VXX vs. BTC-USD

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) and Bitcoin (BTC-USD).

VXX is a passively managed fund by Barclays Capital that tracks the performance of the S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures Index Total Return. It was launched on Jan 19, 2018.

Performance

VXX vs. BTC-USD - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) and Bitcoin (BTC-USD). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

VXX vs. BTC-USD - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
VXX iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN	31.21%	-42.21%	-26.22%	-72.52%	-23.80%	-72.41%	11.04%	-67.75%	67.91%	-72.64%
BTC-USD Bitcoin	-21.63%	-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, VXX achieves a 31.21% return, which is significantly higher than BTC-USD's -21.63% return. Over the past 10 years, VXX has underperformed BTC-USD with an annualized return of -46.34%, while BTC-USD has yielded a comparatively higher 66.45% annualized return.

VXX

• 1D: -2.72%
• 1M: 18.69%
• YTD: 31.21%
• 6M: 5.34%
• 1Y: -32.54%
• 3Y*: -42.18%
• 5Y*: -45.27%
• 10Y*: -46.34%

BTC-USD

• 1D: 0.51%
• 1M: -0.38%
• YTD: -21.63%
• 6M: -42.21%
• 1Y: -19.49%
• 3Y*: 34.49%
• 5Y*: 3.06%
• 10Y*: 66.45%

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

Return for Risk

VXX vs. BTC-USD — Risk / Return Rank

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

VXX

VXX Risk / Return Rank: 6
VXX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 5
VXX Sortino Ratio Rank: 6
VXX Omega Ratio Rank: 7
VXX Calmar Ratio Rank: 5
VXX Martin Ratio Rank: 7

BTC-USD

BTC-USD Risk / Return Rank: 43
BTC-USD Sharpe Ratio Rank: 61
BTC-USD Sortino Ratio Rank: 55
BTC-USD Omega Ratio Rank: 51
BTC-USD Calmar Ratio Rank: 43
BTC-USD Martin Ratio Rank: 4

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.

VXX vs. BTC-USD - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) 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.

	VXX	BTC-USD	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	-0.44	-0.44	+0.01
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	-0.25	-0.38	+0.13
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.97	0.96	+0.01
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.47	-1.11	+0.64
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	-0.59	-1.99	+1.40
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

VXX vs. BTC-USD - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current VXX Sharpe Ratio is -0.44, which is comparable to the BTC-USD Sharpe Ratio of -0.44. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of VXX 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

	VXX	BTC-USD	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.44	-0.44	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.66	0.05	-0.71
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	-0.65	0.97	-1.63
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	-0.75	1.19	-1.94

Correlation

The correlation between VXX and BTC-USD is -0.09. This indicates that the assets' prices tend to move in opposite directions. Negative correlation can be particularly beneficial for diversification and risk management, as one asset may offset the losses of the other during market fluctuations.

Drawdowns

VXX vs. BTC-USD - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum VXX drawdown since its inception was -100.00%, 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 VXX and BTC-USD.

Drawdown Indicators

	VXX	BTC-USD	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-100.00%	-85.30%	-14.70%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-69.85%	-49.65%	-20.20%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-96.67%	-76.67%	-20.00%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-99.87%	-83.80%	-16.07%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-100.00%	-45.02%	-54.98%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-95.03%	-41.99%	-53.04%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	54.84%	27.60%	+27.24%

Volatility

VXX vs. BTC-USD - Volatility Comparison

iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) has a higher volatility of 28.80% compared to Bitcoin (BTC-USD) at 13.58%. This indicates that VXX'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

	VXX	BTC-USD	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	28.80%	13.58%	+15.22%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	46.98%	35.98%	+11.00%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	74.80%	36.76%	+38.04%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	69.04%	46.90%	+22.14%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	71.15%	56.70%	+14.45%