Have Pokémon cards beaten Nvidia? Not yet
Written by
Mathis GrosjeanPersonally verified
Founder, Pepita
Mathis copied the chart’s 97 points, month by month, and compared them with the Cardmarket prices Pepita records every day.
Published · 6 min readLast updated
Contents
A chart shared on X says Pokémon cards are about to do better than Nvidia stock. We checked.
The short answer
The question: since 2018, have Pokémon cards gone up more than Nvidia stock? Not yet, but it is very close. On the chart, both start at 100 in October 2018. On 1 October 2026, Nvidia is at 4,107 and Card Ladder’s Pokémon index at 4,007, so Nvidia is 2.5% ahead. Most of the catch-up happened in 2026 (+260% for the cards since January). And watch out: the Pokémon index’s October value is just September’s, copied over.
- ×40.1 Rise of the Pokémon index since October 2018
- ×41.1 Rise of Nvidia stock over the same period
- +260% Pokémon index since January 2026 (Nvidia: +13%)
- 60 of 96 Months where the Pokémon index does not move at all on the chart
Where does this chart come from?
It comes from Blockworks, a crypto and finance media company. The chart compares nine lines since October 2018: a price index of Pokémon cards, an index of collectible cards (CL50), Nvidia and Micron stock, Bitcoin, Ether, the Nasdaq, the S&P 500 and gold.
Every line starts at 100 at the same moment, so you can see which one rose most. Both card indexes come from Card Ladder, a site that tracks card sales.
The X account @standotsui shared it with this caption: Pokémon is “one step away from overtaking NVDA”. We copied all 97 points of the chart to check.
The result on 1 October 2026: Nvidia at 4,107, the Pokémon index at 4,007. Far behind: Micron at 2,376, Bitcoin at 1,293, CL50 at 681 and the S&P 500 at 284.
How Pokémon cards caught up with Nvidia
Cards have been ahead before: from January 2021 to April 2023, the Pokémon index was above Nvidia. Then Nvidia pulled away. In November 2024, the stock stood 4.7 times higher than the Pokémon index.
Then cards took off. From October 2024 to October 2026, the Pokémon index rose 635%, Nvidia 63%. Since January 2026 alone: +260% for cards, +13% for Nvidia, −3% for Bitcoin.
Over the last 12 months, the Pokémon index rose 309%. Micron, the chart’s other big riser, rose 300%. For us, that is the real comparison: cards had a wild year, like a trendy stock. It is not a steady rise over eight years.
The catch: an index that climbs in steps
Look at the red line. It does not rise smoothly, it climbs in steps. Over 96 months, the Pokémon index does not move at all 60 times. Then it jumps: +96% in August 2020, +188% in January 2021, +57% in September 2026. Nvidia stock changes price every month.
The last point is a problem. The Pokémon index’s October 2026 value (4,007.49) is exactly September’s. So the 2.5% gap compares Nvidia’s price on 1 October with a Pokémon number copied from the month before.
The steps also make cards look like they fall less. On the chart, the Pokémon index’s worst fall is 31% (December 2023 to October 2024). Nvidia’s is 63% (November 2021 to September 2022). But an index that only moves now and then can hide falls. It does not prove cards are less risky.
Did your cards rise that much?
Not necessarily. The index follows a selection of cards chosen by Card Ladder, based on verified sales. Your own cards may have done better, or much worse. And nobody can buy “the index”.
Selling a card also costs money. On Cardmarket the commission is 5% (capped at €100 per card), postage not included. A graded card also paid for its grading. An Nvidia share sells in a second. The index pays none of these costs.
On the same dashboard, Blockworks shows another index: recent Pokémon cards, computed by Collector Crypt. When we looked, it was at −5.1% over 30 days.
Are prices rising on Cardmarket too?
A bit, but not everywhere. Pepita records Cardmarket prices for cards worth €5 or more every day. On 20 October 2026, the 250 most expensive cards were up 18.2% over 30 days. But only 54% of cards worth €5 or more sit above their average price for the month. We read the market as neutral: not really up, not really down.
It is mostly the star cards that are rising. Skyridge Charizard reached €5,003.36 (+45.0% in 30 days), and the Skyridge set gained €6,123 in total. Meanwhile, the 1999 Base Set lost 49.9%.
“Pokémon cards” do not all rise together. An index of star cards can soar while your binder stays flat.
So, will Pokémon cards overtake Nvidia?
On this chart it could come down to nothing. The gap is only 2.5%. If the Pokémon index takes one more step of more than 2.5%, it goes ahead. If Nvidia stock drops 2.5%, same thing.
Our view: a 57% jump in one month, like September 2026, is rare. We do not expect another one that big soon. And even if cards go ahead, it changes nothing about what your cards are worth. The only price that counts is what a buyer pays for your card, in its condition.
| Line | Since Oct 2018 | Last 12 months | Since January 2026 | Worst fall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nvidia | ×41.1 | +7% | +13% | −63% |
| Pokémon index (Card Ladder) | ×40.1 | +309% | +260% | −31% |
| Micron | ×23.8 | +300% | +116% | −46% |
| Bitcoin | ×12.9 | −24% | −3% | −73% |
| Ether | ×12.2 | −37% | −11% | −75% |
| CL50 (Card Ladder) | ×6.8 | +68% | +47% | −66% |
| Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | ×4.2 | +14% | +15% | −33% |
| Gold (GLD) | ×3.3 | +3% | −15% | −24% |
| S&P 500 (SPY) | ×2.8 | +13% | +11% | −25% |
Pepita’s calculations on the monthly points of the Blockworks chart, read on 21 October 2026. “Last 12 months”: October 2025 to October 2026. “Worst fall”: the biggest drop from a previous high, month to month. A drop within a month does not show.
Frequently asked questions
Have Pokémon cards done better than Nvidia?
Not yet. Since October 2018, Nvidia stock has been multiplied by 41.1 and Card Ladder’s Pokémon index by 40.1. Nvidia is 2.5% ahead on 1 October 2026. But over the last 12 months cards did far better: +309% against +7% for Nvidia.
How much has the Pokémon index gone up in 2026?
It went from 1,112 in January to 4,007 in October 2026, which is +260%. On Cardmarket, the 250 most expensive cards Pepita tracks rose 18.2% over the 30 days to 20 October 2026.
What is the Card Ladder Pokémon index?
A price index published by Card Ladder. It follows a selection of Pokémon cards, based on verified sales. You cannot buy it.
What does “indexed to 100” mean?
Every line starts at 100 on 1 October 2018. A line at 4,007 has been multiplied by 40.07 since. It compares rises, not prices.
Are Pokémon cards a good investment?
Pepita does not give investment advice. What we see: one card index rose a lot, in jumps. Selling a card costs fees (5% on Cardmarket) that the index never pays. And on Cardmarket the recent rise is mostly in star cards.
Sources
- Blockworks, TCG dashboard, Adoption tabChart “TCG: Price Indexes (TCG vs Crypto vs Equities vs Commodities)”, 8-year view. 97 monthly points read on 21 October 2026.
- Card Ladder, “What are Indexes?”How Card Ladder describes its indexes.
- Pepita, market analysis of 20 October 2026250 most expensive cards, share of cards rising, Skyridge, Base Set (Cardmarket prices, in euros).
- Cardmarket, seller fees5% commission, capped at €100 per item, checked on 24 July 2026.
Pepita’s view, not investment advice. Blockworks and Card Ladder figures belong to their publishers; Pepita quotes and analyses them.
What are your own cards worth? Scan them with Pepita for their Cardmarket price: iPhone and Android, 20 free scans a day.
The Pokémon index rose 260% in 2026. What about your cards?
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