I started recording every moment I get “cut in line” on-chain: I clearly tapped to place a trade, but the execution price is taken off like someone just reached in and grabbed it… I used to think it was just my shaky hands, but later I realized the impact isn’t really about “expert showdowns.” Put simply, retail investors end up paying a little extra in “tuition” every time—small amounts add up.

Recently, the chatter around AI agents and automated trading has been heating up again. Some people hype it like an automatic money-printing machine, but I’m actually even more nervous: the faster the robots run, the smoother the cut-in. And I, a manual point-and-click trader, end up feeling like I’m standing in line at a station to buy tickets—only to get squeezed in by scalpers from the window. Anyway, I’ll record my feelings first. At least then I’ll know whether I’m losing to bad luck, or because of the rules.