Stellar (XLM) Historical Price and Return Analysis: Should I Buy XLM Now?

Abstract

This article comprehensively reviews Stellar’s historical price movements and market fluctuations since its inception, analyzing potential returns from purchasing 10 XLM coins across bull and bear market cycles. By examining data-driven trends from 2018 to 2025, this analysis addresses the critical question: “Should I buy XLM now?” to help both novice and long-term investors identify optimal entry points and growth opportunities.

Early Market Cycles and Price Origins: Historical Overview (2018 to 2020)

Stellar (XLM) was initiated by Jed McCaleb, former co-founder of Ripple, as a blockchain project designed to create a decentralized gateway for digital currency and fiat currency transmission. According to available market data, the earliest recorded price for XLM was approximately $0.393 in 2018.

The following outlines XLM’s price performance during its early market cycles:

2018

• Opening Price: $0.393
• Closing Price: $0.119
• Highest Price: $0.4493
• Lowest Price: $0.0957
• Annual Return: -69.72%

2019

• Opening Price: $0.101
• Closing Price: $0.0454
• Highest Price: $0.1426
• Lowest Price: $0.0454
• Annual Return: -55.05%

2020

• Opening Price: $0.0485
• Closing Price: $0.1363
• Highest Price: $0.1941
• Lowest Price: $0.0372
• Annual Return: +181.03%

An investor who purchased 10 XLM coins during the 2018 peak would have faced significant losses through 2019, but positions initiated in early 2020 experienced substantial recovery, with potential returns of +1.65x by year-end.

Medium-Term Market Cycles: Recovery and Consolidation (2021 to 2023)

During this period, XLM experienced mixed performance characterized by initial momentum followed by pronounced bearish pressure. The strong throughput capacity and low-cost characteristics of the Stellar network attracted increasing asset issuance activity, yet macroeconomic headwinds significantly impacted broader cryptocurrency valuations.

Potential returns for investors purchasing 10 XLM coins during this phase:

• 2021: -0.722x (despite 2.21% annual return, cumulative returns from earlier positions declined)
• 2022: -0.4751x (severe bear market with -72.24% annual decline)
• 2023: +1.36x (recovery phase with +67.26% annual return)

Recent Market Cycle: Volatility and Current Assessment (2024 to 2025)

XLM has demonstrated significant volatility in recent years, with 2024 marking a dramatic recovery and 2025 presenting a more cautious picture. Market participants continue to debate whether XLM remains positioned for long-term growth or faces ongoing consolidation pressures.

2024

• Opening Price: $0.11519
• Closing Price: $0.44077
• Highest Price: $0.56032
• Lowest Price: $0.08392
• Annual Return: +282.65%

2025 (To Date)

• Opening Price: $0.4229
• Closing Price: $0.21349
• Highest Price: $0.47055
• Lowest Price: $0.21349
• Annual Return: -49.52%

Potential returns for investors purchasing 10 XLM coins during this recent phase:

• 2024: +0.983x
• 2025 (To Date): -2.0941x

Summary: Bull Markets, Bear Markets, and Investment Timing Analysis

Stellar’s price history from 2018 to 2025 reveals a highly volatile trajectory characterized by severe bear markets (2018-2019, 2022) interspersed with strong recovery periods (2020, 2024). While the platform’s technical strengths—high network throughput and low transaction costs—continue to support asset issuance and use-case development, current market conditions warrant cautious positioning. Investors considering XLM purchases should carefully evaluate their risk tolerance and investment horizon, recognizing that recent volatility suggests the cryptocurrency remains subject to significant macroeconomic and market sentiment influences.