We spoke with three experts—a fund founder, a venture capital partner, and an algorithmic trading strategist—each offering a different path. Despite the varying approaches, all agree that the long-term success of cryptocurrency requires discipline, logic, and critical thinking.
This conversation took place at the UN:BLOCK conference in Riga, held on April 23–24, where industry leaders shared their views on the future of cryptocurrency and blockchain-based finance.
Ethan Pierse: 'I Care More About Value'
For Ethan Pierse, Partner at Borderless Ventures, patience and discipline form the foundation for sound cryptocurrency investment strategies:
As a value investor rather than a day trader, I care more about the value of cryptocurrency assets (like stocks) over time. Dollar-cost averaging... creates a more stable, reliable path to achieving returns.
Pierse admits that riskier strategies like airdrop farming or meme coins can yield profits, but only for those willing to invest significant time and effort. When evaluating projects, he looks for user growth, positive development, and meaningful long-term tokenomics:
A major red flag is if unlocking tokens disproportionately benefits insiders or if actual usage is low but speculative interest is high.
Looking forward, Pierse expects regulatory tools and data-driven approaches to dominate:
We will see more structured products, tokenized ETFs, and algorithmic portfolio models, bringing cryptocurrency closer to traditional finance without losing its edge.
Gunars Udris: 'Bitcoin Remains the Foundation' of Cryptocurrency Investment Strategies
Gunars Udris, Partner at FinForta, emphasizes that long-term success in cryptocurrency and effective cryptocurrency investment strategies start from solid fundamentals. Speaking after FinForta won the UN:BLOCK competition, Udris stressed that projects with clear utility, robust technology, and trustworthy teams are more likely to withstand market cycles:
Projects with clear use cases, strong technology, and experienced teams are more likely to thrive. For example, Ethereum's smart contracts address real-world issues, while projects with anonymous teams or vague whitepapers often indicate higher risk.
Udris sees value beyond the traditional 'buy and hold' approach and suggests more sophisticated strategies:
Diversifying across multiple sectors such as DeFi, AI, and GameFi,
Tracking emerging trends like tokenized real assets and smart contract platforms,
Using soft staking to earn profits without sacrificing liquidity.
The expert highlights the growing appeal of flexible earning mechanisms: 'Soft staking offers the flexibility to adapt to market changes while still earning rewards, making it attractive to active investors seeking both liquidity and returns.'
He also warns that many investors underestimate significant risks such as volatility, regulatory changes, security breaches, and liquidity traps:
Just in 2024 alone, over $2.36 billion has been lost to hackers, and a single incident can wipe out your assets with little chance of recovery.
Niv Bombash: 'Big Wins Don’t Make You Rich'
Theo Niv Bombash, Founder of SAGE, risk management is the most overlooked pillar in cryptocurrency investment. He emphasizes caution, control, and logic above all.
It’s not the big wins that will make you wealthy. It’s the big losses that will force you out of the game.
Bombash prefers algorithmic trading strategies over simple buy-and-hold strategies but emphasizes that they require constant review and adjustment:
There are algorithmic trading strategies that outperform traditional buy-and-hold strategies. However, one must monitor and update them regularly.
He also points out that the unpredictable nature of the cryptocurrency market, especially its 24/7 activity, makes managing volatility harder than in traditional finance:
The market's volatility and their ever-changing behavior. You can't predict what will happen or when.
Looking ahead, Bombash predicts the market will become more accessible through ETFs and ETPs and believes regulation will help stabilize this space and make it more investor-friendly:
I believe there will be more ETFs and ETPs, making it easier and more cost-effective for investors to participate in the cryptocurrency market.
While their tactics may differ, all three experts agree: trading based on emotion and blind optimism rarely leads to success in cryptocurrency. In a market known for its noise and hype, discipline, structure, and continuous reassessment make a difference. As the ecosystem matures, long-term investors must evolve alongside it, without losing sight of the fundamentals.
