DCA vs Lump Sum
Should you go all-in at the BTC500 buy/sell signal, or spread your orders across multiple days? Compare the outcomes.
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Spread buy over N days after signal
Spread sell over N days after signal (0 = sell all at once)
⚠️ Important Disclaimer
These calculations do not include exchange fees, bid-ask spreads, or taxes — all of which can significantly reduce real-world returns. DCA over many days incurs substantially more trading fees and taxable events than a single lump-sum trade. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is not financial advice.
Lump Sum
+$783,482
total profit
Final: $823,482
DCA (30d buy)
+$780,475
total profit
Final: $820,475
Lump sum wins by $3,008 (+0.4% vs DCA)
Lump sum wins: 2/4·DCA wins: 2/4
2012 Halving
Buy Date
2011-07-17
Lump sum: $14
DCA avg: $13 (31d)
Sell Date
2014-04-12
Lump sum: $421
Lump sum
+$288,977
29.90x
DCA
+$320,481
33.05x
Difference: $31,505 in favor of DCA
2016 Halving
Buy Date
2015-02-25
Lump sum: $237
DCA avg: $268 (31d)
Sell Date
2017-11-21
Lump sum: $8,114
Lump sum
+$331,823
34.18x
DCA
+$292,534
30.25x
Difference: $39,290 in favor of lump sum
2020 Halving
Buy Date
2018-12-28
Lump sum: $3,854
DCA avg: $3,698 (31d)
Sell Date
2021-09-23
Lump sum: $44,981
Lump sum
+$106,699
11.67x
DCA
+$111,647
12.16x
Difference: $4,947 in favor of DCA
2024 Halving
Buy Date
2022-12-07
Lump sum: $16,851
DCA avg: $16,895 (31d)
Sell Date
2025-09-02
Lump sum: $111,190
Lump sum
+$55,983
6.60x
DCA
+$55,813
6.58x
Difference: $170 in favor of lump sum
Historical prices from the BTC-USD max CSV. Past performance does not guarantee future results. DCA assumes equal dollar amounts each day; actual execution prices may vary.