The Central Bank of Russia has ranked Bitcoin as the most profitable investment over the past year, outperforming traditional assets such as gold, stocks, and bonds.
In a newly published analysis, the regulator noted that Bitcoin delivered a 38% return in the last 12 months, ranking highest among the asset classes it evaluated.
Looking further back to 2022, Bitcoin’s cumulative return stood at 121.3%. This placed it well ahead of gold, equities, fixed-income instruments, and broad indices like the S&P 500.
However, the bank also pointed to the top crypto’s short-term volatility, highlighting that Bitcoin dropped 18.6% between January and April 2025.
Only dollar-denominated savings and the S&P 500 performed worse during this period than the bellwether digital asset.
Still, Bitcoin marked April with a strong recovery, rising by 11.2% during the month to reclaim its lead in the investment market.
This return came as the broader market indices registered significant losses, while gold and corporate bonds posted minor gains.
Russia-based outlet Forklog first reported the data.
Bitcoin growing evolution
The central bank’s findings focus in on Bitcoin’s rapid evolution from a speculative asset to a potential cornerstone in global financial portfolios.
Since 2022, Bitcoin has surged from trading under $20,000 to an all-time high of nearly $110,000 this year. This run was driven by growing institutional interest and regulatory milestones such as the approval of spot BTC exchange-traded fund (ETF) products in the United States and Hong Kong.
US President Donald Trump’s newfound pro-crypto pivot has also aided this mainstream adoption. His policies have fueled discussions around using Bitcoin as a reserve asset—a narrative now gaining traction in global financial circles.
As a result, governments and companies are taking notice of BTC’s potential. Nations such as Kyrgyzstan and Ukraine, alongside firms like Cantor Fitzgerald, are now exploring or integrating digital assets into their broader financial strategies.
For many, BTC, despite its inherent volatility, presents a hedge against macroeconomic uncertainty and a vehicle for expanding financial access.
