Everyone talks about the pain of losing money in crypto.
But no one really talks about what happens when you actually win.

The first time I made real money in this space, I thought I was unstoppable.
I wasn’t rich-rich — but I had flipped a few hundred into a few thousand.
I’d timed the market (or so I thought), picked the right token, and watched it moon.

And I swear… something changed in me.

The High Is Real

It’s not just numbers going up. It’s adrenaline.
It’s refreshing charts at 3am.
It’s fantasizing about quitting your job.
It’s suddenly becoming “the smart one” in your group chat.
And it feels good.

Too good.

That first win rewired my brain.
Not toward gratitude — but toward addiction.

“If I Did It Once…”

That’s the line I kept repeating in my head.

If I did it once, I can do it again.
But bigger.
Faster.
Riskier.

So I chased it.
Started jumping into plays I didn’t research.
Started using more money than I should’ve.
Started ignoring the warning signs — because I was a genius now, remember?

Spoiler: I wasn’t.

The Crash Hurt More Than It Should Have

Eventually, the market turned.
That “magic touch” disappeared.
I watched gains vanish. Then I watched my actual money vanish too.

It wasn’t just the loss that stung.
It was the fall from the high.
The sudden emptiness. The shame. The craving to feel “smart” again.

That’s what broke me.

Not the charts.
Not the dips.
But the way I had tied my self-worth to a portfolio.

What I Learned — the Hard Way

• Making money in crypto is easy. Keeping it is the hard part.
• Winning can mess with your head more than losing.
• You’re never as smart as your last gain — or as dumb as your last loss.
• If the market owns your emotions, it owns you.

I had to unlearn the dopamine chase.
Had to step away.
Had to remember that this space isn’t my identity — it’s just a tool.

Now I move slower.
Now I touch grass.
Now I don’t let green candles trick me into thinking I’m invincible.

If You’ve Ever Been There Too…

If you’ve felt the rush… and the crash that follows…
If your biggest win ended up being your biggest mental L…

Then I hope this post reminds you:
You're not alone.
You’re not broken.
You’re just learning.

And if this hit somewhere deep, drop a tip. Not because it’s expected — but because you get it.

We don’t talk about the dark side of winning enough.
But we should.