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

Do you often hear such "voices" around you? Some regret not getting on the Bitcoin train in 2017, some regret not buying more Tesla in 2020, and others are frustrated about missing out on Nvidia, the engine of development this century, all feeling like they were just one step away from financial freedom.
It's as if, if they could start over, they would seize the opportunity and soar straight up to ninety thousand miles.
The truth is, even if you start over ten thousand times, what you can't catch is still missed, and you truly never missed these fortunes. 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 want to get rich, you had to start at that time to get huge returns, but objectively, before 2016, there was no consensus on this thing. You can't say you went 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 $900 was actually quite niche, hardly anyone was playing, and there was no consensus. 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 initially confirmed that a consensus had formed. Okay, so even if you entered in 2017, what then? In 2018, it dropped directly from $20k to $3,000.
From $20k to $3,000, a 85% drop. Tell me, could you hold your position? Stay unmoved? Or does this money mean nothing to you? How likely do you think that is? If at over $20k, it drops to just over $3,000, and you don't care, then I believe that a rise from over $20,000 to $100k is also nothing to you, right? If it drops from over $20,000 to $3,000, and you are very hurt but can still hold, then it only shows you're truly extraordinary, with such resolve that you can succeed at anything!
Keep going. If it drops from over $20,000 to just over $3,000, do you think you could hold? In 2019, did you think it would rebound? No, 2019, you endured another year, from $3,000 to $6,000, but still didn't recover. Compared to 2017, the so-called consensus was still halved again and again. Do you think you could still hold 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 a rise to $100k later wouldn't matter either—what's the point of getting rich with this small amount? Or maybe you're a true believer in Bitcoin.
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, "Yes! That's how they got rich." But don't rush. Keep reading. Most retail investors tend to sell after a small gain; such volatile assets can't be held long enough to double. Also, even if you hold, for most ordinary people, does doubling mean complete freedom? If doubling that little money makes you free, then even without doubling, isn't that also a kind of freedom?
In 2022, it plummeted from $70k to $15,400. From $70k to $15,400, a nearly 80% drop. 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 Bitcoin journey. Do you understand now? Such huge rollercoaster swings, and the myth of getting rich with Bitcoin—most of those viral stories of sudden wealth shared among friends—can basically be considered fabricated stories. 【Those purely meme coin gamblers are not in the same category】, don’t compare them here. This is not a smooth road; it’s a path 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 time, what about the second? The third? Every crash is a severe test of human nature.
And those who truly hold from start to finish are either extremely wealthy and indifferent or extreme believers—such people are very few. After reading this, do you still think you missed Bitcoin? Missed the chance for sudden wealth?
If you still think you missed out, let me share a story of a crypto big shot from the past two years.
Cai Wensheng, founder of Meitu, a crypto big shot—an absolute master in speculation and making money. He posts daily on social media about his faith, 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 criticized him. But he held on, a major figure in the crypto world and a believer! Later, when Bitcoin hit $100k, he announced he had taken profits. Do you know how much he made?
“Only 80% profit”!!!
Of course, he had a large principal, earning hundreds of millions. But the point is, from $69,000 to $16,000 and then to $100,000, such huge swings, such long suffering, and his final return was only 80%. Not even double. Relying on this for financial freedom? Think again. Even such a formidable person, after dropping from a high of $69,000 to $16,000, he didn’t cut his position; he kept buying, and in the end, only made 80%.
So, some say so many people around them have made money—how did they do it? So, can ordinary people rely on Bitcoin to achieve financial freedom? Others say, “Oh, you don’t understand, they used leverage.” Multiple times gains in one night—what’s the chance they don’t get margin called? Playing derivatives for high returns, what goes up must come down! In other words, if an ordinary person can get rich from Bitcoin, then I think they could get rich doing something else 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 lost or gained, 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 are already wealthy themselves. Someone says they’re an early believer, invested all their money—are there such people? Yes, but they are all out of the game now, and you wouldn’t know any BTC-related news from them. Also, the “forgot about it after buying” stories—just listen. Someone says their friend bought Bitcoin and then forgot about it, only to find it rose hundreds of times. But if someone forgets about it, that 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?
In contrast, many crypto traders around me are in poor mental states—whether they finally make money or not, do they really get back what they lost?
In conclusion, Bitcoin’s rise from a few dollars to $120,000 has indeed created a myth. But myths are myths because they are impossible to replicate. Don’t regret not getting on the train. For ordinary people, this vehicle was never meant for you. After reading 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