In 2016, that roommate who said I was 'crazy'
In the summer of 2016, I mysteriously leaned over to my college roommate and said, 'Have you heard about Ethereum?'
He was busy playing games and didn't even turn his head: 'What? Another one of those virtual currencies? Just a copycat of Bitcoin, right?'
I eagerly explained to him that this was not just currency; it was something called 'smart contracts,' the underlying protocol of the future. I told him I had researched for a long time and was ready to invest all the five thousand yuan I had saved from tutoring.
'Five thousand? Are you crazy?' He finally turned his head. 'Buying a string of code? This thing is even more virtual than Bitcoin. Who knows when the project will fail? Can you understand if the code goes to zero?'
He even joked half-heartedly, 'You didn't get into some pyramid scheme, did you? Are there rewards for bringing in new people?'
I shook my head and didn’t persuade him further. In the end, I still bought in. I clearly remember that at that time, the price of Ethereum was around 70 yuan each.
A few months later, Ethereum rose to 300 yuan. I excitedly patted his bed: 'It’s gone up! It’s not too late to get in now!'
He might have been moved a bit inside, but he still said stubbornly, 'It’s all a bubble, it’s been inflated, and it will definitely drop back down soon.'
Later on, we graduated and got busy with our own lives. By the end of 2017, during that crazy bull market, the price of Ethereum shot up to nearly ten thousand yuan. I sent him a screenshot of the price, followed by the words: 'I told you so.'
He replied, 'Awesome.'
Now, as I watch the Ethereum ecosystem thrive, I always think back to that summer. I have come to understand a truth: every era has its opportunities, but not everyone is willing to believe in a seemingly impossible future right from the start.
