PayPal embraced crypto six years ago: Here’s what $1,000 in Bitcoin vs PayPal is worth

PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) announced Bitcoin ($BTC) buying, holding, and selling exactly six years ago, on October 21, 2020. But how has PayPal stock fared since then compared to the leading cryptocurrency?

In short, the payment processor has had a much more difficult time, as PYPL stock has dropped 72% from $203 to $57 in the relevant period. In comparison, Bitcoin has gained approximately 533%, climbing from $13,180 to $83,440.

To put things into perspective, a $1,000 investment in PayPal would now be worth just about $280 (a loss of $719.21), while the same position in Bitcoin would be worth $6,330 after a profit of $5,330.

This is a difference of more or less $6,049, meaning the $BTC investment would be worth approximately 22.5 times more than the PayPal position after six years.

Bitcoin and PayPal stock move similarly this year

While the two assets have gone down widely different paths over the past half a decade or so, this year, they moved surprisingly similarly.

Notably, both Bitcoin and PayPal stock experienced significant volatility throughout 2026, each suffering sharp declines in February and another downturn in June. However, both began recovering as the summer progressed.

PayPal shares staged a particularly strong rebound in late July and August, briefly climbing to around $63, above the $59 starting point for the year, before retreating again in September.

Bitcoin, meanwhile, remained under pressure for much of the summer, reaching a low of around $58,560 in July, approximately 35% below its starting level, before recovering sharply toward the end of August.

Bitcoin vs PayPal in 2026

At the time of writing, PayPal was down just 1.72% year to date, while Bitcoin had fallen 7.74%. That puts PayPal ahead by 6.02 percentage points in 2026, despite $BTC’s substantial outperformance over the longer six-year period.

Ultimately, the more short-term comparison suggests that PayPal has been more resilient than Bitcoin this year, although both assets have experienced pronounced swings in investor sentiment.

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