Stage One: Newbies Are Not Afraid of Being Cut (2017-2018)
I remember that night in June 2017, staring at the candlestick chart on my computer screen, my finger hovering over the keyboard. 'Buy or not buy?' This thought swirled in my mind. At that time, Bitcoin had already reached a dizzying height, and my friend mysteriously told me: 'Ethereum is the real future, it's Bitcoin 2.0!'
I still remember the heartbeat at the moment of purchase—'thump thump thump', like a drum. 300 dollars, that was my living expense for half a month. At the moment I clicked 'confirm', my palms were sweaty.
Three months later, when my 0.5 ETH turned into 1400 dollars, I felt like I was on top of the world. Walking around campus, everyone looked like a poor fool to me. 'Is this talent?' I told my reflection in the mirror, with an uncontainable smile.
Stage Two: The Bear Market Revealed (2018)
The winter of 2018 was particularly cold.
I curled up on my dorm bed, the light from my phone screen illuminating my face. The price of ETH plummeted like a free fall, 1000...800...500...with each drop, my heart sank a little further.
The most desperate day was when it fell below 100 dollars. I mechanically refreshed the page, watching the numbers in my account drop from four digits to two digits. 40 dollars. Not even enough for a decent dinner.
That night I had a dream, in which I was running naked in the trading market, and everyone was pointing and laughing at me. When I woke up, my pillow was wet, unsure if it was sweat or tears.
Stage Three: Seclusion and Cultivation (2019-2020)
I set a rule for myself: I must finish three technical white papers before I can eat.
I remember that afternoon when I first understood the principles of smart contracts; sunlight streamed through the library window onto my notebook, and I suddenly slapped the table and exclaimed: 'So that's how it is!' drawing the attention of my classmates.
When I deployed my first smart contract on the testnet, my hands shook like someone with Parkinson's. When I saw the prompt 'Deployed Successfully', I couldn't help but jump around in my rental apartment, making my downstairs neighbor bang on the radiator.
Stage Four: Windfall (2020)
DeFi summer came unexpectedly.
I felt like Columbus discovering a new continent, immersed in Discord and Telegram groups every day. The first time I provided liquidity, I set it to three confirmations, afraid that a single slip of the hand would lead to ruin.
On the day I received the UNI airdrop, I was eating instant noodles. 400 UNI suddenly appeared in my wallet, and I almost choked on the noodles. My fingers trembled as I checked the price, 3 dollars each...1200 dollars! That's equivalent to getting three months' rent for free! I immediately called my girlfriend, incoherently saying: 'Baby, we're having a big dinner tonight!'
Stage Five: Lessons from Greed (2021)
On May 12, 2021, ETH surpassed 4000 dollars.
My net worth reached an all-time high. My social circle was filled with cries of 'HODL, the stars and the sea'. I also fell into the frenzy and changed my phone wallpaper to 'HODL'.
The crash came faster than I imagined.
For three consecutive weeks, I woke up every day to find my account down several thousand. That feeling was like being held underwater, and each time I wanted to breathe, I was pushed deeper. The worst day, I stared at the screen for 18 hours, until my eyes were so dry they bled.
Stage Six: The Collapse and Purification (2022-2023)
On the day LUNA collapsed, the entire crypto community was wailing.
My Twitter timeline felt like a doomsday live broadcast, with someone posting liquidation screenshots every minute. But strangely, I felt unusually calm inside. I brewed a cup of tea, opened the Ethereum developer meeting records, and read through them carefully page by page.
When the news about FTX's collapse broke, I was lifting weights in the gym. After watching the news, I silently added 10kg to my lift. 'This is not Ethereum's fault,' I told myself, sweat dripping on the floor, 'true value never disappears.'
Stage Seven: Steady Earnings (2023)
After the Shanghai upgrade was completed, I staked my ETH immediately.
Watching the confirmation of the staking contract, I suddenly understood what my father often meant by 'slow and steady'. Now, every month when I receive staking rewards, I think of that reckless young man from 2017—if he knew that seven years later he would be earning steadily like this, would he laugh out loud?
Ultimate Mindset
Now I:
- Risen? Great, take some profits as planned.
- Dropped? Nice, I can add to my position at a low price.
- Sideways? Great, just relax and earn staking rewards.
After seven years in the crypto space, the greatest gain is not the numbers in my account, but this calmness of 'unfazed by rises and falls'. Every time I open my wallet, I can almost hear my 2017 self saying in my ear: 'Hey, old buddy, this journey has been worth it.'