Over the last day, Bitcoin nudged down a slight 0.11% to sit at $116,702, per CoinDesk figures, yet it still boasts a robust 25% climb year-to-date—only gold has edged it out with a 29% surge among the heavyweight asset categories, according to financial strategist Charlie Bilello’s data shared on X.
This year, these two champions have outpaced other significant investment vehicles such as emerging market equities (VWO +15.6%), the Nasdaq 100 (QQQ +12.7%), and large-cap U.S. stocks (SPY +9.4%). Data also reveals that U.S. mid-caps (MDY) and small-caps (IWM) have barely budged, recording only 0.2% and 0.8% gains respectively.
Notably, this is the inaugural occasion since recordkeeping began that gold and bitcoin have locked down the first and second spots in Bilello’s yearly asset performance leaderboard.
The Broader Perspective
Stepping back from the short-term fluctuations, the long-term story for bitcoin is nothing short of spectacular: from 2011 onwards, it has delivered a mind-blowing total return of 38,897,420% — an astronomical figure that dwarfs every other asset class captured in the dataset.
In contrast, gold’s cumulative gain over the same timeframe stands at a respectable 126%, placing it mid-table behind equity benchmarks such as the Nasdaq 100 with 1101%, large-cap U.S. stocks at 559%, mid-caps at 316%, small-caps with 244%, and emerging markets trailing at 57%.
Crunching the numbers, bitcoin’s overall return eclipses gold’s performance by a staggering factor of over 308,000 times during the past fourteen years.
Annualized returns paint a similarly vivid picture:
- Bitcoin averages a jaw-dropping 141.7% yearly gain since 2011.
- Gold lags with a modest 5.7% per annum.
- The Nasdaq 100 delivers 18.6% annually.
- U.S. large caps yield 13.8%, while other major stocks and real estate indexes fall in the 4.4% to 16.4% range.
While gold’s consistent stability has earned its reputation as a reliable hedge in various market environments, its appreciation pace pales next to bitcoin’s meteoric, almost exponential ascent.
Comparing Stores of Value: Gold Versus Bitcoin
On August 8, veteran trader Peter Brandt offered his take, contrasting gold’s virtues as a preservation tool with bitcoin’s rising potential to outclass all fiat-based alternatives.
“Gold undeniably holds value well—but ultimately, bitcoin will reveal itself as the supreme store of value,” Brandt remarked on X, illustrating his point with a long-term chart tracing the decline in U.S. dollar purchasing power.
Such views align with the growing consensus that bitcoin’s embedded scarcity and decentralized framework position it uniquely to outperform classic hedges as time marches on.
Bitcoin’s ability to maintain a six-figure valuation in 2025, while securing a spot among the top two performing assets, showcases its grit amid a choppy macroeconomic landscape.
Market watchers are keenly observing if bitcoin can revisit the year’s high near $123,000. Meanwhile, seasoned holders highlight its decade-plus track record as proof of enduring strength. The trajectory ahead may well hinge on forthcoming macroeconomic data and shifts in risk appetite across stocks and commodities.