Eight years ago, I made a decision that felt crazy at the time. I bought my first Bitcoin for approximately $15,000. | This was December 2017, and the Bitcoin bull run was on as the "gold rush" fever ended that winter. I, along with others, were driven by a desire to share this "magic internet money". | I had searched online and there wasn't much information about cryptocurrencies so I started hosting crypto meetups in my city. This was partly to learn from others and as well as share what I knew. | Back then, the room was full of energy. People were curious, skeptical, and hopeful. But as I look at the market today, I often find myself wondering: | How many people simply ignored the information right in front of them? |
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| The Revolutionary Asset Class | In the world of finance, it is rare to witness the birth of a brand-new asset class. We haven't truly seen one since the emergence of equities in the 1600s. Bitcoin isn't just a stock or a currency. It's a decentralized, rules-based monetary system. | As Cathie Wood, CEO of ARK Invest, famously said: | "Bitcoin is a technology, a global monetary system, and a new asset class all wrapped in one. We have just started, so we have a long way to go." | Despite this potential, many treat it as another fad. When I continued my meetups, I saw two distinct paths. | There were those who saw the long-term vision and continued investing regardless of the price. Then, there were the others—those who asked to be taken off the mailing list the moment the "crypto winter" arrived. | The Pain of the Bear Market | The transition from 2017 to 2018 was a brutal lesson in volatility. After reaching nearly $20,000, Bitcoin plummeted, eventually bottoming out in the $3,500 range. For those who hadn't researched the history of market cycles, this felt like the end. To them, the "bubble" had finally burst. | However, data shows that while many individuals fled, the underlying network only grew stronger. | Global Adoption. In 2018, there were an estimated 30 million Bitcoin owners worldwide. By 2025, that number has surged to nearly 500 million. Institutional Shift. In the early days, Bitcoin was driven by retail "nerds." Today, companies like MicroStrategy hold over 3.2% of the total supply, and major U.S. banks offer custody solutions.
| Staying the Course | Today, Bitcoin sits at $87,867. To the person who left the meetup list in 2018, this price seems like an impossibility. To those who stayed, it is simply the natural progression of a "hard" asset. | Michael Saylor, one of the most prominent advocates for Bitcoin, often points to a long-term horizon: | "If you have money you don't need for four years or longer... and you want to own a piece of the global digital economy, you buy Bitcoin. It's the commodity." | The noise in the crypto space is deafening. On one side, you have influencers claiming Bitcoin is a "Ponzi scheme" headed for zero; on the other, you have moon-math predictions of $1 million by next Tuesday. To survive this market, you have to ignore both. | | | | Knowing Your Goal | Where the price goes next—whether it hits $150,000 by year-end or enters another deep correction—is anyone's best guess. But the lesson of the last eight years remains the same: you cannot pass up on a revolutionary asset class simply because the journey is bumpy. | Success in crypto isn't about timing the market; it's about "time in" the market and knowing your goal. If you had listened to the skeptics eight years ago, you would have missed a 480% gain. The information is still there—the question is, will you ignore it this time? |
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| | | This article is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered Financial or Legal Advice. Not all information will be accurate. Consult a financial professional before making any significant financial decisions. |
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