What Was Happening in 2018
Bitcoin started 2018 at roughly $10,198 (January close), coming off the euphoria of the 2017 rally. The year ahead would be brutal. This was "crypto winter," a relentless decline that tested every investor's conviction. By December, Bitcoin sat at $3,709, down 74% from its late-2017 highs.
Starting a DCA in January 2018 meant buying into a falling market for an entire year. Every single purchase lost value in the short term. Your $100/week bought bitcoin at $10,198, then $6,927, then $6,191, then $3,709. Headlines screamed "Bitcoin is dead" (for the 300th time). Most retail investors had already sold and left.
But the people who kept their DCA running through 2018 accumulated bitcoin at an average cost well under $7,000. When the next bull cycle launched in 2020, those purchases turned into some of the best investments of the decade.
The Crashes You Survived
You started during the crash itself. Bitcoin fell from $10,198 to $3,709 over 2018, a 64% decline from your entry point. Then you survived the COVID crash in 2020, the mid-2021 correction, the 2022 bear market (down 71%), and the current drawdown. Starting in the worst possible year and still coming out ahead is the strongest argument for DCA that exists.
- COVID Crash: -27% ($8,780 to $6,430)
- Mid-2021 Correction: -39% ($57,878 to $35,040)
- 2022 Bear Market: -71% ($56,994 to $16,547)
- 2025-2026 Correction: -41% ($115,758 to $68,000)
Run your own scenario
Try different amounts, frequencies, and start dates with real historical data.
Open DCA Calculator →Ready to start your own plan? Read our Bitcoin savings plan guide. Wondering if you should invest all at once instead? See our DCA vs lump sum analysis. Not sure how much to allocate? Our sizing guide walks through practical frameworks.