Ah, the whimsical dance of Bitcoin continues to captivate the financial stage, reaching a dizzying £52,000 per token this Wednesday—a spectacle not witnessed since the halcyon days of November 2021. This marks a jolly good recovery for the notoriously temperamental digital currency, which, in a plot twist reminiscent of a Shakespearian tragedy, was trading at a mere fraction of its current pomp in November 2022, having shed over three-quarters of its value post the dramatic collapse of FTX, the then-reigning monarch of cryptocurrency exchanges.

Yet, like a phoenix from the ashes, Bitcoin’s value has rallied, albeit falling short of its erstwhile zenith of nearly £69,000. The plot thickens with the introduction of spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds on January 11, allowing the common folk and perhaps even the likes of Prince Harry or King Charles—who’s to say they haven’t dabbled for a bit of a lark—to partake in Bitcoin through the hallowed halls of regulated stock exchanges, rather than the murky waters of cryptocurrency exchanges.

The Queen’s own Securities and Exchange Commission, in a move akin to knighting a rogue, has bestowed a semblance of legitimacy upon the Bitcoin realm. This act has seemingly wooed investors back into the fold, with Bitcoin’s market cap gallivanting past the £1 trillion mark for the first time since our previous annus mirabilis, 2021.

Now, for a spot of arithmetic to tickle your fancy: should you have had the foresight or perhaps the sheer, blind luck to invest £1,000 in Bitcoin at various points in its storied past, here’s what your purse might look like now, based on the token’s price of £51,793 as of February 14:

A year past, a modest £1,000 flutter would have burgeoned by 133%, now worth approximately £2,331.
Five years ago, that same £1,000 investment would have skyrocketed by 1,352%, tallying up to a handsome £14,524.
Ten years back, had you had the audacity to bet £1,000 on Bitcoin, you’d now be sitting pretty on a pile worth £77,443, marking a growth of 7,644%.
And for those who joined the fray on January 11 with the ETF launch, your £1,000 would have matured to £1,113.
Before you rush off to convert your life savings into digital gold, a word to the wise: cryptocurrencies, much like fire-breathing dragons, are not to be trifled with lightly. Financial sages recommend committing no more of your treasure than you’re prepared to see vanish into thin air. And though the allure of digital riches is strong, remember, Bitcoin and its ilk yield no bounty nor dividend; their worth is mercurial, dictated by the whims of the market.

Rather than placing all your eggs in one basket—or in this case, digital wallet—consider a more diversified strategy, perhaps a smattering of low-cost index funds or ETFs, to spread your risk across the realm. After all, even the most noble of stocks in the S&P 500 has seen a 21% rise over the past year, proving there’s merit yet in the old ways.

So, whether it’s a princely sum or a king’s ransom, investing in Bitcoin remains a venture for the bold, a modern-day quest for El Dorado. Who knows, perhaps even the royals have thrown in a quid or two, betting on the future of finance or merely seeking a bit of amusement amidst their regal duties.