The Reality of Resilience: My Journey Through the Crypto Market

Do you know how cold the Boston Public Library is at 4 AM? I do. I sat there, munching on expired bread that cost me $1.99, while my eyes were glued to the fluctuating lines on my phone screen. Two years ago, the moment my family’s financial support vanished, my life felt like it hit a reset button—my bank account dwindled to $327, I was $1,200 short on next month’s rent, and I had only written the third chapter of my thesis.

The Struggles of a Student in Crisis

During that period, I tried every part-time job imaginable as an international student: ghostwriting essays for wealthy kids ($80 per paper), washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant ($6 an hour), and even secretly selling second-hand textbooks. Then one day, I stumbled upon a post on Reddit discussing stablecoin arbitrage, boldly claiming, “An annualized 8% is better than a bank.” Clinging to a thread of hope, I invested every penny of the $2,000 I had saved through various odd jobs.

The first month, however, was a disaster. I lost $400 simply because I had no idea what “impermanent loss” meant. During my most desperate days, I lived in a cramped basement owned by an elderly African American woman near the school. My room was so tiny that I couldn’t even open my suitcase. Every day, I woke up at 4 AM sharp, as that was the most active trading time in my home country.

The Wake-Up Call

I utilized my school’s library access to download Federal Reserve papers, recording every economic indicator and Bitcoin price change in an Excel sheet. One time, in my obsession to monitor a crucial policy release, I stayed awake for 36 hours straight, only to end up vomiting in the library’s restroom from exhaustion.

I vividly remember the day of the LUNA collapse in 2022; my account, which held $30,000 in UST, went to zero in just 20 minutes. Strangely enough, I didn’t cry; I just sent a mechanical text to my landlord pleading for a few days’ extension on my rent. In a moment of desperate reflection, I did something intense—I printed out all my failed trades from the past six months and stuck them on the wall, circling each wrong decision in red. That’s when I realized that 80% of my losses stemmed from one mindset: “Just wait a bit longer; it might bounce back.”

Lessons Learned

Today, young people often ask me, “How can I quickly make my first million?” But I wish to emphasize that the first lesson for the poor is always risk management.

To this day, I adhere strictly to three survival rules:

• Always keep enough USDC in my account to cover six months’ rent.
• Withdraw $2,000 in cash whenever I make $10,000.
• Never allow myself to skip tomorrow’s early class because I’m glued to the screen.

These aren’t merely investment strategies; they are the hard-won laws of survival. While my current $800,000 may seem insignificant to Wall Street elites, for me, it means I can finally focus on finishing my thesis without the worry of my landlord knocking at my door in the middle of the night. It allows my parents to hold their heads high in front of relatives.

For Those in the Struggle

If you are navigating your own challenges, remember: the crypto world has no fairy tales, only warriors who survive. Behind every glamorous profit screenshot lies a relentless story of struggle from ordinary people fighting for survival.

Feel free to share your own crypto experiences in the comments below! Let’s engage in a meaningful conversation about our futures. #Crypto #Stablecoin #StudentLife #InvestmentCaution #CryptoNewbies #Finance #DiaryOfAnInvestor