Debase

Disclaimer: This is a static demo web app for concept and testing purposes. Data and calculations may not be as accurate as they appear. Always verify with primary sources before making financial decisions.

Why 1971? — In 1971, the US ended the convertibility of the dollar to gold (the "Nixon Shock"), marking the start of the modern fiat era. Comparing assets from this point helps visualize long-term inflation and monetary effects on asset prices. Read what happened in 1971

Dollar Purchasing Power (CPI)

This chart shows the decline in the purchasing power of the US dollar over time, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The line represents 1 / (accumulated inflation multiplier) since 1971. As inflation accumulates, the value of the dollar falls, so the line trends downward. A value of 0.5 means the dollar buys half as much as it did at the start.

Gold Price

Shows the price of gold in USD, both in nominal terms and adjusted for inflation. The "Fixed" line adjusts for inflation using the CPI from the start of the gold dataset, while the "1971" line adjusts from the year 1971. This helps visualize gold's real purchasing power over time.

Silver Price

Shows the price of silver in USD, both in nominal terms and adjusted for inflation. The "Fixed" line adjusts for inflation using the CPI from the start of the silver dataset, while the "1971" line adjusts from the year 1971. This helps visualize silver's real purchasing power over time.

Ethereum Price

Plots ETH price in USD, both nominal and inflation-adjusted. The "Fixed" line uses inflation adjustment from ETH's launch date, while the "1971" line uses the multiplier from 1971. This shows how ETH's value compares to the changing value of money.

Bitcoin Price

Plots BTC price in USD, both nominal and inflation-adjusted. The "Fixed" line uses inflation adjustment from BTC's launch date, while the "1971" line uses the multiplier from 1971. This helps compare Bitcoin's real growth to the effects of inflation.

Monero Price

Plots XMR price in USD, both nominal and inflation-adjusted. The "Fixed" line uses inflation adjustment from XMR's launch date, while the "1971" line uses the multiplier from 1971. This helps compare Monero's real growth to the effects of inflation.

Crypto Priced in Gold

These lines show the value of ETH, BTC, and XMR measured in ounces of gold, not dollars. This helps compare crypto performance to gold, a traditional store of value, and see which asset outperformed the other over time.

Relative Growth in USD

This chart shows how each crypto asset (BTC, ETH, XMR) has changed relative to its own starting price in USD. Each line is normalized so its first price is 1.0, and every point after shows the ratio of the current price to the initial price.

How to compare: If one line is above another, it means that asset has performed better (in percentage terms) since its own launch, regardless of the initial price. For example, if BTC is at 10 and ETH is at 5, BTC is 10x its initial price and ETH is 5x. This lets you compare the relative performance and trajectory of each asset, even if they started at different times or prices.

Note: The Y-axis uses a logarithmic scale to make it easier to compare ratios across assets that have changed by very different amounts.

Gold and Silver Relative Growth

This chart shows how gold and silver have changed relative to their own starting price in USD (from the year 2000). Each line is normalized so its first price is 1.0, and every point after shows the ratio of the current price to the initial price.

How to compare: If one line is above another, it means that asset has performed better (in percentage terms) since 2000, regardless of the initial price. For example, if gold is at 8 and silver is at 4, gold is 8x its initial price and silver is 4x. This lets you compare the relative performance and trajectory of each metal, even though they started at different prices.

Note: The Y-axis uses a logarithmic scale to make it easier to compare ratios across assets that have changed by very different amounts.

SRS vs. Ethereum Stake

This chart compares the simulated ratio of Sky Protocol MakerDAO Savings, called SRS (4.5% APY), with Ethereum staking (2.7% APY + ETH price appreciation), both normalized to 1.0 at the start. SRS offers a fixed, predictable yield, while ETH staking is volatile—combining yield with ETH price exposure. This analysis covers key timeframes since mid-2023, highlighting performance across varying market conditions.

Recent Performance Analysis: In bearish or flat markets, SRS has outperformed ETH staking. Over the 3-month period (Jan–Mar 2025), SRS yielded 0.109 ETH ($366.71), compared to ETH staking's 0.066 ETH ($221.48)—a 66% higher return. Similarly, in the 1-year span (Jun 2024–May 2025), SRS delivered 0.450 ETH yield ($1,703.33), while ETH staking produced 0.270 ETH ($1,022.00). However, over 2 years (Jun 2023–May 2025), ETH staking began to close the gap due to ETH's 35.8% price ratio, though SRS still achieved higher yield in absolute ETH terms (0.920 ETH vs. 0.547 ETH).

Market Dynamics and Strategy: ETH staking's returns are highly sensitive to price swings—outperforming during bull markets but underperforming during downturns. Its 2.7% base APY cannot offset losses in declining markets, as seen in recent 3- and 12-month results. In contrast, SRS's 4.5% APY remains stable regardless of ETH price, offering consistent returns and lower volatility. However, ETH staking may be favored by investors expecting long-term ETH appreciation beyond 1.8% annually—the break-even point where ETH staking starts to outperform SRS on yield alone.

Risk Considerations: While SRS offers stability, it introduces smart contract and protocol risk beyond ETH's base layer. ETH staking, particularly via native staking, relies solely on Ethereum network security. Investors should weigh this tradeoff—yield stability vs. asset price upside and platform risk. Additionally, tax treatment may differ: fixed-income yields (SRS) are often taxed as interest, while ETH price gains may qualify as capital gains, affecting net returns.

Bitcoin's halvings are a supply-schedule question rather than a purchasing-power one, so they have their own page: the halvings and the 500-day window.