Back in those days, I was huddled in a small, dim rental house in the urban village, eating instant noodles while casually scrolling through my phone.
Suddenly, my phone pushed a message: "The main coin has broken through 20,000 dollars!" At that time, I had no idea what it meant for the main coin to break through 20,000 dollars. Looking at the bouncing line chart on the screen, I found it interesting, completely unaware that this coincidental glimpse of information would become a turning point in my life, completely rewriting my life trajectory.
At that time, I was working a clerical job at an inconspicuous small company. My monthly salary of four thousand felt like a precise measuring line, gauging the boundaries of life, from the rental house to the company, a two-point line, and life was as bland as warm water, with a clear endpoint in sight. The meager balance in my bank account made it necessary to weigh and hesitate repeatedly just to choose a decent gift for my girlfriend.
Until the news of the skyrocketing price of the main coin shattered the dull night sky like a strong light, instantly igniting my unwilling heart to remain mediocre; a fiery thought of 'getting rich' began to burn fiercely within my chest.
With the nervousness of going all in, I gritted my teeth and invested the twenty thousand yuan I had painstakingly saved over half a year into the whirlpool of Bitcoin.
In the initial days, my heart was full of longing for the myth of wealth, but the cold water of reality suddenly poured down.
Just three days later, the price of the coin suddenly plummeted by 15%. The constantly shrinking number in my account balance on the screen felt like an invisible hand tightly gripping my throat.
Panic engulfed me like a tide, sleepless nights left me disoriented. Each time I opened my account, my heart felt like it was being tightly grasped; the thought of cutting losses repeatedly tugged at my mind, almost tearing me apart.
Just as fear was about to consume my rationality and I was on the brink of accepting a loss and exiting, fate quietly handed me a rope. I inadvertently stumbled into a cryptocurrency community.
When I first entered, the screen full of professional jargon and fervent discussions felt like I had fallen into a fog. Fortunately, a guide with the ID 'Magical' used straightforward language to analyze complex concepts like smart contracts and developer ecosystems, gradually opening the heavy door to the blockchain world for me. His insights into technological potential dispelled the haze before me like starlight and quietly reshaped my understanding.
Inspired by this, I was no longer a frightened bird. Calming down, I began to eagerly study. My focus ultimately locked onto the second coin.
At that time, its smart contract technology stood out in the world, building a vibrant ecosystem that showcased a breathtaking future. With determination set, I concealed my actions from my family, not only spending all my savings but also borrowing fifty thousand yuan in debt, going all in and betting everything on the second coin, diving into this uncertain gamble.
I never expected that the wheel of fate would begin to favor me at this moment.
At the end of 2017, an unprecedented bull market swept through the cryptocurrency space. The main coin broke through the twenty thousand dollar barrier like a wild horse. The second coin I heavily invested in soared like a rocket, increasing tenfold in just three months!
When I logged into my account and saw that string of numbers breaking through seven figures, I was instantly petrified, my mind blank. After a brief moment of suffocation, joy erupted like a volcano; in that familiar small rental house, I laughed out loud like a madman at the flashing screen, my laughter piercing through all past repression.
But what truly enabled my wealth to complete a stunning leap from millions to fifty million was the 2020 DeFi storm that swept everything. With its trustless, efficient, and transparent characteristics, it ignited the passion of the entire crypto world, with countless projects breaking ground like bamboo shoots after rain.
With the previous accumulation and keen instincts, I smelled a huge opportunity when DeFi first emerged. During that time, I immersed myself in forums and communities day and night, like the most meticulous detective, reading project white papers word by word: Is the technical architecture solid? Is the team background strong? Is the economic model sustainable? Are the application scenarios real? After screening out my desired targets, I unhesitatingly poured all available funds into them.
This was an unprecedented gamble. My mind was highly strung, sleeping less than four hours a day, my eyes almost glued to the screen, fearing missing any slight change.
Luck smiled upon me again. The project launched, and the price of its token skyrocketed like a rocket, increasing a hundredfold within a week! Watching the crazy numbers bouncing in my account, my hands trembled violently with excitement. As the price reached its peak, I decisively cashed out. In this battle, my account balance astonishingly exceeded fifty million. At that moment, I clearly sensed that the trajectory of my fate had been completely reversed; beneath the shell of an ordinary worker, the soul of a millionaire had already emerged.
Looking back on the years of drifting in the tumultuous cryptocurrency market, the lessons of blood and tears have condensed into several ballast stones:
Respect risk and manage funds well: This is the bottom line for survival. Only invest spare money and never touch funds necessary for living or debt. Being fully invested exposes oneself nakedly to the storm of risk. I habitually diversify my funds; each time I strike, I only use a portion, ensuring that a single loss does not cause serious damage.
The iron rule is to stop losses and secure profits: Set clear stop-loss points (such as 10%-15%), and once reached, regardless of the pain, exit decisively to protect the principal. Similarly, when reaching the preset profit targets (such as 50%, 100%), overcome greed and cash out resolutely. Greed and fear are demons of the heart; only discipline can conquer them.
Deeply research the essence and penetrate the fog: Investing is not merely betting on code or price curves. Thoroughly analyze the project's technological originality, team strength, market prospects, and core competitiveness. For example, the second coin's pioneering smart contract ecosystem is a powerful cornerstone. An empty castle in the air, no matter how dazzling, will eventually return to dust without substantial support.
Go with the flow, be cautious in bottom-fishing: Trends are like torrents. In a bull market, firmly hold quality assets and do not be misled by short-term fluctuations; corrections can be good opportunities to increase positions. In a bear market, one must remain dormant, and avoid speaking lightly about the bottom. Bear market rebounds are often traps for the greedy. In 2018's deep bear market, I chose to stay out and observe quietly, only gradually laying out my positions once bottom signals became clear (such as long-term horizontal consolidation and exhausted volume).
Think independently, stay clear-headed, make independent judgments, and do not follow blindly. Popular projects are often overhyped, leading to inflated prices, and blindly chasing after them can easily make one a bag holder. Let the noise be.
Learning is endless; embrace change: This is a rapidly evolving field. Only through continuous learning, tracking technological advancements and market dynamics can one gain insight into opportunities. I immerse myself daily in industry news, participate in discussions, and constantly update my cognitive map.
Master your inner demons and trade rationally: The market's massive fluctuations are amplifiers of emotion. A detailed plan must be established before trading: goals, risks, and strategies. During trading, filter out emotional noise and strictly execute the plan. During panic selling, calmly analyze whether it is emotional release or a fundamental shake-up? The former may allow for holding or increasing positions, while the latter requires decisive stop-loss.
Later, after playing at that small company for a few more years, the company unexpectedly laid me off. Now, with the first pot of gold I dug from the cryptocurrency world, I have founded my own company, and my life has returned to stability and solidity.
However, every time I think back to those thrilling and dreamlike years in the cryptocurrency space, my heart still stirs. That turbulent sea of coins felt like an extreme adventure, allowing me to swiftly traverse between the heights and depths of wealth, further refining my understanding of the essence of investing: always respect the market, adhere to rationality, continuously evolve, and strictly control risk. That experience was like a bizarre yet perilous dream, full of uncertainty, but it also forged the person I am today. I understand that such opportunities may not be replicable, but the experiences and wisdom forged in the stormy seas have become the heaviest wealth in my life, constantly reminding me: regardless of fortune or adversity, remain true to oneself to move forward steadily.