In the blink of an eye, 2025 has passed just like that. As an old veteran who has been in the crypto space for five or six years, this year has been another rollercoaster journey. At the beginning of the year, everyone was super optimistic. A series of pro-crypto policies after Trump took office made the entire market feel like it was on steroids. Bitcoin broke the $100,000 mark early on, peaking around $126,000, Ethereum also rose with the tide, and Solana was even more impressive, with institutional funds pouring in through ETFs. The total market capitalization of the entire crypto space once exceeded $4 trillion, and I looked at my holdings in the account, waking up with a smile every day, feeling like the bull market would never end.
Personally, at the beginning of the year, I heavily invested in BTC and ETH, and also went all in on some meme coins and altcoins. As a result, I made a lot of money in the first half of the year; Bitcoin rose sharply from the beginning of the year, and my small position multiplied several times. The Solana ecosystem was booming at that time, with DeFi and meme projects emerging endlessly. I made quite a bit in several Solana projects and felt like a genius investor. Stablecoins and RWA (Real World Asset tokenization) also became new hotspots, with institutions pouring in. On-chain income skyrocketed from 3.9 billion dollars in the first quarter to 6 billion dollars in the fourth quarter, and the entire industry seemed to be transitioning towards maturity.
However, the good times didn’t last long. In the second half of the year, especially in the fourth quarter, the market suddenly experienced a significant pullback. Trump announced new tariffs on China, macro liquidity tightened, and AI stocks and risk assets also pulled back, causing the cryptocurrency world to suffer. Bitcoin fell from its peak, hovering around 87,000 to 90,000 dollars by the end of the year, basically flat for the year or even slightly negative. Ethereum performed worse, falling more, and altcoins were largely halved, with many meme coins going to zero. I had several leveraged trades get liquidated, losing half of what I had made in the first half of the year, and I even had to dip into my principal. During that time, I was glued to the charts, couldn’t sleep, and everyone in the group was lamenting, 'The cryptocurrency world is dead.'
But to be honest, although it hurts when I lose, I have gotten used to it. The cryptocurrency world is like this; there are gains and losses, which makes it complete. This year, when I made profits, I took my family on several trips, indulging in good food and drink; when I lost, I spent more time at home with the kids, working out and reading, and the pace of life slowed down. I didn't put all my money into it, just used spare money to play, so no matter how big the pullback, it didn’t affect normal life. On the contrary, the structural progress in the cryptocurrency world this year makes me more optimistic about the future: institutional holdings are increasing, stablecoin legislation has passed, the regulatory environment has become much friendlier, and although there are hacker attacks and rug pulls, the overall ecosystem is maturing.
Looking back at 2025, the happiest thing wasn't how much money I made, but those late-night discussions about projects with friends, the excitement of participating in the community, and the warmth of encouraging each other during market crashes. The cryptocurrency world taught me the most about mindset: don’t get carried away when you make money, and don’t panic when you lose. Life is more than just the cryptocurrency world; there are poetry and distant places. In 2026, regardless of bull or bear markets, I will continue to play, taking small positions for big opportunities, and maintaining a happy life.
Friends, Happy New Year! May we all have gains and losses, but always be happy~