People Who Make Money With Code Eventually Lose to Their Own Confidence: A Programmer’s Crypto Comeback Path

Many people, before entering the crypto world, think they will make money more easily than others. Some believe their education is higher, some say their technical skills are stronger, and others think their analytical ability is better than that of ordinary investors—so they must be able to discover opportunities early. But after going through a few market cycles of bull and bear, they come to realize that the market never gives special treatment to someone just because they’re smart. In fact, many times, the more confident people are in themselves, the more severely the market will teach them a lesson. The fan being shared today is 33 years old this year. He is an internet software engineer. After graduating, he entered the internet industry and earned an annual salary of 500k. In other people’s eyes, he was relatively lucky: stable income and solid career development. But only he knows that behind the high income lies long-term 996—endless late nights of overtime—and a state of increasing confusion every day as he faces code, requirements, and project pressure. He had asked himself: if the internet industry keeps changing over the next ten years and young people continue to pour in, how long can his technical advantage last?

He said, “I used to think that a high income equals a sense of security. Later I realized that real security isn’t about how much you earn—it’s about whether you have the ability to continuously create value.”

In 2019, due to work reasons, he first came into contact with blockchain technology. Unlike many people who enter the crypto world because they see others posting their profits, or because they hear that someone got rich trading coins, he wasn’t driven by hype. Instead, due to the habits of a programmer’s profession, he became interested in this new technology. At the beginning, he only studied the underlying logic of blockchain, understanding concepts like smart contracts and decentralized networks. Back then, many people still didn’t know what blockchain really was, but he had already started thinking about the changes this technology might bring in the future. As his research went deeper, he found that blockchain wasn’t only a technological innovation—it might also influence the direction of future financial systems. So he gradually shifted from technical research toward digital asset investing.

When he started investing, he was extremely cautious. Because programmers are used to verifying logic, he wouldn’t buy just because someone recommended it. Instead, he would research the project background, technical direction, and market environment himself. He knew that although his income was good, the market wasn’t determined by how high your salary is. So his initial capital wasn’t large. He treated investing as part of his learning about the market.

His first real windfall mainly came from two sources. Outside the crypto world, he had accumulated some assets from years of working in the internet industry. Although he was exhausted by overtime every day, his stable income gave him a certain amount of principal. Inside the crypto world, he made early bets on some projects he liked. As the market行情 rose, his account balance grew rapidly. During that time, it was the first time he felt that the speed of wealth growth could surpass the growth of wages. He said, “In the past, my income had to grow by continuously improving my skills, then switching jobs and getting pay raises. But after entering the market, I realized that improving my understanding can also change the way wealth grows.”

But many people go through a phase where, after making money, they start to overestimate themselves. At first, he was very cautious with position sizing, considered risks, and accepted the market’s uncertainty. But as his account kept making profits, his mindset began to change. Because he’s a programmer, he’s used to analyzing problems with logic, and he’s used to trusting data and models. So slowly, a thought formed: “Others might make money by luck, but I make money through analysis. I should be more able than ordinary people to find patterns.”

This is also where he later paid the biggest price.

He said, “I used to think that my losses happened because the market was bad. Later I realized that the real problem was that I trusted my own ability too much.”

After entering the derivatives/futures market, he felt the excitement of leverage for the first time. The first few trades went very smoothly, and consecutive profits kept strengthening his confidence. He started to think he had found a trading method. He even believed that people who lost money were only losing because they hadn’t researched the market. But as profits increased, he gradually changed his trading behavior. When he bought spot before, he considered long-term value and controlled how much capital to use. After moving into contracts, he began focusing on short-term returns, increasing his position size, adding more leverage, and also reducing stop losses.

In the past, when he traded, he thought about how to reduce risk. Later, when he traded, he thought about how to make money quickly.

Until one time when an extreme market move appeared and the market swung rapidly, the trading plan he had made was completely thrown off. Under normal operations, he should have cut losses and exited in time—but at that moment, he was unwilling to admit that his judgment was wrong. He felt the price was only undergoing a short-term correction. As long as he held on for a bit, the market would come back. So the first time, he added to his position. After the losses expanded, he kept adding. In the end, his position became heavier and heavier, and the pressure grew more and more intense.

As it turned out, the market didn’t develop according to his expectations, and his account suffered massive losses.

That time, he wiped out years of accumulated wealth.

He said, “The most painful part isn’t just losing money—it’s realizing that what I called my ‘ability’ back then was often only because I happened to be in a good market.”

After that blow, he didn’t keep searching for some so-called quick comeback method. Instead, he began relearning how to trade. He整理ed all his past losing orders, reviewing them one by one and analyzing why he entered each trade, why he added to his position, and why he didn’t execute a stop loss. He discovered that his biggest problem wasn’t that he couldn’t analyze the market—it was that he lacked trading discipline.

Later, he rebuilt an entire trading system.

First, control position size. Previously, when he saw an opportunity, he thought about how much profit he could make. Now, when he sees an opportunity, he first considers how much loss he can endure if his judgment is wrong. Because uncertainty always exists in the market, protecting your principal is the first principle.

Second, stick to stop losses. In the past, he thought stop loss meant failure. Now he understands that stop loss is simply the cost of trading. No one can guarantee being right every time, but great traders can control the impact of their mistakes.

Third, learn how to wait. In the past, he wanted to trade every day and always felt that not trading meant missing opportunities. Later he realized that truly good opportunities don’t show up every day. Many times, waiting patiently matters more than trading frequently.

After readjusting, he began reducing leverage. He no longer chased doubling in a short time. He treated contracts as a trading tool, not a gambling tool. Every day, he reviews the market, and he also reviews his own emotions—recording the reason behind every trade. Slowly, he found his trading rhythm again and gradually restored his assets.

Now, he has shifted from relying purely on a programmer’s salary to combining entrepreneurship and investing. On one hand, he continues working in blockchain-related areas. On the other hand, he maintains the habit of long-term investing. Now he doesn’t feel invincible after a single profitable trade, and he doesn’t fall into anxiety after a single losing trade.

He said, “In the past, I wanted to prove that I’m better than others. Now I’d rather be able to keep going steadily for the long term.”

In the future, he hopes to build his own technology projects, and also grow wealth through long-term investing so that it compounds.

In fact, many players in the crypto world go through similar processes. When they first enter the market, they always feel there are plenty of opportunities. After making money, they feel like they’ve grasped the rules. Only after experiencing losses do they truly understand the market. The market doesn’t reward the smartest people—it rewards those who can control themselves.

In the end, trading isn’t about who can predict the most accurately. It’s about who can manage risk.

Position size determines whether you can stay alive. Stop loss determines whether you have a chance to start over again. Emotions determine whether you can ultimately hold on to the wealth you earned.

If you’re also exploring the crypto world right now—if you’ve experienced both profits and losses, or if you’re looking for a trading rhythm that suits you—you can come and exchange ideas together. In our team, many traders have also been through bull and bear markets, and they’ve made mistakes too. But by continuously reviewing the market and summarizing problems in their trading, they gradually built their own trading methods.

There’s no fantasy of getting rich overnight here, and no unrealistic promises either. What we have instead is more conversation about market logic, and together improving trading understanding—so that you can walk more steadily and for longer in this market.

Because what truly changes a life is never a single lucky market. It’s the fact that before the next opportunity appears, you’ve already grown into someone who can seize opportunities.