Benchmark research · Bitcoin
ETFs and Stocks That Consistently Outperformed IBIT (Bitcoin)
Any investment can look great over a single hand-picked timeframe. To find what truly kept ahead of IBIT (iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF), we screened IBIT against the entire market of over 10,000 stocks and ETFs across 5 different time windows from 1 month to 1 year, including reinvested dividends. A contender had to come out ahead in both the short term and the long term to make the list. Data as of October 22, 2026.
Compare the entire market against IBIT live →Key findings
- How hard it was to top IBIT: It was relatively easy for ETFs and stocks to outperform Bitcoin, which IBIT holds. Of 2,480 eligible ETFs, 2,113, or 85%, outperformed in at least 3 of 5 short-term periods; among 2,021 eligible stocks, 1,310, or 65%, did so. No all-weather winners qualified because IBIT has no long-term history.
- Who came out ahead across the three groups:
- Popular alternatives: SPY outperformed in 4 of 5 periods, while VGT and QQQ each did so in 3 of 5. HUT and BLOK each outperformed in 2 of 5, and MSTR did the same; COIN and MARA outperformed in 0 of 5. FBTC, a same-index Bitcoin fund, tied IBIT in every period.
- Top ETFs: Technology led the displayed ETF mix, alongside commodities and alternatives. BNO, DBE, IDNA, and WCBR each outperformed in 5 of 5 periods. In all, 2,113 ETFs made the consistency cut.
- Top stocks: 1,310 stocks made the consistency cut. The top stocks shown include healthcare names IOVA, KOD, and CDNA, along with industrials stock ECO. Each outperformed in 5 of 5 periods.
- The risk trade-off: The top ETFs generally had smaller price swings than IBIT, while the top stocks were more volatile. In the 1 year period, 11 of 15 top ETFs were less volatile than IBIT, and all 15 had higher Sharpe ratios. Only 2 of 10 top stocks were less volatile, but all 10 had higher Sharpe ratios.
How popular alternatives compare
Well-known funds and stocks investors often compare against IBIT, sorted by periods outperformed.
| Investment | Periods outperformed | Short term | Risk · 1 year | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | Volatilitylower is calmer | Sharpe ratiohigher is better | ||
| IBIT iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (benchmark) | — | −5.7% | +23.4% | +2.9% | −9.6% | −24.8% | 45.1% | -0.41 |
| SI Made the listShoulder Innovations, Inc. | 4/5 short | +12.2% | −2.8% | +44.3% | +37.4% | +53.8% | 68.0%1.5× IBIT | 0.95 |
| SPY Made the listState Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF | 4/5 short | −1.2% | +2.5% | +8.0% | +12.7% | +15.6% | 12.8%0.3× IBIT | 1.21 |
| VGT Made the listVanguard Information Technology ETF | 3/5 short | −6.1% | +2.7% | +15.4% | +25.9% | +26.7% | 25.0%0.6× IBIT | 1.07 |
| QQQ Made the listInvesco QQQ Trust, Series 1 | 3/5 short | −5.8% | 0.0% | +7.8% | +15.3% | +16.9% | 20.0%0.4× IBIT | 0.88 |
| HUT Fell shortHut 8 Corp. | 2/5 short | −40.0% | −41.8% | −20.8% | +24.8% | +64.7% | 107%2.4× IBIT | 0.99 |
| BLOK Fell shortAmplify Blockchain Technology ETF | 2/5 short | −19.3% | −13.4% | −11.6% | −8.5% | −18.1% | 40.8%0.9× IBIT | -0.29 |
| MSTR Fell shortStrategy Inc | 2/5 short | −12.9% | +45.8% | −18.7% | −7.2% | −48.1% | 82.2%1.8× IBIT | -0.40 |
| RIOT Fell shortRiot Platforms, Inc. | 1/5 short | −48.3% | −44.9% | −30.2% | −9.0% | −32.1% | 87.9%1.9× IBIT | -0.01 |
| FBTC Same indexFidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund | ≈ Same returns | −5.7% | +23.3% | +3.0% | −9.5% | −24.7% | 45.0%1.0× IBIT | -0.41 |
| GBTC Fell shortGrayscale Bitcoin Trust ETF | 0/5 short | −5.7% | +23.0% | +2.4% | −10.4% | −25.7% | 45.0%1.0× IBIT | -0.44 |
| BITO Fell shortProShares Bitcoin ETF | 0/5 short | −6.1% | +21.9% | +1.2% | −11.9% | −27.2% | 44.8%1.0× IBIT | -0.49 |
| COIN Fell shortCoinbase Global, Inc. | 0/5 short | −15.9% | +1.8% | −18.0% | −28.5% | −47.2% | 72.5%1.6× IBIT | -0.53 |
| MARA Fell shortMarathon Digital Holdings, Inc. | 0/5 short | −46.8% | −41.6% | −38.8% | −26.8% | −62.1% | 84.8%1.9× IBIT | -0.73 |
ETFs that consistently outperformed IBIT
Top 15 by periods outperformed, then by 1Y return. Green cells outperformed IBIT in that period. Excludes leveraged and inverse funds, ETFs under $100M in assets, stocks under $2.0B in market cap, and anything without 1 year of history.
| # | Investment | Periods outperformed | Short term | Risk · 1 year | Fund | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | Volatilitylower is calmer | Sharpe ratiohigher is better | Expense | Assets | |||
| — | IBIT iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (benchmark) | — | −5.7% | +23.4% | +2.9% | −9.6% | −24.8% | 45.1% | -0.41 | ||
| 1 | BNO CommoditiesUnited States Brent Oil Fund LP | 5/5 short | +19.0% | +34.0% | +36.4% | +144% | +139% | 47.4%1.1× IBIT | 2.08 | 1.15% | $768M |
| 2 | DBE AlternativesInvesco DB Energy Fund | 5/5 short | +11.4% | +26.4% | +33.5% | +130% | +123% | 40.1%0.9× IBIT | 2.21 | 0.79% | $132M |
| 3 | IDNA HealthcareiShares Genomics Immunology and Healthcare ETF | 5/5 short | −1.7% | +26.7% | +33.5% | +57.2% | +68.9% | 29.8%0.7× IBIT | 1.91 | 0.47% | $308M |
| 4 | WCBR TechnologyWisdomTree Cybersecurity Fund | 5/5 short | +3.5% | +28.7% | +76.9% | +73.0% | +48.5% | 40.2%0.9× IBIT | 1.19 | 0.45% | $202M |
| 5 | BUG TechnologyGlobal X - Cybersecurity ETF | 5/5 short | +2.9% | +24.3% | +73.5% | +59.9% | +36.1% | 38.3%0.9× IBIT | 1.00 | 0.50% | $2.1B |
| 6 | WCLD TechnologyWisdomTree Cloud Computing Fund | 5/5 short | +10.0% | +40.4% | +60.6% | +33.8% | +28.9% | 39.3%0.9× IBIT | 0.84 | 0.45% | $298M |
| 7 | CLOU TechnologyGlobal X - Cloud Computing ETF | 5/5 short | +2.5% | +28.0% | +45.5% | +34.3% | +26.2% | 32.9%0.7× IBIT | 0.87 | 0.68% | $417M |
| 8 | PLTY AlternativesYieldMax PLTR Option Income Strategy ETF | 5/5 short | +3.4% | +46.2% | +26.8% | +18.2% | +12.1% | 52.0%1.2× IBIT | 0.47 | 1.07% | $342M |
| 9 | XSW TechnologyState Street SPDR S&P Software & Services ETF | 5/5 short | +6.3% | +26.3% | +36.2% | +16.2% | +8.6% | 31.4%0.7× IBIT | 0.42 | 0.35% | $488M |
| 10 | PLTW Broad MarketRoundhill Investments - PLTR WeeklyPay ETF | 5/5 short | +6.5% | +67.2% | +29.1% | +11.1% | +3.8% | 73.0%1.6× IBIT | 0.40 | 0.99% | $127M |
| 11 | USO CommoditiesUnited States Oil Fund, LP | 4/5 short | +12.8% | +23.4% | +25.6% | +136% | +130% | 49.5%1.1× IBIT | 1.94 | 0.86% | $1.9B |
| 12 | UGA CommoditiesUnited States Gasoline Fund, LP | 4/5 short | −0.6% | +16.0% | +32.8% | +132% | +125% | 39.1%0.9× IBIT | 2.28 | 1.08% | $167M |
| 13 | DBO AlternativesInvesco DB Oil Fund | 4/5 short | +10.4% | +18.6% | +27.1% | +114% | +109% | 41.5%0.9× IBIT | 1.99 | 0.81% | $278M |
| 14 | OILK CommoditiesProShares - K-1 Free Crude Oil ETF | 4/5 short | +12.5% | +23.7% | +27.2% | +93.0% | +86.7% | 30.7%0.7× IBIT | 2.20 | 0.70% | $245M |
| 15 | BOAT IndustrialsSonicShares Global Shipping ETF | 4/5 short | −0.2% | +21.7% | +33.1% | +70.5% | +81.1% | 21.9%0.5× IBIT | 2.84 | 0.69% | $148M |
Stocks that consistently outperformed IBIT
Top 10 by periods outperformed, then by 1Y return. Individual stocks swing far more than funds; check the volatility column.
| # | Investment | Periods outperformed | Short term | Risk · 1 year | Company | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1M | 3M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | Volatilitylower is calmer | Sharpe ratiohigher is better | Market cap | |||
| — | IBIT iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF (benchmark) | — | −5.7% | +23.4% | +2.9% | −9.6% | −24.8% | 45.1% | -0.41 | |
| 1 | IOVA BiotechnologyIovance Biotherapeutics, Inc. | 5/5 short | +32.9% | +174% | +301% | +461% | +558% | 105%2.3× IBIT | 2.29 | $6.4B |
| 2 | KOD BiotechnologyKodiak Sciences Inc. | 5/5 short | +154% | +105% | +89.8% | +230% | +375% | 207%4.6× IBIT | 1.35 | $5.4B |
| 3 | CDNA Medical - Diagnostics & ResearchCareDx, Inc | 5/5 short | +22.4% | +83.1% | +235% | +261% | +374% | 73.0%1.6× IBIT | 2.48 | $3.6B |
| 4 | ECO Marine ShippingOkeanis Eco Tankers Corp. | 5/5 short | +16.1% | +73.7% | +102% | +229% | +233% | 44.0%1.0× IBIT | 2.97 | $2.9B |
| 5 | SSL ChemicalsSasol Limited | 5/5 short | +26.6% | +54.2% | +32.6% | +162% | +216% | 56.7%1.3× IBIT | 2.32 | $11B |
| 6 | PLSE Medical - Instruments & SuppliesPulse Biosciences, Inc. | 5/5 short | 0.0% | +60.8% | +116% | +293% | +205% | 88.4%2.0× IBIT | 1.67 | $3.8B |
| 7 | LIND Travel ServicesLindblad Expeditions Holdings, Inc. | 5/5 short | +29.0% | +26.8% | +92.3% | +144% | +180% | 51.0%1.1× IBIT | 2.28 | $2.3B |
| 8 | RNG Software - ApplicationRingCentral, Inc. | 5/5 short | −0.4% | +111% | +92.0% | +189% | +178% | 70.3%1.6× IBIT | 1.79 | $5.9B |
| 9 | ILMN Medical - Diagnostics & ResearchIllumina, Inc. | 5/5 short | +8.9% | +41.1% | +106% | +101% | +177% | 49.9%1.1× IBIT | 2.29 | $41B |
| 10 | INSW Marine ShippingInternational Seaways, Inc. | 5/5 short | +4.3% | +28.1% | +58.1% | +165% | +172% | 40.1%0.9× IBIT | 2.71 | $5.4B |
What stands out
The ETF leaders covered several different areas, including technology, commodities, healthcare, and alternatives. Technology was the largest category in the displayed ETF mix, with cybersecurity and cloud-computing funds among the standouts. The stock winners were more concentrated in healthcare, with several biotechnology and medical-device companies, though shipping, materials, travel, and technology also appeared. These results cover short-term periods only, so they show recent leadership rather than a record across long-term windows.
The risk figures put the returns in context. IBIT had 45.1% volatility and a negative Sharpe ratio over 1 year, while the displayed top ETFs had lower median volatility and a higher median Sharpe ratio. The top stocks had moderately higher median volatility, but their median Sharpe ratio was also higher. In short, the stock winners took a bumpier ride, while the ETF group combined lower volatility with stronger risk-adjusted results.
Methodology
- Short-term periods: 1M, 3M, 6M, YTD, 1Y. An investment outperformed a period when its total return, with dividends reinvested, was higher than IBIT's. Returns within 0.5 points or 3% of IBIT's (whichever is larger) count as a tie and are shown in gray.
- IBIT is too new for long-term periods, so consistent means outperforming in at least 3 of 5 periods. Rankings use periods outperformed, then the 1Y return.
- Excludes leveraged and inverse funds, ETFs under $100M in assets, stocks under $2.0B in market cap, and anything without 1 year of history.
- 9 ETFs that track essentially the same returns as IBIT (FBTC, BTC, BITB, ARKB, HODL, BRRR, EZBC, BTCO, …) are excluded, since tiny fee differences decide whether they finish ahead.
- Volatility is the annualized standard deviation of daily returns over 1 year. The Sharpe ratio is return above cash divided by volatility over the same period: higher means more return per unit of risk.
- Returns and risk figures are computed from daily adjusted prices and update with each market day. Past performance does not predict future results.