Solana Soars as Meme Stocks Plummet in $10K Experiment

A recent experiment by MarketWise tracked the performance of $10,000 investments in various assets from January 2021 to April 2026. The results show a wide range of outcomes, with some assets delivering life-changing gains while others suffered significant losses.

At the top of the list was Solana, which returned an astonishing +3,476% over the five-year period. This means that $10,000 invested in Solana at its January 2021 price of $2.49 would have grown to $357,628 by April 2026.

Other cryptocurrencies like Dogecoin and Ethereum also performed well, but their returns were significantly lower than Solana's. In contrast, some meme stocks like Bed Bath & Beyond plummeted to -100%, wiping out the entire investment.

The study also highlighted the importance of timing in investing. For example, investors who bought Dogecoin at its January 2021 price of $0.000002 would have seen their investment grow to $101,920 by April 2026. However, those who bought at the peak price of $0.74 in May 2021 would have lost a significant portion of their investment.

The experiment also compared the performance of various ETFs and collectibles. Sealed Pokémon boxes, for instance, returned an impressive +1,750%, outperforming many cryptocurrencies and stocks. However, some assets like Nike Dunk Panda sneakers saw their prices plummet due to oversupply.