Dollar-cost averaging (DCA) calculator for Ethereum (ETH) backtesting
Visualise and calculate historical returns of investing $100 in ETH every 7 days from Jan 2017 until now
Value in FIAT
$326,406.15
$294,006.15
+907.43%
in 7 years
Investment
Earnings
ETH selling price
$1,681.01
1st order $8.32
Average price
Selling price
$166.86
$1,681.01
Total Investment
$32,400
Over 324 instalments of $100, every 7 days
Earnings over time
Estimate the development of your earnings over time
ETH price over time
Price development vs. average cost
Fact
Profit/Loss every 7 days
Based on your purchase interval you would make profit 100% of the time
Ethereum is a technology for building apps and organizations, holding assets, transacting and communicating without being controlled by a central authority. There is no need to hand over all your personal details to use Ethereum - you keep control of your own data and what is being shared. Ethereum has its own cryptocurrency, Ether, which is used to pay for certain activities on the Ethereum network.
What is the difference between Ethereum and Bitcoin?
Launched in 2015, Ethereum builds on Bitcoin's innovation, with some big differences. Both let you use digital money without payment providers or banks. But Ethereum is programmable, so you can also build and deploy decentralized applications on its network. Ethereum being programmable means that you can build apps that use the blockchain to store data or control what your app can do. This results in a general purpose blockchain that can be programmed to do anything. As there is no limit to what Ethereum can do, it allows for great innovation to happen on the Ethereum network. While Bitcoin is only a payment network, Ethereum is more like a marketplace of financial services, games, social networks and other apps that respect your privacy and cannot censor you.
Why would I use Ethereum?
If you’ve ever sent money overseas (or plan to), or had to worry about the future of your assets due to external forces outside of your control where you live, or been fed up by the numerous restrictions and fees imposed by traditional financial institutions for everyday transactions, you might be interested in what cryptocurrencies have to offer. Bear in mind that Ethereum is a story that is still being written, and many more reasons to use it are being uncovered as it evolves and develops over time.
What's unique about ETH?
There are many cryptocurrencies and lots of other tokens on Ethereum, but there are some things that only ETH can do.
ETH fuels and secures Ethereum
ETH is the lifeblood of Ethereum. When you send ETH or use an Ethereum application, you'll pay a fee in ETH to use the Ethereum network. This fee is an incentive for a block producer to process and verify what you're trying to do. Validators are like the record-keepers of Ethereum—they check and prove that no one is cheating. They are randomly selected to propose a block of transactions. Validators who do this work are also rewarded with small amounts of newly-issued ETH. The work validators do, and the capital they stake, keeps Ethereum secure and free of centralized control. ETH powers Ethereum. When you stake your ETH, you help secure Ethereum and earn rewards. In this system, the threat of losing ETH deters attackers. More on staking
ETH underpins the Ethereum financial system
Not satisfied with payments, the Ethereum community is building a whole financial system that's peer-to-peer and accessible to everyone. You can use ETH as collateral to generate entirely different cryptocurrency tokens on Ethereum. Plus you can borrow, lend and earn interest on ETH and other ETH-backed tokens.
Uses for ETH grow every day
Because Ethereum is programmable, developers can shape ETH in countless ways. Back in 2015, all you could do was send ETH from one Ethereum account to another. Here are just some of things you can do today.
- Stream ETH – pay someone or receive funds in real time.
- Swap tokens – you can trade ETH with other tokens including Bitcoin.
- Earn interest – on ETH and other Ethereum-based tokens.
- Get stablecoins – access the world of cryptocurrencies with a steady, less-volatile value.
Why does ETH have value?
ETH's valuable in different ways to different people. For users of Ethereum, ETH is valuable because it lets you pay transaction fees. Others see it as a digital store of value because the creation of new ETH slows down over time. More recently, ETH has become valuable to users of financial apps on Ethereum. That's because you can use ETH as collateral for crypto loans, or as a payment system. Of course many also see it as an investment, similar to Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies.
What was The Merge?
The Merge was the joining of the original execution layer of Ethereum (the Mainnet that has existed since genesis) with its new proof-of-stake consensus layer, the Beacon Chain. It eliminated the need for energy-intensive mining and instead enabled the the network to be secured using staked ETH. It was a truly exciting step in realizing the Ethereum vision—more scalability, security, and sustainability.
Initially, the Beacon Chain shipped separately from Mainnet. Ethereum Mainnet - with all it's accounts, balances, smart contracts, and blockchain state - continued to be secured by proof-of-work, even while the Beacon Chain ran in parallel using proof-of-stake. The Merge was when these two systems finally came together, and proof-of-work was permanently replaced by proof-of-stake. Imagine Ethereum is a spaceship that launched before it was quite ready for an interstellar voyage. With the Beacon Chain, the community built a new engine and a hardened hull. After significant testing, it became time to hot-swap the new engine for the old one mid-flight. This merged the new, more efficient engine into the existing ship enabling it to put in some serious lightyears and take on the universe.
Merging with Mainnet
Proof-of-work secured Ethereum Mainnet from genesis until The Merge. This allowed the Ethereum blockchain we're all used to to come into existence in July 2015 with all its familiar features—transactions, smart contracts, accounts, etc. Throughout Ethereum's history, developers prepared for an eventual transition away from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake. On December 1, 2020, the Beacon Chain was created as a separate blockchain to Mainnet, running in parallel. The Beacon Chain was not originally processing Mainnet transactions. Instead, it was reaching consensus on its own state by agreeing on active validators and their account balances. After extensive testing, it became time for the Beacon Chain to reach consensus on real world data. After The Merge, the Beacon Chain became the consensus engine for all network data, including execution layer transactions and account balances. The Merge represented the official switch to using the Beacon Chain as the engine of block production. Mining is no longer the means of producing valid blocks. Instead, the proof-of-stake validators have adopted this role and are now responsible for processing the validity of all transactions and proposing blocks. No history was lost in The Merge. As Mainnet merged with the Beacon Chain, it also merged the entire transactional history of Ethereum. This transition to proof-of-stake changed the way ether is issued. Learn more about ether issuance before and after The Merge.
What is a DCA-CC Calculator and How to Use it?
If you want to test out your investment strategy, you'll need to understand how it works and what you're hoping to achieve. This is where the DCA-CC calculator comes in - it can help you see if your strategy will generate the return you want.
The calculator is separated into two modes: the dollar cost average calculator and the lump sum investing calculator. You can use either one to budget for your investments on a regular basis, or to invest all your money at once.
To use the DCA-CC, start by entering a DCA or lump sum investment amount. Then, select the time period, interval, and investment you want to use. The calculator will show you how your strategy would perform under those conditions. You can also experiment with different parameters to see how they affect your results.
And that's not all! The DCA-CC also lets you see how your investment would fare if you used the lump sum strategy. So if you're not sure which approach is right for you, this calculator can help you compare and make the best decision.
What is DCA (Dollar Cost Averaging)?
DCA is like buying a little bit of your favorite cryptocurrency each week or month regardless of the price. By buying equal dollar amounts at regular intervals, you're helping to smooth out the bumps of a volatile market.
Think of it as when buying a house. When you want to buy a house, you don't just fork over all the cash upfront. You make a down payment, and then you pay the mortgage every month. Over time, the house is yours.
DCA is like that, but with investments. You spread your investment out over time, so you're less likely to buy when the market is high. And just like with a house, you eventually own more and more of your investment.
By buying a little bit of your favorite cryptocurrency each day, week or month, you're making small, regular payments that will help you get the coin you want without waiting for a price dip.
Of course, there is always the risk that the price of the coin could continue to fall. However, this risk can be mitigated by using DCA when the market is trending upwards.
How to use DCA-CC to backtest your dollar cost average strategy?
Do you want to know how effective your dollar cost averaging strategy would have been in the past? The DCA-CC calculator can tell you for sure!
This tool is designed to help you backtest your investment strategy, so you can compare it against other strategies and decide which one is best for you.
When you first use the tool, we'll make some assumptions about your potential investment. For example, we'll assume you're investing $10 in bitcoin every week for the past three years.
Of course, you can change the parameters at any time to get more accurate results. So why wait? Use the DCA-CC calculator tool now and find out how your investment strategy would have fared in the past.
DCA Widgets
Top 3 cards
Value in FIAT, BTC selling price and Total investment cards are the easiest to understand. However, we'll give a little more explanation:
What is DCA Value in FIAT card?
The Value in FIAT card is a great way to see the value of your investments after a dollar cost averaging period. This card can help you understand how DCA affects the value of your investment over time.
The scale on the lower part of the widget displays the investment to interest ratio. In other words: it shows how much of your investment is lost or how much was added to your investment due to the earnings.
What does the DCA Value in FIAT card show?
This card lets you know how much your cryptocurrency is worth in Fiat currency at the end of your investment period. In other words, the price you sell it at.
The card also shows you the price of your first order, so you can see how the market volatility affects your investment over time.
Lastly, the card shows the ratio of the selling price to the average price. This is helpful in determining the value of your investment strategy and how it impacts the selling price.
What is a DCA Total Investment card?
The total investment card calculates how much money you would have invested, given an initial investment and an investment interval, over a specified period of time.
For example, if you invest $100 every month for 3 years, the total investment card would show you how much money you would have invested at the end of those 3 years.
Charts
We are presenting two charts here: a chart of earnings over time, and a chart of price over time. These charts can help provide context and perspective, and allow you to see what would be different if you entered or exited the market at a different time.
Earnings over time
This chart shows how much money you've made over time from your investments. It includes your balance in FIAT (the dollar equivalent of cryptocurrencies) as well as your total investment up to that day.
BTC price over time
This chart shows the price of a given cryptocurrency over time, as well as the average cost of a cryptocurrency on any given day.
This chart can help you understand the value of dollar cost averaging as a strategy, and how it may impact your earnings.
What is a Fact card?
The Fact card is an automated message that summarises all the information from all the charts in a short, sharable sentence.
What is Profit/Loss card?
The Profit/Loss card is a tool that can help you to better manage your risks by understanding how often you might be making a profit. As with everyhing else here, this card can provide guidance and clarity in your decision-making process.
What is Purchase history?
What you'll find here is a table of purchase data, which includes information like how much cryptocurrency you could buy with the money invested on a given day, or how much you would have profited or lost at a given point in history.
What is Lump Sum Investing strategy?
Lump sum investing strategy is a method of investing where you invest a fixed sum of money all at once. This is in contrast to dollar-cost averaging, where you spread your investment into several installments over a period of time.
Lump sum investing has its pros and cons. On the plus side, you only have to make the investment decision once. And, if you’re investing in a volatile asset like cryptocurrency, you may benefit from buying when prices are low and selling when prices are high. On the downside, you could end up buying at the top of a market bubble – and we all know how those end.
So, should you go with lump sum investing or dollar-cost averaging? That depends on your investment goals and your personal risk tolerance. If you’re the type of person who can stomach the ups and downs of the market, and you believe in the long-term potential of the asset you’re investing in, then lump sum investing may be the way to go.
How to use DCA-CC to backtest your lump sum investment strategy?
DCA-CC is a powerful, easy to use backtesting tool that can be used to test and optimise your investment strategy.
The DCA-CC calculator will help you calculate the performance of your investment strategy across different market conditions.
You can also compare your performance against other strategies such as dollar cost averaging.
It's easy to use and only takes a few seconds to set up.
Here's how it works:
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Enter the amount of money you want to invest.
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Choose the cryptocurrency you want to invest in.
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Choose a time range
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Press the "Calculate" button.
The DCA-CC calculator will then show you how much money you would have made if you had invested that money in the cryptocurrency at that price.
Lump Sum Widgets
Both lump sum investment and DCA widgets are very similar, yet the strategy we employ is different. Some data is presented differently, so we will mention only these differences here.
Top 3 cards
As with the DCA strategy, we have three key cards here: Value in FIAT, BTC selling price and Total investment.
What is a Lump sum selling price card?
This card displays the value of the chosen cryptocurrency - the current selling price.
It also displays the ratio of the current selling price to the buying price. This information is helpful in showcase the value of your investment strategy and its impact on your selling price over time.
What is a Lump sum Total Investment card?
The amount on the total investment card will always be different from the investment parameter you entered into the calculator. This is because we calculate the total investment using the DCA strategy. Doing this allows us to show you the impact of investing the same amount of money using two different strategies.
As a reminder, in the DCA strategy, the total investment card takes your initial investment and your investment interval and multiplies it over the time period provided.