Your Bitcoin Investment
In January 2013, Bitcoin was beginning to attract attention beyond its original cypherpunk community. At $13 per coin, a $100 investment would have purchased approximately 7.69 BTC.
At today's price of $70,000, those coins would be worth approximately $538,000. What started as the cost of a nice dinner would have grown into enough to buy a house outright in most US cities.
What Happened Since 2013
2013 was a year of two bubbles. Bitcoin surged from $13 to $266 in April before crashing 75%. It then rallied again to over $1,100 by November before the Mt. Gox collapse triggered a brutal two-year bear market that took Bitcoin back below $200.
Key milestones: - April 2013: Cyprus banking crisis drives Bitcoin to $266 as people seek alternatives to traditional banks - November 2013: Bitcoin reaches $1,100 on Chinese exchange volume - February 2014: Mt. Gox, handling 70% of all Bitcoin transactions, collapses after losing 850,000 BTC - 2015-2016: Slow recovery as Bitcoin builds infrastructure — new exchanges, wallets, and the beginnings of institutional interest - 2017: The ICO boom and retail mania push Bitcoin to $19,700
Key Events
Cyprus Banking Crisis (March 2013): The Cypriot government proposed seizing up to 10% of bank deposits to fund a bailout. Bitcoin surged as people looked for censorship-resistant alternatives, proving its narrative as "digital gold" for the first time.
Mt. Gox Collapse (February 2014): The dominant Bitcoin exchange filed for bankruptcy after revealing that 850,000 BTC had been stolen. Bitcoin's price fell 60% and took two years to recover. This event shattered trust in centralized exchanges but ultimately led to better custody solutions.
The 2013-2015 bear market tested every holder's conviction. Bitcoin dropped from $1,100 to $150 — an 87% decline. Anyone who sold during this period missed the subsequent 130x rally to $19,700.
DCA Comparison
Instead of investing $100 all at once in January 2013, consider what dollar-cost averaging would have looked like. Investing $8.33 per month ($100 per year) from January 2013 would have accumulated Bitcoin at an average cost well below $500 — because most of 2014-2015 offered prices under $400.
The advantage of DCA in this period: If you bought the lump sum at $13, you had great results. But if you had waited and tried to time the market — perhaps buying at $266 in April or $1,100 in November — you would have entered at much worse prices. DCA removes the risk of buying at the worst possible moment.
Try the DCA Calculator on Bitcoin Horizon to simulate your own DCA strategy across any time period.