How It All Started: My First Introduction to Bitcoin
Hello, my name is Thomas. I’m 22 years old, and today I want to share my story, not for sympathy, but in the hopes that it might help someone out there make better decisions when it comes to investing or trading in cryptocurrency.
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My journey into the world of Bitcoin began in mid-2017. Back then, I was just a regular guy, finishing up school, working part-time jobs, and trying to figure out life like any other young adult. Money wasn’t exactly growing on trees, but I wasn’t thinking about investments either. That changed when my friend, someone who always seemed to know about the latest trends, casually mentioned something called “Bitcoin” one day.
I didn’t know much about it—honestly, I didn’t know anything about it. But when he told me that people were making good money from it, I was intrigued. On a whim, I decided to throw in $100 just for fun. I wasn’t serious about it at the time; it was more like buying a lottery ticket. What’s $100 if it could turn into something bigger?
The Excitement of Quick Profits
That’s when the excitement started.
The timing couldn’t have been better. It was 2017, and Bitcoin was in the middle of a massive bull run. Every day, I checked the price, and every day, it seemed like my tiny $100 investment was growing. At first, it was small—$120, then $150, then $200. But as the days went on, the numbers climbed faster than I could believe. By the time Bitcoin was nearing its peak, I had invested about $1,000, and it felt like I couldn’t lose.
When Bitcoin hit its all-time high of nearly $20,000 in January 2018, my $1,000 investment had doubled to $2,000. It felt incredible. I had never seen money grow like that in my life, and it made me feel like I had discovered the key to wealth. But here’s the thing—I didn’t sell. I didn’t even think about it. In my head, the price would just keep going up. I wasn’t prepared for the reality of the market cycle, and like many newbies, I didn’t understand the concept of taking profits.
Reality Hits: The 2018 Crash
Then, it all came crashing down.
Bitcoin’s price started to fall, slowly at first, but then faster and faster. I watched in horror as my $2,000 investment dropped back to $1,500… then $1,000… and eventually, it was worth less than what I had originally put in. I was devastated. I had no idea what had happened or why the price had collapsed. At that point, I knew I needed to get serious if I wanted to understand what was going on.
I spent days digging through Google, YouTube, and Twitter, looking for answers. I watched countless videos explaining Bitcoin, the blockchain, and the market cycles that I had been completely oblivious to. The more I learned, the more I realized how naive I had been. I had thrown my money into something I didn’t understand, and I paid the price.
But something strange happened during those late-night research sessions—I fell in love with the idea of Bitcoin. I realized that it wasn’t just some get-rich-quick scheme. Bitcoin was a technology that had the potential to change the entire world. It wasn’t just about the money anymore; it was about the future.
Becoming a True Bitcoiner
By 2019, I had made up my mind—I was all in. I didn’t just want to invest in Bitcoin; I wanted to understand it completely. I spent months reading books about Bitcoin, studying economics, and learning how financial systems work. I joined crypto Twitter, which, let me tell you, is a wild community of passionate (and sometimes fanatical) people who live and breathe Bitcoin.
I started putting almost all of my wealth into Bitcoin—about 95% of what I owned. It wasn’t by anyone’s advice or influence, but because I believed in it. I felt like I had found my passion, and I wanted to build my life around it. I began working toward a career in the crypto industry, figuring out how I could make a living in this new digital economy.
By early 2020, I had accumulated about 3 Bitcoins. That may not seem like much, but for me, it was huge. I had spent three years working part-time jobs—bussing tables, saving every penny I could—and now I owned 3 Bitcoins. To me, that was like owning gold. None of my friends or family understood the significance, but to me, it was everything. I felt like I was set for life.
The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Time to Trade
Then COVID-19 happened.
In March 2020, the world changed overnight. I was laid off from my job, just like millions of others. Strangely, I wasn’t too upset about it. The unemployment checks were coming in, and I had my 3 Bitcoins, which made me feel financially secure. With all the extra time on my hands, I decided to take things to the next level.
I had always been curious about trading, so I figured—why not learn how to trade Bitcoin? I started dabbling in leverage trading, where you can borrow money to increase the size of your trades. At first, it seemed like a great idea. I made $1,000, then lost $1,000, then made it back again. It was like a rollercoaster, but I didn’t mind. I wasn’t making huge gains, but I wasn’t losing much either. It felt like I was just playing around, and I thought I had time to figure it all out.
The Big Gamble That Went Horribly Wrong
But then, I got greedy.
After months of small trades, I decided it was time to go big. I put $5,000—most of my savings—into a leveraged trade, believing I could double or triple my money. For two days, the trade looked promising. I was in profit, and it felt like my strategy was finally paying off. But on the third day, the market shifted, and everything went downhill.
Within hours, my entire $5,000 was wiped out.
I remember staring at the screen, feeling physically sick. My stomach twisted in knots, and my heart sank. I had just lost the most valuable thing I had—not the money, but the sense of security I had built with my 3 Bitcoins. I felt like everything I had worked for was gone in an instant.
Desperation Leads to Disaster
At that moment, I should have stopped. I should have walked away, accepted my loss, and moved on. But I didn’t. I was too stubborn, too desperate to make back what I had lost. I thought if I could just win it back, everything would be okay.
So, I kept trading. I kept borrowing more, trying to recoup my losses. But the more I tried, the more I lost. I was chasing losses, and before I knew it, I was spiraling out of control.
By August 2020, it was all gone. Every single Bitcoin I had accumulated over the years was wiped out. The bull run I had been waiting for, the one I believed would make me rich, was finally starting—and I had nothing left to show for it.
The Pain of Missing Out
Watching Bitcoin’s price soar after losing everything was the most painful part. By the end of 2020, Bitcoin had broken its previous all-time high, reaching $30,000, then $40,000. I couldn’t believe it. I had waited for this moment for years, and it was happening without me.
Every day, I watched the price climb higher, feeling a mix of regret, anger, and sadness. I had spent three years of my life working, saving, and investing, and now it was all gone. I felt like I had thrown away the future I had worked so hard to build.
Picking Up the Pieces
I haven’t given up on Bitcoin. In fact, I’m still here, still studying, still learning. But it feels like I’m starting over from scratch. I’ve had to rebuild my savings, and I’m back to square one. The last three years of my life feel like they’ve been erased, and now I’m redoing everything.
If there’s one thing I hope people can take from my story, it’s this: Be careful. Don’t let greed cloud your judgment. Leverage trading isn’t for everyone, and if you don’t know what you’re doing, it can destroy everything you’ve worked for. Bitcoin is an amazing technology, but it’s also a volatile asset, and you have to be smart with your money.
I’m still here because I believe in Bitcoin. But I’ve learned my lesson the hard way, and I hope some of you can learn from my mistakes.
Based on a True Story
This account is based on real events, with some details altered for readability and flow.
