What if You’d Invested $100 in Bitcoin in 2009?
Imagine if you had invested just $100 in bitcoin (BTC) back in 2009. Would you be a billionaire today? I tasked ChatGPT with breaking down the calculations for me, and the findings were more astonishing than anticipated.
Check out ChatGPT’s straightforward explanation of bitcoin.
Bitcoin’s Early Days
Fifteen years ago, bitcoin was just emerging. Created by Satoshi Nakamoto, it was primarily an experiment among technophiles and cryptography enthusiasts. At the time, there were no significant exchanges or memes, and the general public was largely unaware of bitcoin’s existence.
What if you had been one of the few to invest $100 in bitcoin back in October 2009? ChatGPT provided a mind-blowing scenario.
The Investment Breakdown
In October 2009, bitcoin first appeared on the NewLibertyStandard exchange, priced at about $0.0009 per BTC. This small amount wouldn’t even cover the cost of a stick of gum. Investing $100 at that time would have secured you roughly 111,111 bitcoins, an unimaginable number for the price of a modest meal.
Value Today
Fast forward to July 2025, and the price of bitcoin is around $106,000 per coin. Therefore, your original $100 would have ballooned into an astonishing sum:
- 111,111 bitcoins x $106,000 per bitcoin = $11,777,766,000
ChatGPT calculates that today, your $100 investment would be worth nearly $11.8 billion. Yes, billion with a “B,” all thanks to that initial investment.
Limitations of Theoretical Gains
While this theoretical return is staggering, it’s important to note that few people invested in bitcoin in 2009, and even fewer managed to hold onto their coins for 15 years. Many early investors lost their bitcoins due to forgotten passwords or accidental deletions of wallets.
Current Market Dynamics
ChatGPT warns that the explosive gains seen in bitcoin’s early days are unlikely to happen again, as its growth was fueled by novelty. However, with increasing institutional interest and regulatory developments, the long-term value of digital assets remains promising.
Analysts from firms such as Fidelity and BlackRock are offering cryptocurrency investment products, reflecting the growing acceptance of blockchain technology in financial systems.
