Bear markets are never tested by returns, but by confidence.

When the price drops below a round number, and the numbers in your wallet shrink day by day, you'll realize that what's truly important isn't the amount of your holdings, but the reason you hold them. Some people cut losses and exit, while others stubbornly hold on. What's the difference? It's the asset you are willing to defend.

Maybe it's an ecosystem token you've researched thoroughly, maybe it's Bitcoin, the most consensus-driven asset, or perhaps it's a governance token of a DeFi protocol. The key is—when the market is all green, you can still articulate why you should continue to hold it. Not because of FOMO, not because of bullish predictions, but because you genuinely believe in its value proposition.

The cruelest part of a bear market isn't the decline itself, but the confusion. But if at this moment you are still thinking, "I must hold this asset," it shows you've surpassed most retail investors' mental state. That bag you're willing to defend in a bear market is where your true faith lies.