Crypto loss recovery calculator
A 50% loss needs a 100% gain to get back to even. Enter your loss to see the gain needed, what your investment is worth now and how long a recovery could take.
After a 50% loss, $1,000 is worth $500. Getting back to $1,000 takes a +100% gain, because the recovery starts from a smaller amount.
- Value now
- $500
- Amount lost
- $500
- Price must multiply by
- 2x
- Time to recover
- 3.8 years
Gain needed after common losses
| Loss | Gain needed |
|---|---|
| 10% | +11.1% |
| 20% | +25% |
| 25% | +33.3% |
| 30% | +42.9% |
| 40% | +66.7% |
| 50% | +100% |
| 60% | +150% |
| 70% | +233.3% |
| 75% | +300% |
| 80% | +400% |
| 90% | +900% |
Why losses need bigger gains to recover
After a loss of L, you have 1 − L of what you started with. To get back to even, it has to grow by 1 ÷ (1 − L) − 1. The deeper the loss, the faster that number grows: 50% needs +100%, 80% needs +400% and 90% needs +900%.
The time to recover assumes steady growth at the rate you enter. Crypto rarely grows steadily, so treat it as a rough comparison, not a forecast.
Putting a plan like this into practice
Kraken
Coinbase
Ledger
TrezorWe may earn a commission if you sign up through these links, at no cost to you. It never changes the numbers above. Disclosure.
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- Staking calculatorHow staking rewards compound over the years.
Questions
How much do I need to gain after a 50% loss?
100%. If $1,000 drops to $500, it has to double to get back to $1,000.
Why isn't the recovery the same percentage as the loss?
Because the gain is measured from a smaller amount. A 50% drop and a 50% rise leave you at 75% of where you started.
Does averaging down help me recover faster?
Buying more after a drop lowers your average price, so you break even sooner. It also puts more money into the same coin, which increases your risk if it keeps falling.