Quick breakdown
- Bitcoin has outperformed the S&P 500 by roughly 88% since 2020,according Phil Rosen’s data.
- Buffett’s favoured index continues to rise but offers lower returns compared to crypto’s explosive growth.
- Experts caution that Bitcoin’s volatility makes it a different kind of investment entirely.
Bitcoin leaves the S&P 500 in the dust
While billionaire investor Warren Buffett has long championed the S&P 500 as the safest bet for average investors, new data suggests that Bitcoin has vastly outperformed the index over the past five years.
The S&P 500 keeps breaking records but it’s completely collapsed in bitcoin terms since 2020, down 88%. pic.twitter.com/ncP9cOutiz
— Phil Rosen (@philrosenn) October 5, 2025
According to an October 5 post by Phil Rosen, co-founder of Opening Bell Daily, the S&P 500 may have surged 106% in U.S. dollar terms since 2020 — but when measured in Bitcoin, the index has effectively collapsed by roughly 88%. The revelation quickly made waves across X, with Bitcoin advocates celebrating the milestone.
Buffett’s trusted strategy meets a new challenger
The Standard & Poor’s 500—a benchmark tracking 500 top U.S. companies—has been a cornerstone of Buffett’s investment philosophy. The Berkshire Hathaway chairman has often recommended a “90/10” strategy, allocating 90% of a portfolio to the S&P 500 and 10% to short-term U.S. Treasuries.
Since its inception in 1957, the index has delivered an average inflation-adjusted annual return of about 6.68%, outperforming inflation and serving as a model of steady long-term growth. However, the rise of Bitcoin’s decentralized, deflationary nature has introduced a new, volatile, yet lucrative alternative.
Record highs for both—but Bitcoin leads the pack
The S&P 500 continues to make headlines, hitting a record 6,715.79 points in 2025, up 14.43% year-to-date. Yet, Bitcoin’s performance remains unmatched, climbing 32% this year alone and reaching an all-time high of $125,000 in October.
Data from OfficialData.org highlights the stark contrast: a $100 investment in the S&P 500 at the start of 2020 would now be worth around $209.85. The same amount in Bitcoin would have ballooned to approximately $1,473.87.
Despite this, experts note that comparing the two directly is difficult. The S&P 500 represents a diversified, low-risk portfolio of U.S. corporate giants worth $56.7 trillion, while Bitcoin remains a volatile digital asset with a $2.47 trillion market cap built on scarcity and speculation.
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