How does your mind play with you all the time when you invest in crypto? Let’s reflect on it so you can all understand what went wrong 🧵

Why should I buy this coin? Just because some random dudes are shilling it on X and YT? Should I take it as a good deal simply based on their influence? People are commenting positively about the coin they’re mentioning too—so does that make it good?

Or should I spend a few hours understanding what this project actually does, the role of the token within it, and the fundamental value it offers to investors? Is smart money buying these tokens, or is it just a bunch of retail traders hyping it up so we buy—only for them to dump on us once they hit their target?

1/ The Dilemma of Time vs. FOMO Okay, if I spend a couple of hours on research, I might miss a good entry since the token is running too hard. It could even 2x in the next four hours, and I can’t afford to miss that gain. The chart looks parabolic, the hype is real, and the influencer I follow seems so confident. They must know something I don’t, right?

So I think it’s best to agree with what people are saying. That guy with so many followers must know his stuff, right? Let me believe him and see how it goes. If it doesn’t work, then I’ll probably find someone else to follow, or maybe I’ll learn to do my own research if the time demands.

2/ The Rush of Quick Gains Now, let me think about how much to put in. Confidence looks high, and I could take the risk. You can’t win without taking risks, right? So let me go in with size and ride it to 2x.

Oh, the coin went 2x—wow, so quick! That was easy. Now, should I exit? Hell no! These guys know their stuff, and they’re all HODLing, calling for higher targets. The sentiment is overwhelmingly bullish. I can’t miss out on what could be life-changing gains. If I hold a little longer, maybe I’ll catch a 5x, a 10x… financial freedom is within reach.

3/ The Brutal Reality of Market Cycles Then the coin drops. Shit, I should have sold. Just a few hours ago, I was up big. Now, my unrealized profits have vanished. Maybe it’s just a dip, though? Maybe I should hold. The influencers are still bullish—"strong hands win in crypto," they say. But the price keeps falling.

Panic sets in. Fear replaces greed. I finally sell, at a loss. The same influencers who were hyping this project just yesterday are now silent or moving on to the next "moonshot." I realize I was the exit liquidity for someone else.

Damn, I should have trusted my instincts. These guys were wrong—I knew it from the start. I was too naive. Everyone in crypto is a scammer. I should do my own homework from now on.

4/ The Search for Answers Now, I finally sit down to do my own research. But it’s overwhelming. The whitepapers are filled with technical jargon. Tokenomics are complicated. Everyone talks about "fundamentals," yet projects with strong fundamentals seem to get no attention, while meme coins with no utility explode overnight.

Maybe I’m overcomplicating things? Should I just follow another influencer and track what he shills? He could be better, right? I don’t really have hours to spend on research. Let them do their job. I’ll just take smaller risks, analyze their calls, and try to make it all back the second time.

And so the cycle begins again... and you're trapped forever unless you decide to learn to do your own research. It would be difficult at the start, but once you develop an interest in data and fundamentals, it will open a new paradigm of crypto that you’ve never witnessed.