Cite This Comparison
"Bitcoin vs Riot Platforms (BTC vs RIOT): Returns, Risk & Volatility (2025)." Gale Finance, December 31, 2025. https://www.gale.finance/compare/btc-vs-riot-2025 Free to use with attribution. Please link back to this page or gale.finance.
Analysis period: 2025-01-01 to 2025-12-31
Relative Performance of BTC vs RIOT (Normalized to 100)
Normalized to 100 at start date for comparison
Key Takeaways
- Total Return: BTC delivered a -8.7% total return, while RIOT returned +2.7% over the same period. RIOT outperformed on total returns.
- Risk-Adjusted Return (Sharpe Ratio): BTC had a negative Sharpe (-0.11) while RIOT was positive (0.38), indicating RIOT had meaningfully better risk-adjusted performance in this period.
- Volatility (Annualized): RIOT was more volatile, with 80.7% annualized volatility, versus 42.0% for BTC.
- Maximum Drawdown: BTC's maximum drawdown was -32.1%, while RIOT experienced a deeper drawdown of -53.5%.
Bitcoin vs Riot Platforms Correlation
Bitcoin and Riot Platforms were weakly correlated in 2025. With a correlation of 0.13, these assets showed meaningful independence, offering diversification benefits when held together.
For portfolio construction, this weak correlation suggests that combining BTC and RIOT could reduce overall portfolio variance. However, correlations can increase during market stress.
| Metric | Metric | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Current (30-day) | 0.34 | |
| Average (full period) | 0.13 | |
| Minimum | -0.24 | |
| Maximum | 0.42 |
Correlation measures how closely two assets move together. Values near +1 indicate strong co-movement, near 0 indicates independence, and negative values indicate inverse movement.
Investment Comparison
If you invested $10,000 in each asset on January 1, 2025:
Difference: $1,138.598 (RIOT ahead)
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Bitcoin and Riot Platforms: Risk Analysis
Bitcoin experienced its maximum drawdown of -32.1% from 2025-10-07 to 2025-11-23. It has not yet recovered to its previous peak.
Riot Platforms experienced its maximum drawdown of -53.5% from 2025-01-24 to 2025-04-21. It has not yet recovered to its previous peak.
Smaller drawdowns and faster recoveries indicate lower downside risk and greater resilience during market stress.
Sharpe Ratio of BTC and RIOT
Sharpe ratio measures return per unit of risk (volatility). A higher Sharpe indicates better risk-adjusted performance. BTC had a negative Sharpe (-0.11) while RIOT was positive (0.38), indicating RIOT had meaningfully better risk-adjusted performance in this period.
A Sharpe above 1.0 is generally considered good, above 2.0 is excellent. Negative Sharpe means the asset underperformed the risk-free rate. Calculated on each asset's full 365-day lookback of available prices and annualized using the asset calendar (365 for crypto, 252 trading days for equities/ETFs/metals).
Sortino Ratio of BTC and RIOT
Sortino ratio measures return per unit of downside risk. Unlike Sharpe, it only penalizes negative volatility. RIOT had better downside-adjusted returns.
A higher Sortino is better. It's particularly useful for assets with asymmetric volatility (big gains, smaller losses). Downside volatility: BTC 29.0% vs RIOT 50.8%. Calculated on each asset's full 365-day lookback of available prices and annualized using the asset calendar (365 for crypto, 252 trading days for equities/ETFs/metals).
Full Comparison of Bitcoin vs. Riot Platforms (2025)
| Metric | BTC | RIOT |
|---|---|---|
| Total Return | -8.7% | +2.7% |
| Annualized Volatility | 42.0% | 80.7% |
| Sharpe Ratio | -0.11 | 0.38 |
| Sortino Ratio | -0.16 | 0.61 |
| Max Drawdown | -32.1% | -53.5% |
| Avg Correlation to S&P 500 | N/A | N/A |
Bitcoin vs Riot Platforms: Frequently Asked Questions
Which had higher volatility: BTC or RIOT?
RIOT showed higher volatility at 80.7% annualized, compared to 42.0% for BTC During 2025. Higher volatility meant larger price swings in both directions.
Did BTC provide diversification when held with RIOT?
BTC and RIOT were weakly correlated in 2025, with an average correlation of 0.13. This weak correlation suggested meaningful diversification benefits when held together.
Which had better risk-adjusted returns: BTC or RIOT?
BTC had a negative Sharpe (-0.11) while RIOT was positive (0.38) During 2025, indicating RIOT had meaningfully better risk-adjusted performance.
Could BTC and RIOT have been combined in a portfolio?
Yes, though allocation sizing mattered. Their weak correlation could have meaningfully reduced overall portfolio variance. RIOT's higher volatility (80.7%) meant even small allocations can materially impact overall portfolio risk.