The same amount of money (assuming 10,000 RMB), buying Bitcoin at the end of 2016 vs. buying gold, the real returns as of now (February 2026) are compared below.
Key data points (priced in RMB)
End of 2016:
Bitcoin: ≈ 6,600–6,900 RMB/BTC
Gold: ≈ 267–276 RMB/gram
February 2026:
Bitcoin: ≈ 530,000 RMB/BTC
Gold: ≈ 1,070–1,090 RMB/gram
Bitcoin: From the end of 2016 to now, the increase is about 78 times (even higher if bought at the low point). Even with the current correction (from the 2025 peak of ≈ 800,000+ RMB down to 530,000), long-term holding still far exceeds gold.
Gold: From 267–270 RMB/gram to the current ≈ 1,080 RMB, an increase of about 3.8–4 times. Steady, but far less than Bitcoin's exponential growth.
Why is Bitcoin's increase of 80–100 times+ more realistic?
1. If a slightly lower point was taken in 2016 (e.g., mid-year ≈ 5,000–6,000 RMB), the return would easily exceed 90–100 times.
2. Bitcoin is extremely volatile: skyrocketing in 2017, halving in 2018, doubling again in 2020–2021, a bear market in 2022, and hitting new highs again in 2024–2025 (over 880,000 RMB), with a correction in 2026 but still at a high level.
3. Gold is more like a 'safe-haven asset': inflation, hedging, but with an annual return of ≈ 8–10% (long-term), while Bitcoin's annualized return far exceeds that (despite being over 10 times riskier).
In summary:
Investing the same amount of money in Bitcoin turns you into a 'tycoon' level in 10 years; investing in gold steadily turns you into 'moderately prosperous'. This is also why many people now say 'don't mention gold, those who do will fall out with you' - Bitcoin, even with corrections, crushes gold's 'faith' 😂