The $93 Bet
In 2014, Alex was 22 years old, broke, and living in a tiny apartment with a squeaky ceiling fan that threatened to fall at any moment. He worked part-time at a coffee shop, making just enough to cover rent and instant noodles.
One evening, while scrolling through a tech forum, Alex stumbled upon a heated debate about Bitcoin and a brand-new altcoin called Ethereum. Everyone seemed skeptical — except for one user who wrote:
“If you missed Bitcoin at $1, don’t miss this. ETH is the next big thing.”
Alex had $93 left in his bank account after paying bills. Most people would have saved it for groceries, but Alex decided to gamble it all. Using a clunky exchange interface that looked like it belonged in 1995, he bought 3,100 ETH at about $0.03 each.
The Forgotten Wallet
Months passed, Ethereum barely moved, and Alex stopped checking prices. Life got busy — new job, new girlfriend, new city. He even lost access to the old email he’d used for the exchange.
In 2017, a friend mentioned ETH was “over $300.”
Alex laughed, then froze.
He dug through his old laptop, found the wallet backup, and — after three failed password attempts and a mild heart attack — logged in.
His 3,100 ETH was now worth just under $1 million.
From Panic to Planning
Alex did not immediately cash out everything (thankfully avoiding a giant tax shock). He sold slowly, paid off debts, and put part of the profits into other investments, like Bitcoin and a few startups.
By 2021, thanks to the crypto bull run and some smart diversification, his net worth had crossed $4 million.
The Lesson
Alex’s story wasn’t about genius timing or insider tips — it was about:
Taking a calculated risk with money he could afford to lose.
Forgetting about the noise and letting time work its magic.
Not panicking when prices moved wildly.
His favorite quote became:
“In crypto, patience is rarer than luck — but worth far more.”
