GDXJ vs. IBIT
GDXJ (VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF) and IBIT (iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF) are both exchange-traded funds - GDXJ is a Gold fund tracking the MVIS Global Junior Gold Miners Index, while IBIT is a Cryptocurrency fund tracking the CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate - New York Variant. Both are passively managed. Over the past year, GDXJ returned 50.65% vs -39.44% for IBIT. At a 0.20 correlation, their price movements are largely independent. GDXJ charges 0.52%/yr vs 0.25%/yr for IBIT.
Performance
GDXJ vs. IBIT - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, GDXJ achieves a -10.70% return, which is significantly higher than IBIT's -27.71% return.
GDXJ
- 1D
- 1.01%
- 1M
- -19.25%
- YTD
- -10.70%
- 6M
- -0.52%
- 1Y
- 50.65%
- 3Y*
- 42.13%
- 5Y*
- 15.86%
- 10Y*
- 11.53%
IBIT
- 1D
- 5.13%
- 1M
- -21.03%
- YTD
- -27.71%
- 6M
- -30.34%
- 1Y
- -39.44%
- 3Y*
- —
- 5Y*
- —
- 10Y*
- —
GDXJ vs. IBIT - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
GDXJ VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF | -10.70% | 172.28% | 24.79% |
IBIT iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | -27.71% | -6.41% | 99.21% |
Correlation
The correlation between GDXJ and IBIT is 0.28, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.28 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 12, 2024 | 0.20 |
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Return for Risk
GDXJ vs. IBIT — Risk / Return Rank
GDXJ
IBIT
GDXJ vs. IBIT - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ) and iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT). 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.
| GDXJ | IBIT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +1.90 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +2.69 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.20 | 0.86 | +0.34 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.43 | -0.76 | +2.19 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 3.72 | -1.36 | +5.08 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| GDXJ | IBIT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.00 | -0.90 | +1.90 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.39 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.26 | — | — |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.05 | 0.26 | -0.22 |
Drawdowns
GDXJ vs. IBIT - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum GDXJ drawdown since its inception was -88.66%, which is greater than IBIT's maximum drawdown of -52.11%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for GDXJ and IBIT.
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Drawdown Indicators
| GDXJ | IBIT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -88.66% | -52.11% | -36.55% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -35.60% | -52.11% | +16.51% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -35.60% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -50.99% | — | — |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -57.77% | — | — |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -34.94% | -49.66% | +14.72% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -60.48% | -16.19% | -44.29% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 13.67% | 28.97% | -15.30% |
Volatility
GDXJ vs. IBIT - Volatility Comparison
VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF (GDXJ) has a higher volatility of 17.66% compared to iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (IBIT) at 11.85%. This indicates that GDXJ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than IBIT based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| GDXJ | IBIT | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 17.66% | 11.85% | +5.81% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 42.71% | 34.60% | +8.11% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 50.84% | 44.28% | +6.56% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 41.34% | 50.32% | -8.98% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 44.15% | 50.32% | -6.17% |
GDXJ vs. IBIT - Expense Ratio Comparison
GDXJ has a 0.52% expense ratio, which is higher than IBIT's 0.25% expense ratio.
Dividends
GDXJ vs. IBIT - Dividend Comparison
GDXJ's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 2.61%, while IBIT has not paid dividends to shareholders.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GDXJ VanEck Junior Gold Miners ETF | 2.61% | 2.33% | 2.61% | 0.72% | 0.51% | 1.78% | 1.58% | 0.39% | 0.45% | 0.03% | 4.78% | 0.72% |
IBIT iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Frequently Asked Questions
GDXJ and IBIT have a correlation of 0.28, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
GDXJ has higher volatility (17.66%) compared to IBIT (11.85%). In terms of maximum drawdown, GDXJ dropped -88.66% vs IBIT's -52.11%.
On 1-year performance, GDXJ leads with 50.65% vs -39.44% for IBIT. On fees, IBIT is cheaper at 0.25% per year. On volatility, IBIT has been the lower-risk option at 11.85%. The better choice depends on whether you care most about return, fees, risk, or income.
Over the 1-year period, GDXJ has performed better with a 50.65% return vs -39.44%. Past performance does not guarantee future results, so compare this with risk, fees, and fund exposure.
IBIT is cheaper with a 0.25% expense ratio, compared with 0.52% for GDXJ.
GDXJ has the higher dividend yield at 2.61%, compared with 0.00% for IBIT.
GDXJ is categorized as Gold, while IBIT is Cryptocurrency. GDXJ tracks MVIS Global Junior Gold Miners Index, while IBIT tracks CME CF Bitcoin Reference Rate - New York Variant. They also come from different issuers: VanEck and iShares. Their fees differ too: 0.52% for GDXJ and 0.25% for IBIT.
GDXJ currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.00 vs -0.90), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.
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