#Gate广场披萨节 The past and present of Bitcoin, you've never really missed out on anything!

Do you often hear these kinds of “voices” around you? Some are frustrated about not getting on the Bitcoin train in 2017, others regret not buying more Tesla in 2020, and some are disappointed about missing out on Nvidia, the engine of this century’s development. They all feel like they were just one step away from financial freedom.
It’s as if, if they could start over, they’d seize the opportunity and soar straight up to ninety thousand miles.
The truth is, even if you start over ten thousand times, what you miss is still missed, and you’ve never truly missed these riches. Don’t be upset; just review Bitcoin’s history and you’ll see...

Before 2016, Bitcoin was bouncing around a few dollars or cents, with basically no consensus, and very few people playing with it. If you really wanted to get rich, you had to start at that time to make huge gains, but objectively, before 2016, there was no consensus on this thing. You couldn’t just go all-in at a few cents, right? For most people, that’s just wishful thinking.
By the end of 2016, it had risen to $963. Over nine hundred dollars was also a very niche market, hardly anyone was playing, and no consensus had formed. But would you have entered at over $900? Don’t fool yourself; that was just later “wishful thinking.”
In 2017, Bitcoin skyrocketed from over $900 to $19,870. When it hit $20k, it was roughly when a consensus was initially confirmed. Okay, so if you entered in 2017, then what? In 2018, it dropped from $20k straight down to $3,000.
From $20k to $3,000, it fell 85%. Tell me, could you hold your position? Stay unmoved? Or does this money mean nothing to you? How likely do you think it is? If you didn’t care when it dropped from over $20k to just over $3,000, then I believe it’s also no big deal if it rises from over $20,000 to $100k, right? If you don’t care about a drop from over $20,000 to $3,000, then you can also hold on when it rises to $100k. That’s the logic, isn’t it? If you can hold through a drop from over $20,000 to $3,000, you’re truly remarkable—having such resolve means you can succeed at anything!
Continuing, if you held your position through the drop from over $20,000 to $3,000, did you think it would rise again in 2019? No, you endured another year, from $3,000 to $6,000, but it still didn’t recover. Compared to 2017, the so-called consensus was still halved, then halved again. Could you still hold on then?
Back to the previous question: if you could still hold, then either this money isn’t really important to you, or it doesn’t affect your real life at all. Then the subsequent rise to $100k wouldn’t matter either, and you wouldn’t be talking about getting rich from this small amount. Or, you’re truly an extraordinary Bitcoin believer.
In 2020, it rose from $6,000 to $30k. In 2021, it jumped from $30k to $70k. Many people got excited at this point, saying, “That’s right! That’s how they got rich.” Don’t rush. Keep reading. Most retail investors tend to sell after a small gain; such volatile assets simply can’t double in value if held for too long. Besides, even if you hold, for most ordinary people, does doubling mean complete freedom? If doubling a small amount makes you free, then even without doubling, isn’t it also not entirely impossible to be free?
In 2022, it plummeted from $70k to $15,400. From $70k to $15,400, it fell nearly 80%. Do you think you could still hold? What kind of person do you see yourself as?
In 2023, it dropped from over $40k to nearly $20,000, then back to over $40k by year’s end. In 2024, it rose from $40k to $100k, peaking at $126k in 2025!!
That’s the entire story of Bitcoin. Do you understand now? Such huge rollercoaster swings, and the myth of getting rich with Bitcoin—those stories circulating on social media—are basically fabricated stories. 【The pure gambling meme coin traders are not within this discussion】, don’t compare them here. This isn’t an easy path; it’s a road that repeatedly crushes people.
From $20,000 to $3,000, can you endure? From $70,000 to $15k, can you still hold? Even if you endured the first drop, what about the second? The third? Every crash is a severe test of human nature. Those who truly hold from start to finish are either extremely wealthy and indifferent or extreme believers—such people are very few. After seeing this, do you still think you missed Bitcoin, missed the chance for wealth?
If you still think you missed out, here’s a story about a crypto big shot from the past two years.
Cai Wensheng, founder of Meitu, a crypto big shot—an absolute master of speculation and making money. He posts faith every day on social media, buying Bitcoin with Meitu’s funds, buying as it drops.
His highest cost basis was $69,000, then it fell to $16,000. And he announced everything publicly. At that time, Meitu suffered huge losses because of this, and many people scolded him for holding on. He’s a major figure in crypto and a believer! Later, when Bitcoin hit $100,000, he announced he had taken profits. Do you know how much he made?
“Only 80%”!!!
Of course, he has a large principal, earning hundreds of millions. But the point is, from $69,000 to $16,000 and then to $100,000, with such volatility and long suffering, his final return was only 80%. Not even double. Relying on this for financial freedom? Think again. Even such a top-tier person, after dropping from a high of $69,000 to $16,000, he didn’t cut his position, kept buying, and only made 80%.
So, some say many around them have made fortunes—how did they do it? So, can ordinary people get rich through Bitcoin? Others say, “Oh, you don’t understand, they used leverage.” Multiple times the gains in one night—what’s the chance they won’t get liquidated with leverage? Trading derivatives for high returns—what goes up must come down! In other words, if an ordinary person can get rich with Bitcoin, then I think they could get rich doing other things too, despite the huge difficulty.
Are there people around you making big money with Bitcoin? Yes, many. But all these people are wealthy to begin with, and the money they make doesn’t affect their lives, so they can hold. A previous private client kept investing regularly, never sold. When Bitcoin hit $120k, he made tens of millions. Many thought, “Wow, this guy is a genius.” But he’s worth over a billion, and whether he loses or gains, it doesn’t really impact his life.
Most people’s biggest problem is they never do the math, never analyze the fundamental logic—rising is awesome, falling is stupid.
So anyone who tells you they have a friend who was broke and became wealthy solely through Bitcoin—most likely fabricated, or they’re already wealthy themselves. Someone says they’re an early believer, invested all their money—are there such people? Yes, but they never come out now, and you’d never know any BTC-related news from them. Also, the “forgot about it after buying” stories—just listen. Someone says their friend bought Bitcoin and forgot about it, then found it had risen hundreds of times. If someone forgets about it, the money was never really important to them. If they risked their entire net worth, could they forget? Could they sleep at night? It’s not some myth; it’s like winning the lottery—does it have any real reference? Many crypto traders around me, without exception, are in a poor mental state. Even if they finally make money, is it really what they lost back?
In conclusion, Bitcoin’s rise from a few dollars to $120,000 created a myth. But myths are myths because they’re impossible to replicate. Don’t be upset about “missing the boat.” For ordinary people, this boat was never meant for you. After reviewing Bitcoin’s past and present, do you still think you missed the path to wealth? So, friends, keep a steady mindset. The best way to get what you want is to make yourself worthy of it. $BTC