Ethereum DCA Calculator
Backtest dollar cost averaging into ETH against daily closes since 2017, or forecast a future schedule. Amount, frequency, dates — the calculator does the rest.
What's different about DCA'ing Ethereum
ETH shares Bitcoin's boom-bust volatility but carries a different return driver: it's a claim on a fee-generating network rather than a pure monetary asset. Its drawdowns have been even deeper than BTC's (−94% in 2018), which cuts both ways for a schedule — the crashes buy dramatically more ETH, and the recoveries have so far rewarded the accumulation, but the dispersion of outcomes is wider.
Practical nuance: ETH/BTC — Ethereum's price in Bitcoin — has swung by multiples across cycles. If your goal is simply crypto exposure, a two-asset schedule (e.g. 70/30 BTC/ETH via the portfolio builder) has historically smoothed the ride versus either alone. The reference strip above is ETH-only, monthly, gross of fees.
Average buy price (cost basis)
Every scheduled purchase converts a fixed dollar amount into ETH at that day's close, so cheap days contribute more units — pulling the dollar-weighted average below the simple average of prices.
- 01Buys execute at ETH's daily closing price (crypto trades 24/7).
- 02Contributions are constant nominal USD; no inflation adjustment.
- 03No fees, spread, slippage, gas, or taxes are modelled.
- 04Price history is Yahoo Finance daily closes, USD, from November 2017.
- 01ETH's history spans only two full cycles — small sample for inference.
- 02Protocol changes (proof-of-stake, fee burn) altered the asset's economics mid-history; past and future ETH are not the same instrument.
- 03Staking yield is not modelled — a real ETH accumulator could compound roughly 2–4% APY on top, gross of provider fees.
Is DCA a good way to buy Ethereum?
For accumulation without timing decisions, yes: ETH's deep drawdowns mean scheduled buying accumulates significantly more units in bear phases. The trade-off is wider outcome dispersion than Bitcoin and much wider than an index ETF — position size accordingly.
ETH or BTC — which is better for dollar cost averaging?
They answer different bets: BTC is the monetary-asset thesis, ETH the fee-generating-network thesis. Historically a mixed schedule diversified single-asset risk; backtest both individually here, then compare a blended allocation in the portfolio builder.
Does the calculator account for staking rewards?
No. Results reflect price-only accumulation. If you stake accumulated ETH, add roughly 2–4% annual yield (variable, minus provider fees) on top of the backtest result.
When does the ETH price data start?
November 2017 — Ethereum's reliable daily-close history on our data source. The calculator won't allow start dates before the first available price.
Run the plan on a real exchange
Five exchanges where DCA — and tokenized stocks & ETFs — actually work, each with a real discount. Pick one, copy the code, trade cheaper.
Referral links support the site and never affect the math. Availability varies by country — check your local regulations.