Crypto Loss Calculator
Enter your total invested and current portfolio value to see your real P&L, your return percentage, and what the same money would have grown to in the S&P 500.
The question isn't just 'did I make money?' — it's 'did I beat what I could have made with boring index investing?'
75%
of retail crypto investors are estimated to have lost money
-$2T
lost in the 2022 crypto market crash
10%
long-run S&P 500 annual return — the benchmark to beat
The honest crypto math
The survivorship bias problem
You hear about the people who got rich on Bitcoin. You don't hear about the millions who lost money. Studies consistently show the majority of retail crypto participants lose money net of fees and timing mistakes.
Volatility is not return
High volatility doesn't mean high returns — it means high risk. A 10× gain followed by a 90% drawdown nets you 0. The sequence of returns matters enormously in volatile assets.
Cost basis tracking matters
The IRS requires accurate cost basis reporting for all crypto transactions. Many investors don't track this properly and face tax surprises. Software like Koinly, CoinTracker, or TaxBit can automate this.
How the crypto P&L is calculated
P&L = current value − total invested. Return % = P&L ÷ invested × 100. S&P 500 alternative = invested × (1.07)^years, using 7% as the inflation-adjusted annual return.
This is a simplified view. Real P&L calculations should include gas fees, exchange fees, staking rewards, and accurate cost basis tracking across all transactions.