market behavior, but it cannot predict the future. However, the last three years have established clear trends that investors are watching closely:
- Bitcoin remains the index: Bitcoin's 150% return proves it is still the benchmark against which all other cryptocurrencies must be measured. If an altcoin cannot outperform Bitcoin over a multi-year window, investors are taking on additional risk for no additional reward.
- The Layer 1 war is not over: Solana's massive outperformance of Ethereum suggests that the market is willing to aggressively price alternative smart contract platforms that offer faster speeds and lower fees.
- Timing still matters: Even for long-term holders, the entry price matters. Solana's massive return was partly due to its severely depressed price three years ago.
Use the links below to check the exact historical returns for these and other major cryptocurrencies over different time horizons:
- Bitcoin: 3-Year Historical Return
- Ethereum: 3-Year Historical Return
- Solana: 3-Year Historical Return
- Bitcoin: 5-Year Historical Return
- Ethereum: 5-Year Historical Return
- Solana: 5-Year Historical Return
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Frequently Asked Questions
Solana (SOL) was the best-performing major cryptocurrency over the last three years. A $1,000 investment made three years ago grew by over 220%, outperforming both Bitcoin and Ethereum significantly.
A $1,000 investment in Bitcoin made three years ago would be worth approximately $2,499 today, representing a return of roughly 150%. You can see the precise current value on our Bitcoin 3-years-ago calculator page.
No. Over the last three-year window, Ethereum has significantly underperformed Bitcoin. While Bitcoin returned nearly 150%, Ethereum returned just over 5% from its price three years ago.
In the rolling three-year window since mid-2023, Solana reached its highest portfolio value in November 2024, when a $1,000 investment would have briefly been worth over $10,900.
Historically, a 3-year holding period has been long enough to capture at least one major bull market cycle in crypto. Both Bitcoin and Solana showed strong positive returns over this specific 3-year window, though Ethereum's returns were much flatter.
Disclaimer: The calculations on this page are based on historical weekly closing prices provided by Yahoo Finance. Cryptocurrency investments are highly volatile and past performance is not indicative of future results. The information provided is for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research before investing.