Fiat inflation has cost Bitcoin hodlers 20% over the past decade

Cointelegraph

Published Oct 01, 2020 08:30PM ET

Updated Oct 01, 2020 10:20PM ET

Bad news — the increase in the Bitcoin (BTC) price over the past decade may have been overstated because of the accompanying fiat inflation. Since Bitcoin is typically denominated in fiat — United States dollars usually — it is not immune to its depreciation.

Bitcoin price versus Bitcoin price adjusted for inflation. Source: Cointelegraph.

In the decade that followed the economic crisis, the U.S. enjoyed some of the lowest inflation in history, which hovered around 2% annually. However, over the decade, this added up to almost 20%. Thus, if we use the 2010 dollar as our base and apply its subsequent depreciation to the price of Bitcoin, then the current price of $10,466 turns into $8,770. Though this may be a sobering realization for some long-time hodlers, it does not mean that Bitcoin was a bad investment or that it is not a good store of value.

$1 investment in 2010 in USD versus Bitcoin. Source: Cointelegraph.
Bitcoin inflation. Source: Digital Assets Data.

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