2025-12-26 14:27:39

The past year in the crypto market can be summed up with one word: "disastrous."

I looked through the data, and from last Christmas to now, a full twelve months, the performance of mainstream coins has been wildly polarized. Only $BNB (up 19.6%) and $ZEC (up 506.2%) are still somewhat visible; the rest have mostly been bleeding red. The most heartbreaking is $OP, which has plummeted by 86.5%.

Honestly, in this kind of market, the theory of "holding long-term" sometimes sounds like a joke. If you happened to enter around the peak last Christmas, regardless of the coin, you’re still trapped now. Even Bitcoin is no exception—if you chose the wrong entry point, you can only stand at the top watching the market slide down.

Sometimes, the losses for long-term investors are not much easier than short-term traders.

Interestingly, a certain exchange’s management recently clarified market trends. They mentioned that the rumor about a "large sell-off crashing Bitcoin to $24,000" is actually very simple—current market liquidity is too shallow, and a single large order can trigger intense price fluctuations. Arbitrageurs buy in at low prices, then sell at higher prices on other trading pairs, gradually bringing the price back.

This also implies: the more assets someone holds, the more they can influence the price (which is a bit… unsettling). From another perspective, it confirms that in a liquidity-tight environment, this market is indeed very fragile.

Honestly, the past twelve months have not been friendly to most holders. These market phenomena also tell us that the current trading depth is clearly insufficient, making it easy for large trades to stir the market. Under such circumstances, whether you are a long-term investor or a short-term trader, your judgment on entry timing, liquidity environment, and project fundamentals has become something you must take seriously.

BNB2,45%

ZEC0,93%

OP3,28%

BTC2,69%

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ChainBrain

· 2025-12-28 01:53

This year, it's really the big players who call the shots; retail investors can only get cut. --- ZEC up 506%? How many people must be trapped in other coins to make this increase stand out? --- Brothers standing guard at the peak probably find everything annoying right now. --- Liquidity is too shallow, in simple terms, big players can crush it easily. --- Long-term holding? In this market, it's just a synonym for being trapped long-term. --- Timing the entry is easy to say but really hard to do. --- OP dropped 86.5%, how much faith do you need to hold on? --- Rather than saying the market is fragile, it's more like it’s being manipulated intentionally.

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MEVVictimAlliance

· 2025-12-27 22:28

I just want to know, is this what they call a "fair market"? --- ZEC up 506%? Why does it feel like my coins are moving in the opposite direction --- Basically, it's big players cutting the leeks, and we still have to thank them --- Friends who entered last Christmas, how's your mindset now haha --- Shallow liquidity is just an excuse for rationalizing manipulation, sounds pretty outrageous --- $OP dropped 86.5%, I think I know a few people holding it… --- Long-term holding? Haha, talking about this now really hits close to home --- So now should I wait, or should I buy the dip? That’s the real question --- Institutions accumulating, retail standing guard, an old story --- Looks like besides ZEC and BNB, everything else is just a side show

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BearMarketSunriser

· 2025-12-26 14:54

They are all fools who buy at the high points, I am no exception. op86.5% just completely stunned me. That's right, shallow liquidity means big players call the shots, and we retail investors are just the chives. BNB can still survive, other coins should have been sold off long ago. Choosing the right timing is really more difficult than choosing the right coin, just blame my bad luck. Those who still dare to hold long-term now are either chives or gamblers. Listening to what exchanges say sounds like they are saying "we can dump at any time." Who knew ZEC would rise so sharply, I didn't buy in anyway. Getting the entry timing wrong makes all the fundamentals useless, it's that simple.

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Ser_Liquidated

· 2025-12-26 14:53

You're teaching us how to lose money again, truly insightful. Standing guard at the top is what I do best. Low liquidity is a paradise for big players, no doubt. Better to pray than hold long-term. Even orphans like BNB and ZEC dare to be brought up. A big player can dump with just one finger, we're just retail investors playing along. Would have been better to dollar-cost average if I had known earlier. Entry timing? Buying randomly is always at a high, haha. In this market, everything results in losses; multiple-choice questions turn into free points.

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CryptoTarotReader

· 2025-12-26 14:49

Uh... BNB up 19.6% still considered "worth watching"? I'm speechless. OP down 86.5% and I just burst out laughing. This is nothing but a bloodbath. Shallow liquidity is a hunting ground for big players; we're just the sheep waiting to be slaughtered. Talking about long-term holding, choosing the wrong entry point is an eternal pain. No one should pretend this year—losing money is the norm. It's really just that the market is too fragile; one big whale can take down the entire scene. ZEC up 506%? What kind of luck is that... Both long-term and short-term are equally brutal; the key is timing.

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bridge_anxiety

· 2025-12-26 14:39

How is everyone's mindset now that we've entered at the Christmas high point? OP has been cut in half directly, really can't hold on anymore. Mainly because liquidity is too poor; a single large order from a big player can break through easily. As retail investors, we're just being harvested. ZEC has risen 506, is anyone still holding? Or did you all run long ago?

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