CL=F vs. BTC-USD

Last updated Apr 3, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Crude Oil WTI (CL=F) and Bitcoin (BTC-USD).

Performance

CL=F vs. BTC-USD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Crude Oil WTI (CL=F) and Bitcoin (BTC-USD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

CL=F vs. BTC-USD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
CL=F Crude Oil WTI	95.16%	-19.41%	-0.82%	-10.70%	7.44%	53.98%	-19.98%	32.92%	-24.35%	12.51%
BTC-USD Bitcoin	-23.70%	-6.27%	120.76%	155.82%	-64.23%	59.40%	304.57%	94.10%	-73.37%	1,324.24%

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, CL=F achieves a 95.16% return, which is significantly higher than BTC-USD's -23.70% return. Over the past 10 years, CL=F has underperformed BTC-USD with an annualized return of 12.12%, while BTC-USD has yielded a comparatively higher 66.03% annualized return.

CL=F

• 1D: 11.93%
• 1M: 50.30%
• YTD: 95.16%
• 6M: 85.28%
• 1Y: 56.27%
• 3Y*: 11.68%
• 5Y*: 12.76%
• 10Y*: 12.12%

BTC-USD

• 1D: -1.99%
• 1M: -2.31%
• YTD: -23.70%
• 6M: -44.66%
• 1Y: -19.07%
• 3Y*: 33.89%
• 5Y*: 3.18%
• 10Y*: 66.03%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

CL=F vs. BTC-USD — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

CL=F

CL=F Risk / Return Rank: 65
CL=F Sharpe Ratio Rank: 64
CL=F Sortino Ratio Rank: 69
CL=F Omega Ratio Rank: 61
CL=F Calmar Ratio Rank: 90
CL=F Martin Ratio Rank: 42

BTC-USD

BTC-USD Risk / Return Rank: 39
BTC-USD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 66
BTC-USD Sortino Ratio Rank: 60
BTC-USD Omega Ratio Rank: 59
BTC-USD Calmar Ratio Rank: 12
BTC-USD Martin Ratio Rank: 0

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

CL=F vs. BTC-USD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Crude Oil WTI (CL=F) and Bitcoin (BTC-USD). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	CL=F	BTC-USD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.15	-0.43	+1.59
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.74	-0.36	+2.11
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.24	0.96	+0.28
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.91	-1.14	+4.05
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	4.83	-2.03	+6.86
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

CL=F vs. BTC-USD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current CL=F Sharpe Ratio is 1.15, which is higher than the BTC-USD Sharpe Ratio of -0.43. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of CL=F and BTC-USD, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	CL=F	BTC-USD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.15	-0.43	+1.59
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.33	0.06	+0.27
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.24	0.97	-0.73
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.08	1.18	-1.10

Correlation

The correlation between CL=F and BTC-USD is 0.02, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Drawdowns

CL=F vs. BTC-USD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum CL=F drawdown since its inception was -92.04%, which is greater than BTC-USD's maximum drawdown of -85.30%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for CL=F and BTC-USD.

Drawdown Indicators

	CL=F	BTC-USD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-92.04%	-85.30%	-6.74%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-27.07%	-49.65%	+22.58%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-53.86%	-76.67%	+22.81%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-84.82%	-83.80%	-1.02%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-22.87%	-46.47%	+23.60%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-40.84%	-42.00%	+1.16%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	16.32%	27.75%	-11.43%

Volatility

CL=F vs. BTC-USD - Volatility Comparison

Crude Oil WTI (CL=F) has a higher volatility of 28.87% compared to Bitcoin (BTC-USD) at 13.70%. This indicates that CL=F's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than BTC-USD based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	CL=F	BTC-USD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	28.87%	13.70%	+15.17%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	34.98%	35.96%	-0.98%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	42.54%	36.69%	+5.85%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	36.87%	46.91%	-10.04%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	48.84%	56.71%	-7.87%