#Gate用户突破6000万 Eight years ago, I bought 500U on Gate with trembling hands; eight years later... Gate users have surpassed 60 million💪💪💪💪💪💪

Eight years ago, I didn't even know "what U was."
Eight years later, I became the old-timer telling newcomers, "Don't be nervous, my hands were shaking the first time too."

I. I still remember that sweaty-palmed afternoon

In 2018, crypto was still a mysterious world that people had "heard of but didn't dare touch." Unable to resist my friend's relentless persuasion, I finally registered on Gate. She shoved her phone at me: "Here, do it yourself. Try buying 500U."

What is U? Can you eat it?

I tremblingly opened C2C, selected a seller, entered the amount, and clicked "Submit Order"—at that moment, my palms were sweaty, my forehead was sweaty, and even breathing felt unnecessary. Staring at the words "Waiting for the seller to release the funds," my mind raced: Would this money disappear? Was this person a scammer? Would the platform run away?

It wasn't until a "ding" sounded and the payment notification popped up that I collapsed into my chair, like I had just run an 800-meter race.

My friend laughed so hard she could barely stand: "Is that really necessary? It's only 500 yuan."

She didn't understand. It wasn't about 500 yuan. It was all the awe an ordinary person feels when first stepping into an unknown world.

II. Eight years later, I haven't missed a single laugh, tear, or pain point of the crypto world

That 500U became the first domino in my crypto journey. Over the next eight years, I stepped into every pitfall the crypto world had to offer:

In the great bear market of 2018, I got trapped right after entering. The candlestick chart slid from the mountaintop to the foot of the mountain, and I learned the skill of "playing dead" for the first time—there are too many tears to talk about.

On March 12, 2020, BTC was cut in half in a single day. I thought the apocalypse had arrived, but six months later, DeFi Summer left me dumbfounded. In crypto, no one can ever guess what the next page of the script will say.

During the crazy bull market of 2021, even the aunt selling pancakes at the entrance to my residential compound was asking, "Can I still buy Dogecoin?" I experienced the ecstasy of doubling overnight, as well as the regret of selling too early and kicking myself afterward—you are always regretting, always learning, and always saying next time, "This time, I will definitely hold."

In 2022, LUNA disappeared just like that, and FTX collapsed just like that. That year, I finally understood one principle: in crypto, staying alive is more important than making money, and keeping your coins in your own wallet is more reassuring than putting them anywhere else.

Over the years, I also committed these "classic stupid mistakes":

The first time I transferred USDT to a wallet, I copied the address three times and confirmed it five times. After transferring, I stared at the block explorer for half an hour, terrified that I had mistyped a single character.
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After hearing a friend say, "This coin is about to be pumped," I rushed in, only to discover that I was the counterparty being "pumped."
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I opened a 100x futures position. The moment I was liquidated, I was unexpectedly calm—because I had become numb.
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I was jolted awake by my phone at three in the morning, thinking the market had made a sudden move, only to find it was a spam text.

I explained to my family, "I'm investing," and they looked at me as if I were a gambler.

It hurts and it's fun; I lose and I grow—this is what being in crypto is like.

III. Gate's 60 million users: one of them is me, and one of them is you

Gate now has more than 60 million users worldwide.

What does 60 million mean? It's equivalent to the population of the entire United Kingdom. Among these 60 million people are newcomers who have just entered and are still asking "What is U?", experts holding forth in livestreams, laid-back players who invest regularly, and people like me—an old-timer who bought 500U with trembling hands in 2018 and has stayed for eight years.

Over eight years, Gate has transformed from an exchange into an ecosystem. From spot trading to futures, from wealth management to tokenized stocks, from livestreams to the Square. It has changed, and so have I—from being nervous and shaky when using C2C to operating with my eyes closed, from buying spot assets because "the name sounds good" to looking at fundamentals and sectors, and from "go all in" on futures to setting strict stop-losses.

But some things haven't changed: I remember the nervousness of buying coins for the first time, I remember the sleepless nights after every black swan, I remember the little joys after every profit, and I remember all the friends I met in crypto—some are still here, some have left.

IV. To you, one of 60 million

If you're new: don't be afraid of trembling hands; it's normal. Every old-timer has been through it. But remember three things—don't touch what you don't understand, invest only spare money, and always set a stop-loss.

If you're a longtime friend: congratulations on making it this far. In this industry, lasting eight years is a victory in itself.

If you're currently losing money: don't be discouraged. The crypto world never lacks opportunities; what it lacks is the capital and patience to stay alive.

60 million users, 60 million stories. My story began on that trembling afternoon in 2018, and it still isn't finished.

What's your story? Share your first experience with Gate in the comments and let 60 million people see it.