What if you'd held DOT-USD?
A $1,000 investment in Polkadot (DOT-USD) at the month-end close of 2020-08 would be worth $127 at the close of 2026-08 — -87.3% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $2,202.
Your scenario
Result
If you'd bought $1,000 at the start of each year
Value of $1,000 invested on January 1 of each year, held to 2026-08, dividends included. Click any year for the full story.
Every year, $1,000 from 2020
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | $1,000 | — |
| 2021 | $2,875 | +187.5% |
| 2022 | $464 | -83.9% |
| 2023 | $882 | +89.9% |
| 2024 | $714 | -19.0% |
| 2025 | $193 | -73.0% |
| 2026 | $85.87 | -55.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought DOT-USD was 2026-07 ($0.76): $1,000 then is $1,053 today. The worst was 2021-10 ($42.74): $1,000 then is $18.67.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in DOT-USD be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Polkadot (DOT-USD) at the start of 2020 would be worth about $127 today, a total return of -87.3%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for DOT-USD?
Polkadot (DOT-USD)'s strongest calendar year since 2020 was 2021, a +187.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,875 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2022, at -83.9%.
Does the calculator include dividends and splits?
Yes where available. Prices are adjusted for both stock splits and reinvested dividends (total return), the same measure brokerages use.
How much would $100 per month in DOT-USD have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2020-08 would have grown to about $1,445 on $7,300 invested.
Did DOT-USD beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $2,202. DOT-USD trailed the S&P 500 by +94.2% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. What If I'd Held is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
Polkadot (DOT-USD) historical total-return data from 2020-08 to 2026-08, reduced to month-end closes for the tables above.
Returns use adjusted close prices from Yahoo Finance historical data — adjusted for stock splits and reinvested dividends — the same convention used by major brokerages. A "year" scenario invests $1,000 at the prior December's month-end close and values it at the latest available month-end close.
Month-end resolution means intra-month extremes are not captured in tables; the calculator uses exact trading-day closes where daily data is available. Figures ignore taxes, fees, and the currency effects of non-USD listings. History is not a forecast. What If I'd Held is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.