Exactly, that pressure to catch the train often leads people into bad decisions like overextending or misusing funds meant for something else. The beauty of Bitcoin's long term parabolic nature is that you don’t need to rush. Just stick to your own pace, DCA with what you can afford, and let time do the work. No FOMO, just patience.
A person should never think that he is too late to invest. Keep one thing in mind, if you know about Bitcoin today, you are much ahead of many people who are not aware of what Bitcoin is. So first you need to start investing and at the same time you need to reduce your extra expenses. So that you can invest more money. Always try to keep yourself stress-free so that you do not get too scared if you see a decline in the market. Hold your holdings for the long term, you can benefit in the future.
A decline in the bitcoin market is not a sign to freak you out, but a very good sign to add more bitcoin to your holdings because only with that can you be able to take advantage of every situation you find yourself after your investment in bitcoin has began. Bitcoin is not a quick rich scheme, so having that same approach in your mind will make you panic anytime there is a fluctuation in the market that makes it go in a downtrend direction.
Cutting down your expenses when you’ve made up your mind to begin your investment in bitcoin is also necessary, it gives you a reason to want to save and not spend lavishly because you have a purpose and a target which you’ll work towards achieving. Investing in bitcoin comes with some sacrifices that when you’re able to bear it, you’ll achieve the best investment ever.
Totally agree with your take, that is Bitcoin doesn’t wait , ,sounds catchy, but it can easily push people into FOMO mode and bad decisions. Truth is, Bitcoin will always give second chances, just not always in the form people expect. If you are playing the long game, it's not about jumping in fast, it's about staying in smart.
The best mindset is quiet, steady accumulation without stressing over price noise. Whether you are a no coiner or a low coiner, focus more on building your stack and less on timing the perfect buy..... Corrections are part of the journey and the goal is to be here long enough to see how powerful time plus conviction can be.
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That kind of growth can be exciting, almost surreal turning $3k into $210k is life changing, and naturally you will want to share it with those closest to you. But in reality, sharing those numbers can open the door to a lot of unexpected outcomes, jealousy, pressure, unrealistic expectations, or even security risks.
I am mentioning something that could happen, if a guy had $3k worth of bitcoin in mid-2015 when BTC prices were $250, which would subsequently play out like this for 12 BTC.
December 2017 - BTC price $19,666 - 12 BTC value = $235,992
December 2018 - BTC price $3,800 - 12 BTC value = $45,600
February 2020 - BTC price $9,500 - 12 BTC value = $114k
March 2020 - BTC price $3,800 - 12 BTC value = $45,600
April 2021 - BTC price $63k - 12 BTC value = $756k
July 2021 - BTC price $31.5k - 12 BTC value = $378k
April 2021 - BTC price $69k - 12 BTC value = $828k
November 2022 - BTC price $15,479 - 12 BTC value = $185,748
July 14, 2025 - BTC price $123,236 - 12 BTC value = $1,478,832Lots of fluctuation for the 12 BTC over the past 10 years even though starting out with a $3k value and now having close to $1.5 million spot price, and even $602.3k for the 200-WMA, which I would suggest that 12 BTC has a current sustainable withdrawal rate of $60k per year.
This really puts into perspective how much long term conviction pays off in Bitcoin. Turning $3k into 12 BTC back in 2015 might have seemed like a gamble to many at the time, but looking at how that value has evolved through multiple market cycles shows the strength of patience and belief in the asset. What’s more interesting is that despite wild volatility, the trajectory remains up over time. The idea of 12 BTC sustaining a $60k/year withdrawal rate today just shows how wealth preservation and growth is possible with Bitcoin if managed right. A powerful reminder why HODLing through chaos still makes sense.
I personally prefer a buy and keep on buying approach rather than buying a set amount and then just sitting on it,
even though the example shows the power of just one portion of the buying of 12 BTC to have several ups and downs at various points along the way, and yeah, at this time to reach a power of having a $60k per year withdrawal rate, and if the 12 BTC continues to sit, the withdrawal rate is quite likely to double (or more) within the next 4 years. On the other hand, if the 12 BTC is started to be withdrawn from then it will depend on how fast it is drawn down upon to figure out if the total value of the BTC will go up or down in light of the withdrawal rate.. yet a withdrawal rate that starts out at $60k per year right now, is quite likely going to be able to sustain such $60k per year withdrawal rate perpetually into the future, including accounting for a 7% per year debasement of the dollar. So this year is $60k, and next year would be $64.2k and year 3 would be $68.7 and year four would be $73.5k etc etc etc.
That is a nice breakdown and a perfect example of why consistent buying and positioning for long term optionality really pays off. The idea of having 12 BTC working for you and not just sitting idly, but yielding the power to support a $60k/year withdrawal and still likely grow, this shows how Bitcoin flips the script on traditional retirement planning.
I especially like your emphasis on not stopping at a set buy and instead continuing the accumulation journey. It gives room for someone to not only reach a sustainable withdrawal rate but also buffer against volatility and inflation. And with the dollar’s debasement baked into the picture, that 7% yearly increase you mapped out adds a realistic layer many tend to ignore.
Most people underestimate what a solid stack like 12 BTC can do when paired with time and patience but this kind of compounding utility across cycles is where Bitcoin really shines, thanks for laying it out so clearly, at least a lot of us can learn from this your approach.....
A lot of people learned the hard way that security should grow with your stack. What felt secure enough at $250 per BTC didn’t hold up when BTC hit $19k or more. And yeah, while 2021 didn’t feel as crazy as 2017 or 2013, the gains were still life changing for many. These cycles really do teach us, not just about holding, but also about how to stay prepared when success shows up faster than expected.......
Even with myself. I had been through the downside of the 2013 cycle and both the upside and downside of the 2017 cycle, but even in 2019-2021 when the BTC price went up from $4,200 in April 2019 to $64k in April 2021 and then it dropped to $30k in summer 2021 and returned to $69k in November 2021, there can be some periods of surprise to have some wallets go up somewhere in the ballpark of 16x from the bottom to the top.
Even some folks in this particular cycle might have had some coins that they bought or held in November/December 2022 that were in the $16k to $20k prices, and even now when we had BTC prices go up to $120k, so then those coins had gone up 6x to 7x, which is also nothing to sneeze at, and there are folks who never had experienced 2x or 3x in value appreciating through their lives and then they are able to personally experience 6x/7x price appreciation in the past 2.5 years.. and if a guy is still accumulating he might not know what to do. If a guy had done most of his accumulation prior to October 2023, he might just feel so amazed to be on the journey, if we might consider the possibility that some guys had gotten enough BTC, yet there are way more guys who are still needing to accumulate and not to get thrown off by past bitcoin price performance in regards to their need to keep accumulating bitcoin no matter the price so that maybe they will be in a better place 4-10 years or more down the road.
One of the key takeaways from your experience is how different each cycle feels, even if the patterns rhyme, the emotions, surprises, and outcomes can still catch people off guard, whether they are new or seasoned.
Seeing 6x–7x gains in just a couple of years is lifechanging, especially for people whohave never experienced anything close to that before. But like you rightly pointed out, those who are still accumulating should not let past performance paralyze them. Every cycle brings new chances, and what is more important than price is positioning and mindset.
Those who accumulated before October 2023 are probably feeling validated now but it doesn't mean the window is closed. Bitcoin is long term, and the real magic tends to show up years down the line, not just one or two. Accumulating consistently, staying humble, and keeping your strategy in place is how you position yourself to benefit from whatever future upside may come, whether it is 4 years or 10 years down the road...
Anyone who is a no coiner or a low coiner has to get started buying bitcoin in order to be prepared for up.. Otherwise they are not prepared for up.
And yeah, it could take 4-10 years or longer for someone to stack enough bitcoin to start to feel comfortable that he has enough or more than enough.
Even though measurements can be made along the path, sometimes the first several years can feel that progress is being made slowly, even though there are some folks who are able to front load their investment into bitcoin in their beginning years of investing into it.
Many underestimate how critical just getting started is whether you are a no coiner or still working your way up the ladder, the worst position to be in during a parabolic run is to be unprepared. Bitcoin doesn't wait, and those who delay stacking often find themselves chasing green candles instead of calmly riding the wave.
And yes, the early years can feel slow and even discouraging at times, especially if you are using DCA modestly. But the compounding effect of consistent stacking paired with Bitcoin's asymmetric upside can be incredible over a 4-10 year horizon. Frontloading is great if one can afford it, but for most, the key is simply staying the course and continuing to accumulate. Time and conviction do the rest.
Putting buying systems in place might also help to establish additional buying opportunities down the road. There may be folks who have mediocre pay and mediocre cashflow management practices, yet getting started in bitcoin can help them to improve their mediocre practices
cashflows and even better identify times in which they receive some extra money and then since they have a bitcoin buying system in place they are already prepared to buy more bitcoin when that extra money comes to them.
Another thing, as you mentioned, they likely will find themselves in a better place not to panic or FOMO based on subsequent BTC price moves, since they already have a system for continued buying in place in case the BTC price goes down, and if the BTC price goes up, they realize that they had already been stacking as much BTC as they can, so they are benefiting from the BTC price going up, even though their future purchases are going to cost them more (or at least they won't get as many satoshis for each quantity of dollars/fiat that they put in).
Building that kind of automatic system isn’t just about efficiency, it is about mindset. Once the habit is set, even someone with limited income or inconsistent cashflow starts to operate with more intention. It is almost like DCA trains financial discipline by default.
And I agree, having that structure in place removes emotional volatility. You are not scrambling to buy the dip or chasing green candles. You are already doing the work, so whether price dips or pumps, you are mentally and financially positioned. It is powerful, but often overlooked, this kind of behavioral shift can end up being more valuable than timing a few good trades. Systems make the investor anti fragile in the face of noise...