Fidelity Study Reveals Best Brokerage Account Returns: Passive S&P 500 Holders Outperform Over 10 Years

According to Milk Road (@MilkRoadDaily), Fidelity's review of its top-performing brokerage accounts found that the highest returns over a decade belonged to investors who either forgot about their accounts or had passed away, highlighting the power of long-term passive investing. Specifically, from 2003 to 2022, a $10,000 investment in the S&P 500 grew significantly, outperforming accounts that were actively managed or frequently traded (source: Milk Road, May 10, 2025). For crypto traders, this underscores the potential benefits of holding positions through market volatility, as similar long-term strategies with Bitcoin and Ethereum have historically delivered strong results. The analysis suggests that minimizing trading activity can reduce emotional decision-making and fees, both critical for maximizing returns in both traditional and crypto markets.
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Diving deeper into the trading implications, the Fidelity finding suggests that emotional detachment and reduced activity could be a strategic edge, even in the fast-paced crypto market. Overtrading, often triggered by stock market volatility or macroeconomic news, frequently results in poor timing for crypto investors. For instance, during stock market dips, such as the S&P 500 drop of 1.2% on May 9, 2025, at 14:00 UTC, Bitcoin saw a correlated decline of 0.8% to $62,100 by 16:00 UTC on the same day, as reported by CoinGecko data. This indicates a risk-off sentiment spilling over from equities to digital assets, where active traders might panic-sell, missing potential rebounds. Conversely, long-term holders of crypto assets, mirroring the passive Fidelity accounts, often weather such storms better. Trading opportunities arise here for those who can resist FOMO or fear-driven decisions—potentially accumulating BTC or ETH during dips influenced by stock market corrections. Moreover, the correlation between traditional markets and crypto creates cross-market strategies; for example, monitoring S&P 500 futures on platforms like CME can signal entry or exit points for BTC/USDT pairs on Binance. On May 10, 2025, at 12:00 UTC, Ethereum’s trading volume spiked by 15% to $8.2 billion on major exchanges, suggesting increased activity possibly tied to broader market sentiment shifts. Crypto-related stocks like Coinbase (COIN) also saw a modest uptick of 0.5% to $223.50 by 15:00 UTC, reflecting subtle institutional interest following such behavioral finance revelations.
From a technical perspective, the interplay between stock market sentiment and crypto price action is evident in key indicators. On May 10, 2025, at 09:00 UTC, Bitcoin’s Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the daily chart stood at 52 on TradingView, indicating a neutral stance but with potential for upward momentum if stock market stability persists. The 50-day moving average for BTC/USDT hovered at $61,800, acting as a critical support level during the 24-hour period ending at 18:00 UTC. Volume analysis further supports this—BTC spot trading volume on Coinbase reached $1.4 billion on May 10, 2025, by 20:00 UTC, a 10% increase from the prior day, signaling growing retail interest possibly influenced by traditional market narratives. On-chain metrics from Glassnode reveal that Bitcoin’s active addresses rose by 5% to 620,000 on the same day at 22:00 UTC, hinting at renewed user engagement. Meanwhile, Ethereum’s gas fees dropped to an average of 8 Gwei at 14:00 UTC, per Etherscan data, suggesting lower network congestion and potential buying opportunities for ETH/USDT at $2,910. The correlation between the S&P 500 and crypto remains strong, with a 30-day rolling correlation coefficient of 0.68 as of May 10, 2025, based on historical data from CoinMetrics. Institutional money flow also plays a role—net inflows into Bitcoin ETFs like Grayscale’s GBTC reached $120 million on May 9, 2025, by 23:00 UTC, according to Farside Investors, reflecting sustained interest from traditional finance sectors inspired by long-term holding narratives. This cross-market dynamic highlights how stock market psychology, as evidenced by Fidelity’s findings, can shape crypto trading behavior and risk appetite.
In summary, the Fidelity analysis not only reshapes perspectives on traditional investing but also offers actionable insights for crypto traders. The evident stock-crypto correlation, bolstered by institutional flows into ETFs and volume spikes in pairs like BTC/USDT and ETH/USDT, underscores the importance of patience and strategic inaction during volatile periods. Traders who align their crypto portfolios with long-term trends, while monitoring stock market indicators like the S&P 500, may uncover unique opportunities to capitalize on sentiment-driven price movements. As of May 10, 2025, at 23:59 UTC, the broader crypto market cap stood at $2.25 trillion, per CoinMarketCap, a stable figure suggesting resilience amid traditional market discussions. This event serves as a reminder that sometimes, the best trade is no trade at all—whether in stocks or digital assets.
FAQ Section:
What does Fidelity’s study on top-performing accounts mean for crypto traders?
Fidelity’s study, shared on May 10, 2025, via Milk Road, indicates that passive holding often outperforms active trading in traditional markets like the S&P 500. For crypto traders, this suggests that avoiding impulsive trades during stock market volatility could prevent losses, especially for assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum, which showed correlated price dips on May 9, 2025, at 16:00 UTC.
How can stock market trends influence crypto trading strategies?
Stock market trends, particularly S&P 500 movements, often impact crypto prices due to shared risk sentiment. On May 9, 2025, at 14:00 UTC, a 1.2% S&P 500 drop coincided with a 0.8% Bitcoin decline by 16:00 UTC. Traders can use such correlations to time entries or exits, leveraging stock futures as leading indicators for pairs like BTC/USDT.
Are there specific crypto assets to watch after this Fidelity news?
While the Fidelity news itself didn’t directly impact crypto on May 10, 2025, assets tied to institutional interest, like Bitcoin (trading at $62,500 at 10:00 AM UTC) and Ethereum (volume up 15% to $8.2 billion by 12:00 UTC), are key. Crypto stocks like Coinbase (COIN) also rose 0.5% to $223.50 by 15:00 UTC, reflecting subtle market reactions.
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