After 8 years in the cryptocurrency space, I've seen through many things. The game between the main force and retail investors has never been about technology; it’s a psychological battle. It’s often said in the circle: 'If retail investors don’t let go, the main force won’t push the price up.' This sounds tough, but when it comes to the field, the main force has many ways to make retail investors hand over their chips. It’s said that if retail investors band together and hold on, they can win; unfortunately, the main force has never feared this. As long as retail investors are not made of steel, there will always be a method to pry their hands open.
The essence of the cryptocurrency space is that it amplifies emotions. Retail investors think they have faith and can hold on, but in the eyes of the main force, they are just sheep waiting to be slaughtered. After 8 years, I’ve seen too many people manipulated by the main force; today, let’s talk about how the main force will act if retail investors are determined not to sell.
1. Sharp Drop Bombing: Scaring Retail Investors Away
The main force’s most direct tactic is a sharp drop, directly attacking the psychological defenses of retail investors. For example, back in 2013, BTC dropped from 500 to 90 in one go, and many saw their accounts shrink by 80% yet thought they could hold on. Then the next day, it dropped again, leading to massive liquidations, only to rebound immediately. There were also people who bought ADA at 1, didn’t sell when it dropped to 0.3, and when the main force pushed it down to 0.08, they couldn’t hold on anymore. A slip of the hand, and it was gone.
For example, there was a small coin 20 years ago that entered the market at 15, dropped to 1, and still felt like a bargain, only to drop to 0.15. 100 turned to 1, the main force pulled it up 4 times to 0.6; would anyone run? If not, it gets pulled to around 8, and retail investors think they have turned things around, refusing to sell, then a sharp drop happens, returning to square one. It’s been 8 years, and we’ve seen this sharp drop routine many times; the main force just wants retail investors to panic, panicking to the point of handing over their chips.
2. Slow Knife Cutting: Making Retail Investors Unable to Hold On
Sharp drops are harsh, but slow knives are even more ruthless. In 2016, there was a coin that started at 30, dropping 2% daily, until it was down to 5 after half a year, watching the charts felt like torture. Especially for those using leverage, the slow drop drags on, with a pile of interest, and the low point can only be cleared little by little. Retail investors without capital can’t even average down; in the end, they can’t hold on any longer and can only run.
What’s more frustrating is the kind of stagnant trading, where a slight increase makes people feel like there’s hope, and a slight drop snuffs it out, with repeated pullbacks, making the mindset feel like bungee jumping. Friends ask when they can make a profit, and family asks when they can break even; unable to answer, in the end, they grit their teeth and liquidate to gain peace of mind. After 8 years of observation, retail investors fear not the big drops, but this kind of slow knife cutting, which, in the end, drains their patience and causes them to lose their chips.
3. High-Low Switching: Shaking Retail Investors' Beliefs
Some shout: 'I have faith, I can hold on!' Is the main force afraid of this? No, they aren’t; they simply switch between highs and lows to shake retail investors to the point of collapse. In 2022, LINK was pulled from 20 to 70, and people didn’t sell; when it dropped to 25, they still held on, then it was pulled to 70 again, some ran while others stubbornly held. In the end, it dropped to 15, going through this several times, the coin was still there, but the mindset had already dispersed.
This kind of play is the most damaging. Retail investors think they have seized the opportunity, but after one round, they haven’t made any money and are laughed at by others in the circle for 'holding on instead of running fast.' After 8 years, this high-low switching is specialized in breaking hard bones; no matter how strong the faith, it can’t withstand such shaking.
4. Rumors Everywhere: Throwing Retail Investors into Chaos
The main force has tricks; retail investors can endure price drops but not news. In 2018, there was a coin that was rumored to be liquidated, and a crowd cleared their positions in the middle of the night, only for it to rise 40% the next day. Another time, there was a rumor that a project was running away, and retail investors, scared, sold hastily, only to find out it was fake news. Policy rumors, hacker attacks, exchange incidents— even if there’s no real evidence, as long as retail investors are confused, the main force can benefit. For 8 years, in this cryptocurrency space, news is often more ruthless than candlesticks.
Summary: Can Retail Investors Really Hold On Until the End?
If retail investors can really hold from the bottom to the top, as steady as a rock, the main force would indeed be helpless. But after 8 years of observation, those who can endure until the end are too few. What about most people? They liquidate LINK at 70, jump back in when it rises to 300, cut losses and chase, chase and cut losses; this plot repeats every year.
To succeed, it’s not about resisting hard; it’s about seeing through things. The biggest lesson in 8 years is: don’t just stubbornly hold on; you need to understand what the main force is thinking. Only by grasping the routines can you have the ability to survive until the end. Otherwise, you’re just a pawn in the main force’s hands, unable to move.
The most important thing is: you need to hold real value coins, not all sorts of worthless clones!
