Starting Point: A 'whatever' 5,000 yuan
At the beginning of 2023, I had 5,000 yuan idling in my hands, which wasn't much, but I wasn't particularly short on cash either. At that time, friends around me were discussing coins, with some earning and some losing, but the discussions were very lively. I didn't understand much, bought some USDT, transferred it to an exchange, thinking I would give it a try; I wouldn't mind losing it all.
At that time, Bitcoin was hovering above 20,000 USD, which I couldn't afford and didn't dare to touch. I stumbled upon a few small YouTubers discussing altcoins and spot ambushes, which ignited my curiosity.
Stage One: Made some 'spending money.'
The first time I bought was spot ARB's IOU. Although it seems the platform wasn't very reliable at that time, I caught the rising momentum, and 200 USDT turned into nearly 500 in a few days, nervously taking my profits.
Having tasted success, in the following months I successively researched some low-market-cap projects, began to engage with DEXs, on-chain data, and candlestick patterns. I joined several TG groups and also followed a few KOLs with good fundamental analysis.
I remember before Friend.tech became popular, I picked up a small opportunity in the Blast ecosystem and bought an obscure coin, which quadrupled. Although my total funds weren't large, through small position rotations, I managed to turn 5,000 into nearly 30,000 within six months.
Stage Two: Low Point and Reflection
Once a person achieves a little success, it's easy to get carried away. I started doing short trades, chasing highs and cutting losses, and ended up stepping on landmines several times. Once, I heavily invested in an airdrop concept coin, it doubled in value initially and I didn't sell, but then the project team dumped it, causing a 70% retracement in two hours, leaving me completely stunned.
During that time, I started writing reviews. Every night I told myself, 'What you earn is not money, but understanding of this market.'
So I spent a lot of time learning on-chain interactions, looking at smart contracts, analyzing project wallets, using Dune to view data, and even learned basic Solidity to understand project structures. I also began to realize that making money in the crypto world isn't about betting right, but rather about information asymmetry and a sense of timing.
I also started managing my emotions and positions: not over-leveraging, not chasing highs, setting stop-losses properly, and I'd rather miss out than force a trade.
Stage Three: Luck has come, ready to catch it
At the beginning of 2024, the Celestia ecosystem exploded, and I bought some tokens of Layer 2 projects in advance. Later, when TNSR launched, it was extremely popular, and I had already engaged in testing and interactions in the community beforehand; it quadrupled on its first day listed on Binance.
The most critical moment was when I laid an airdrop ambush for a public chain that I had been cold-starting for three to four months. I followed its testnet from the very beginning, participated in nodes and feedback, and received an airdrop worth $15,000. This was the first time I felt that 'it's not about technology, it's about cognitive money-making.'
After the airdrop arrived, I didn't sell everything; instead, I exchanged some for ETH, SOL, and a small-cap potential coin to continue rotating. By the end of 2024, my total funds broke through 300,000 for the first time.
In April 2025, I heavily invested in a key breakthrough for BTC during a contract trade (I used part of my profits, not a full position). This wave boosted my overall funds to 500,000.
Looking back: What did I rely on all this way?
Small principal but able to control my hands: no rash moves, the more I earn, the more cautious I become.
Quick learner, willing to spend time researching: not blindly following KOLs, but learning their logic and thought processes.
Cognitive upgrade, willing to review: every time I lost money, I reviewed it without making excuses.
Making big money relies on luck, but luck doesn't determine destiny: at critical moments, I had the bullets, the understanding, and the execution power.
In Conclusion
Some say the crypto world is an amplifier, magnifying people's greed, fear, and foolishness. Yes. But I also believe that the crypto world is a place where a few can truly enhance their understanding through hard work and achieve class leap.
Not everyone can turn 5,000 into 500,000, but I believe if you gamble less, study hard, review your trades, and be patient, your funds will eventually rise.
This is a market where 'if you're right, time will reward you.'
