I Built a Calculator to See What 0.2% Daily Returns Look Like Over 10 Years (The Numbers Are Insane)
I Built a Calculator to See What 0.2% Daily Returns Look Like Over 10 Years (The Numbers Are Insane)
TL;DR: My crypto trading bot is averaging small daily gains. I built a free calculator to visualize what happens when you compound those tiny wins over years. The math is eye-opening—and sobering.
The Origin Story
I've been running a crypto trading bot for a while now. Nothing fancy—just consistent, conservative strategies targeting small daily gains. We're talking 0.1% to 0.3% per day on average.
Sounds boring, right? That's what I thought too.
Then I did the math.
0.2% per day, compounded over 365 days = 107% annual return.
Wait, what?
I grabbed a spreadsheet and started playing with numbers. What does 0.2% daily look like over 5 years? 10 years? What if I add $500/month?
The numbers got ridiculous. Like, "this can't be right" ridiculous.
So I built a proper calculator to visualize it. And today I'm sharing it with you.
The Small Gains Compounding Calculator
Free tool: freecalchub.com/math/basic/small-gains-compounding-calculator
Here's what makes it useful for crypto traders:
1. Flexible Time Horizons
Set any period from 1 month to 50 years. Want to see what 3 months of 0.15% daily gains looks like? Done. Curious about the 20-year moonshot scenario? Also done.
2. Trading Days Option
Choose between 365 calendar days or 252 trading days per year. If your bot only runs on market days (or you take weekends off), this gives you accurate projections.
3. Independent Deposit Frequency
Compound daily while adding monthly deposits. Or weekly deposits. Or quarterly. The deposit schedule is completely independent of your compounding frequency.
4. The Money Shot: Dual-Line Chart
This is the feature I'm most proud of. The chart shows two lines:
- Solid blue: Your total portfolio value
- Dashed gray: What you actually put in (principal + deposits)
The gap between those lines? That's pure compounding gains. Watching that gap widen over time is... motivating.
Let's Run Some Numbers
Here's a realistic scenario for a crypto trader:
Inputs:
- Starting balance: $10,000
- Daily return: 0.2% (conservative for a decent bot)
- Compounding: Daily (252 trading days)
- Monthly deposits: $500
- Time horizon: 10 years
Results:
| Time | Portfolio Value | You Put In | Compounding Gains |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Year | $28,847 | $16,000 | $12,847 |
| 3 Years | $125,418 | $28,000 | $97,418 |
| 5 Years | $434,729 | $40,000 | $394,729 |
| 10 Years | $4,891,622 | $70,000 | $4,821,622 |
At 10 years, you've put in $70K and you're sitting on nearly $5M.
That's the power of small, consistent gains.
The Reality Check
Before you quit your job and go all-in on trading bots, here's the uncomfortable truth:
Maintaining 0.2% daily for a decade is incredibly hard.
- Markets change
- Strategies decay
- Black swan events happen
- Emotions get in the way
- Fees and slippage add up
The calculator shows you the mathematical ceiling—what's possible if everything goes perfectly. Reality will be messier.
Use it for:
- Goal setting and motivation
- Comparing different strategies on an annualized basis
- Understanding why consistency beats home runs
- Seeing how deposits accelerate growth
Don't use it for:
- Guaranteed predictions
- FOMO-driven decisions
- Ignoring risk management
Why I Built It in Public
I'm a solo founder building tools I actually need. This calculator started as a personal spreadsheet, evolved into a quick script, and ended up as a full-featured web tool in about 4 hours.
The build-in-public approach meant I got real-time feedback. Someone suggested the trading days option. Another person asked for quarterly deposits. Features I wouldn't have thought of alone.
If you're building trading tools or bots, I'd love to hear what you'd add. Hit me up on Twitter/X.
Try It Yourself
Calculator: freecalchub.com/math/basic/small-gains-compounding-calculator
Run your own numbers. Play with the time horizon. Watch that gap between "what you have" and "what you put in" grow.
And remember: the most powerful force in finance isn't the latest DeFi protocol or meme coin. It's compound interest applied consistently over time.
Small gains. Big patience. Let the math do the heavy lifting.
What daily return is your bot averaging? Drop a comment—I'm curious how others are doing.
Tags: #crypto #trading #buildinpublic #compoundinterest #tradingbot #defi #solofounder