Fifteen years ago that afternoon, my father, under the strong recommendation of an old friend, half-believingly bought 4000 bitcoins.
At that time, he knew nothing about blockchain and just thought, 'This thing sounds quite mysterious.' He stored the key in that silver Apple MacBook, just like putting an electronic receipt casually into a drawer corner, never to open it again.
That was left there for a full ten years.
1. The Forgotten Wealth and a Silent Transformation
My father was not a technology enthusiast.
That Apple computer was mainly used for writing documents, sending and receiving emails, and occasionally checking the news. He did not know that the few thousand yuan he spent 'to play with' back then was quietly growing deep within the silent internet.
Until 2017, Bitcoin's price first broke through 10,000 yuan.
One weekend, while having dinner at home, I casually mentioned: "Dad, do you remember you used to buy Bitcoin?"
He was stunned for a moment and then suddenly stood up: "Right! It was on that old computer!"
We rushed into the study and dug out that long-discontinued MacBook from the back of the cabinet. Turned it on, entered the password—incorrect. Tried again—still incorrect.
He fell silent.
"Maybe... it was the password I set back then; I changed it once later and now can't remember it at all."
At that moment, the air seemed to solidify.
Outside, the night was falling, while the password input box on the screen felt like a cold iron door, keeping us out of wealth.
Two, the carnival of bull markets and the silent collapse
At the end of 2017, Bitcoin's price soared to nearly $20,000.
The circle of friends is full of 'get rich overnight' stories, and people in groups occasionally share their gains, cheer, and celebrate their freedom.
And my father could only smoke one cigarette after another.
We found a professional data recovery company, and after multiple attempts, they shook their heads: "Apple's encryption is too strong; if the password is truly forgotten, it's nearly impossible to crack."
"Nearly?" I asked.
"Unless you can find the handwritten password hint from back then, or... wait for quantum computers to become widespread."
Those were extremely depressing days. Knowing that wealth was right there but unable to touch it. Like seeing an oasis in the desert, only to find it's a mirage when getting closer.
My father suffered from insomnia for a time. He said: "I'm not heartbroken over the money; I hate myself for not taking it seriously back then."
Three, the great technology bull and the door that finally opened.
The year is 2023.
Bitcoin has gone through another round of bull and bear markets, and my father has gradually come to terms with it, even jokingly saying: "Just consider it an inheritance for my future grandson; maybe he can take it out when he gets older."
But a turning point occurred by a very coincidental opportunity.
I met a doctor specializing in cryptography and security engineering through a friend, nicknamed 'Key'.
After listening to the whole story, he was silent for a moment and said: "I can't guarantee anything, but I can give it a try. Apple's firmware encryption is strong, but not without vulnerabilities."
The process was more torturous than I imagined.
"Key" took a full three months, trying various side-channel attacks, timing injections, and hardware-level cracking methods, failing seventeen times during that period.
Finally, one morning, I received his message:
"It's opened."
Four, the truth behind the four thousand Bitcoins.
When my father saw that dormant wallet interface again, his hands were shaking.
Balance displayed: 4000 BTC.
But he wasn't as excited as I expected; instead, he was unusually calm.
He said: "In the past fifteen years, I've watched Bitcoin rise from a few cents to tens of thousands, then fall back to a few thousand, and then surge to new highs. I missed too many selling opportunities, but I also came to understand one thing."
"The cryptocurrency world is not just about luck, but a contest of strategy, cognition, and discipline."
He told me that over the years, although he didn't truly 'own' these Bitcoins, he kept a close eye on the entire industry’s development. He read white papers, followed technical forums, analyzed cyclical patterns... even tried trading with a small amount of money himself.
"If I had sold easily back then, I might have lost everything long ago. It was precisely because I passively 'held on' that I truly understood what long-termism is."
Five, and I have also walked out of my own path from his experiences.
I started with 5000 yuan and have come this far.
Not relying on inspirational speeches or metaphysics, but on those nights spent watching the market, the data I continuously reviewed, the strict stop-loss discipline I enforced, and my calm judgment of market sentiment.
My father often said: "I am not your negative example, nor your positive role model. I am just a case that has lived for a long time."
Yes, he is a living case:
About cognition: If you do not understand what you are buying, you ultimately cannot hold onto it;
About strategy: Even in a bull market, blindly holding may not be wisdom; it could also be laziness;
About discipline: Stop-loss at a 10% loss, only add positions when in profit—these principles are more important than any 'inside information';
About mindset: The market is always fluctuating, but you can choose not to be controlled by those fluctuations.
Six, a letter to everyone seeking answers in the cryptocurrency world.
This world is never short of wealth stories; what it lacks are people who truly understand the logic of wealth.
Some people rely on a bull market to turn their fortunes around but return everything in a bear market; some continuously chase highs and cut losses, ultimately exhausting their capital and energy.
But there are also those who persist in learning, remain calm, accumulate knowledge, and wait for the right moment.
My father’s 4000 Bitcoins ultimately were not all liquidated.
He kept a portion, saying: "I want to see how this story can continue to unfold."
And I continued on my trading path, no longer fantasizing about getting rich overnight, but pursuing stable output, systematic operation, and logical victory.
If you've also felt lost, greedy, or fearful in the cryptocurrency world—
Remember, you are not alone.
But also remember:
Passwords may be lost, technology can be cracked, markets will have bull and bear phases, but only cognition and discipline can truly help you navigate cycles and retain wealth.
Finally, here are a few sentences I firmly believe in after all these years:
Don’t chase trends you don’t understand; don’t fear markets you comprehend;
If you lose, lose clearly; if you win, win calmly;
True freedom is not the number of wealth, but your understanding of wealth.
——
May every person who takes investment seriously ultimately reap rewards.
📌 This article is based on real experiences, and some information has been privacy-processed.
If you need to communicate, you can follow@加密五爹 and privately message me to discuss.
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