Gold outperformed Bitcoin with a five-year return of 189%, while Bitcoin’s six-year return was 1,273%.
Bitcoin has gained about 8% since the Iran war began on February 28th.
The Fear and Greed Index hit an all-time low of 5 in February, but has already recovered to 43.
Over the past five years, gold has returned 189%. Bitcoin returned 27% and the S&P 500 returned 72%. If you stop reading there, you’ll probably walk away thinking that cryptocurrencies have lost the asset war that defined this decade by a wide margin.
But another year passes and the whole conversation changes. Over six years, Bitcoin returned 1,273%, compared to 231% for gold and 180% for the S&P 500.
This data was compiled by cryptocurrency analyst Crypto Rover from public market data as of March 2026, but it does not claim that Bitcoin will always win. They argue that when you bought something is far more important than what you bought.
Bitcoin’s 5-year return is 27%.
– Gold was 189%.
– The S&P 500 returned 72%.But zoom out.
– 3 year return: 172%
– 6 year return: 1,273%Difference: Entry point.
Even if you buy a top in 2021, it’s just barely. Averaging dollar cost through drawdown… pic.twitter.com/P73j1DSujB
— Crypto Rover (@cryptorover) March 17, 2026
Important numbers for crypto investors
Bitcoin is currently trading at $74,065, up 4.64% for the week.
As of March 14, Bitcoin has risen about 8% since the Iran war began on February 28, while the S&P 500 and gold have each fallen more than 3% over the same period, according to CNBC.
The short-term situation has reversed, and the three-year data is already reflecting that. Bitcoin is 172%, gold is 153%, and S&P 500 is 72%.
Also read: Bitcoin price has been correcting for 159 days, but does it really matter?
Why Entry Points Are All Discussions
Here is the analysis of Crypto Rover: “Even if you bought at the top in 2021, you’re barely up. If you take dollar-cost averaging, including drawdowns, you’ve outperformed everything.”
Dollar-cost averaging means investing a set amount of money at regular intervals, regardless of price, and automatically buying more when the market is falling and automatically buying less when the market is rising.
The Fear and Greed Index hit an all-time low of 5 in February 2026, lower than the coronavirus crash and lower than FTX. Currently it is 43. A recovery from extreme fear to neutral territory within a few weeks is precisely the window for outsized returns that historical DCA data suggests.
Historical data shows investors who began dollar-cost averaging when the index fell below 10 achieved returns of 500% to 2,056%.
The market is now recovering, Bitcoin is rising, and those who have been buying consistently through the fear are sitting on a completely different set of numbers than the five-year headlines would suggest.
Market current situation
Polymarket traders currently see a 62% chance that gold will be the best-performing major asset in 2026, compared with 27% for Bitcoin and 12% for the S&P 500. This is a valid case, as gold’s lead reflects the geopolitical uncertainty that has dominated the market since February. However, looking at the complete earnings table complicates the explanation considerably.
Looking at the five-year chart, gold appears to be the clear winner. The 6-year chart, the 3-year chart, and the last 8 weeks all tell different stories. As Crypto Rover says, difference is never an asset. It was an entry point.
