How can one make big money in the crypto world? How can ordinary people quickly turn their fortunes around and earn big?
Coins and airdrops, along with a few specific airdrop cases, help everyone avoid detours.
Crypto world: The last chance for ordinary people to turn their fate around
The crypto world may be the only chance for us ordinary people to 'overtake on a bend' in our lifetimes. Why? Various industries have already been monopolized by capital, and opportunities to leverage technology and intellect to create wealth are extremely rare. Choices are more important than hard work; working can only solve basic needs and will never make you rich. The crypto world gives us a platform for 'small bets against large ones.' I even feel this is the last chance for the poor to rise; it’s fleeting and missing it may mean it’s gone forever.
But don't celebrate too early. The cryptocurrency world has many opportunities, but also many pitfalls. Various 'experts' are competing, and stories of getting rich quickly abound, but many more end up losing everything. During the previous Binance vs FTX battle, many big names fell, including the 'God of Cryptocurrency' from the 90s, the curly-haired explosion head, who met a tragic end. Newcomers especially suffer; seeing cases of 'losers making a comeback' on TV or apps makes them think they are the chosen ones, fantasizing about turning 100 yuan into a million. It sounds great, but if you've ever worked hard, you know this is pure nonsense. In reality, the high achievers in (The Racing) only exist in TV dramas; in the crypto world, you still have to kneel when necessary.
Path 1: Hoarding coins, the ideal path for ordinary people
In my opinion, hoarding coins in the crypto world is the most reliable way for ordinary people to make money; most other methods are dubious and can lead to failure. Use spare money to hoard coins, and don’t mess around. Newcomers should focus on Bitcoin; so-called 'hundredfold coins' or 'thousandfold coins' are traps designed to take your life. For long-term development, you can allocate a little to altcoins but Bitcoin must be the largest portion.
How to hoard? The core is fixed amount investing; holding coins is king.
Don’t go all-in, don’t borrow money, don’t gamble. There are many market opportunities; keep your eyes on the long term.
Let me share my 'seven iron rules of hoarding coins':
Invest with fixed amounts, avoid all-in: No matter how good the opportunity is, don’t bet everything. All-in during a market crash is a big taboo. Cultivate a systematic mindset, dance with the market, be a regular player, not a bandit.
Mindset first, buy and don’t look back: Choose the right coins, and once bought, don’t second-guess. Don’t fantasize about bottom-fishing and top-selling; constantly staring at the market will only drive you crazy. Learn more, read more.
Increase allocation, diversify: Don’t hold too much of any coin (except Bitcoin). Choose leaders in each sector and spread your investments.
Take profit and return the principal: If you make money, pull out your principal first, secure your gains, and don’t hesitate.
Hold on and have faith: Choose good value coins, hold them firmly, and don’t waver. Don’t regret, don’t hesitate; long-term holding is the key.
Don’t chase highs or panic sell: Can't resist the urge to chase? Uninstall the software, don’t look at the market or news, buy and don’t look back, wait patiently.
Risk control: Maintain respect for investments, be cautious, only use spare money, and never borrow. Short-term windfall gains are rare, and gambling is a big taboo.
When to buy? Build positions during a bear market, add more when prices dip. Use 40% of funds to get in first, buy more during significant drops, and buy small amounts during minor dips. Don’t chase when prices rise; keep your base position, what’s to fear? When the bull market arrives, the news will be overwhelming shouting 'Bitcoin hits a historic high,' so sell in batches, with 40% sold at your psychological price, and slowly place orders for the rest.
Path 2: Airdrops
Besides hoarding coins, airdrops are another path suitable for ordinary people to make money, especially for those with less capital. Airdrops are when project parties give away tokens for free, usually to promote the project and attract users. However, airdrops also come with risks, such as project failures, token devaluation, or scams, so be vigilant.
The advantage of airdrops is their low entry barrier, allowing ordinary people to participate. The downside is the returns are unstable; you might spend time and not gain anything, or receive tokens that aren’t worth much. But if you hit the right project, you could earn dozens or even hundreds of times.
Here are a few specific airdrop cases:
Case 1: Uniswap (2020)
Uniswap is the leader in decentralized exchanges. In September 2020, when it launched the governance token UNI, it conducted a classic airdrop. Anyone who had traded or provided liquidity on Uniswap before September 1, 2020, could claim at least 400 UNI for free. At that time, 400 UNI was worth about $1,200, and later UNI peaked at over $40, valued at $16,000. How to participate? You only needed to have swapped tokens or provided funds on Uniswap for the airdrop to be automatically sent to your wallet. This type of airdrop is called 'retroactive,' rewarding early users and reminding us: regularly use reliable DeFi protocols, and you might get a surprise one day.
Case 2: Notcoin (2024)
Notcoin is a blockchain game project based on Telegram, which became popular globally through 'click mining' airdrops in early 2024. Users play simple mini-games in Telegram, clicking the screen to accumulate points that can be exchanged for NOT tokens. There are no technical barriers, and ordinary people can accumulate a lot of points in a few days. After the airdrop ended, NOT was listed on exchanges, and some early participants made hundreds to thousands of dollars. How to participate? Join the project Telegram group, follow the instructions to play games, accumulate points, and redeem tokens during the airdrop. This type of airdrop is suitable for newcomers without funds but with time; you can earn by 'grinding.'
Case 3: Optimism (2022)
Optimism is a Layer 2 network on Ethereum, and when it launched the OP token in 2022, it conducted an airdrop. Anyone who had made transactions on the Optimism mainnet, provided liquidity, or participated in the testnet could claim OP tokens. Early users received several thousand dollars worth of tokens, and later the OP price surged several times. How to participate? At the time, you needed to trade on Optimism (such as cross-chain transfers or token swaps) or participate in testnet tasks. This type of airdrop is suitable for those willing to spend some gas fees and actively engage in Layer 2 projects.
Case 4: Bored Ape Yacht Club (2021)
NFT airdrops are also very popular. Bored Ape Yacht Club (B-star NFT collectors) airdropped Mutant Serum to all BAYC NFT holders in 2021. Holders could use the serum to 'mutate' their original BAYC NFT into Mutant Ape NFT, worth thousands to tens of thousands of dollars. How to participate? Hold BAYC NFT to automatically receive the serum. This type of airdrop is suitable for NFT players and reminds us: holding quality NFTs may lead to unexpected gains.
How to find reliable airdrops?
If you want to play airdrops, you need to learn how to find projects. Here are a few tips:
Pay attention to reliable platforms: Use websites like defilama, DappRadar, rootdata, etc.
Join communities: Follow official project accounts on X, Telegram, Discord; airdrop information is released first here.
Beware of scams: Don’t click on unknown links, and don’t disclose your private keys.
Do your homework: Research project backgrounds, whitepapers, and teams to see if they truly have potential.
Network communication: Join the circles of experts, and communicate more with skilled friends; going solo is not effective.
The crypto world has changed, but opportunities still exist
Today’s crypto world is no longer the wild west. Old money groups together, their capital is in the billions, and they are satisfied with a 20%-50% profit, but if your capital is only 10,000 or 100,000, you can only rely on hoarding coins and airdrops to multiply your returns. Hoarding coins is a long-term strategy, laying groundwork in a bear market and reaping rewards in a bull market; airdrops are short-term opportunities, low-cost trial and error, hitting the jackpot can lead to huge profits.
In practical operations, focus on Bitcoin primarily, with altcoins as a supplement, selecting leading sectors. Airdrops can be tried with reliable projects while ensuring wallet security. If funds are limited, focus on Bitcoin and free airdrops; if funds are abundant, you can diversify. If you want to delve deeper into altcoin selection, asset allocation, and timing for building and liquidating positions, follow me for detailed discussions in the next session.
In conclusion
Some fans went all-in on their houses, investing over 20 million in the crypto world, asking me what to buy and how to invest.
I will only say: Newcomers should focus on Bitcoin.
If you want excitement, allocate some to altcoins and try some airdrops, but Bitcoin should have the highest proportion. Choose quality projects for airdrops.
The crypto world is full of opportunities, but also pitfalls; if you want to turn your fate around, first control your impulses and steady your heart.
