2026-01-05 10:27:25

Lately, I've been hanging around in the exchanges, and I increasingly feel a trend — the difficulty of making money in this market is rising.

Let's start with contract trading. As more people participate, each fluctuation seems somewhat "deliberate." A careful look at the order book reveals that those intense swings are often just clearing out leverage. Quant traders and contract traders are all figuring out how to harvest profits, making it even harder for retail investors to profit from it.

Looking at the altcoin market. The eagerly anticipated "Altcoin Season" has yet to arrive, and after a whole year, there's still no significant change. Honestly, many people in this circle have begun to accept reality — perhaps the chaotic era of the past is truly over.

What's more heartbreaking is the current state of innovative projects. New concepts and narratives keep emerging in the market, but the final decision-making power always lies with the whales — pumping and dumping is the way to go. Once the harvest is complete, projects often end in failure, and investors are left either cutting losses and leaving or watching their coins drop to zero. Over the past year, the number of coins reaching new highs has been few, and mainstream coins like Dogecoin and SOL, if held stubbornly, often end up losing money.

So rather than believing in some revival rally, it's better to think about how to survive and leave. Lower your expectations, survive, that’s the most practical strategy right now.

DOGE2,22%

SOL1,71%

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DeFiVeteran

· 01-08 09:38

Yeah, that's too realistic. Retail investors are now just meat on the chopping block. --- Shanzhai Season has waited over a year, and it really feels like there's no way back. --- That set of contract stuff, once the leverage is cleared, it becomes calm. Who the hell dares to touch it again? --- Instead of betting on revival, it's better to think about how to keep the principal alive. That's the real way. --- Seeing new narratives again, I just pass directly. The套路are all the same. --- SOL has been held for a year, and the result is still negative returns. I'm really convinced. --- Market makers pulling the pump is the endgame; retail investors can only be the ones to chase. --- The most heartbreaking thing about this wave of market is—you did nothing wrong, but still lost money. --- It's actually better if Shanzhai Season doesn't come, so you don't have to be harvested again.

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NFTregretter

· 01-08 01:28

Again and again I hear that old saying, but it really hits home... I honestly can't watch how retail investors have been living these past two years, contracts are being swept every day. Kill, kill, kill, always killing. Waiting for the knockoff season has made me numb, I feel like there's really no way back. Living and leaving? Bro, that's a bit extreme, but I have to admit, there's nothing wrong with that. Wait, is it a loss to hold onto mainstream coins even if they die? Then what the hell am I doing? That bit of "deliberate" manipulation in the order book... you can see right through it at a glance, but you just can't avoid it, it's so real. Instead of waiting for a revival, it's better to first figure out when to get off.

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DeFiCaffeinator

· 01-05 10:56

It's so heartbreaking—contracts are just the manipulators' meat grinder, retail investors just end up sending money in. --- Shanzhai season? Ha, maybe when the monkeys fly, it's really outdated now. --- Tired of the routine of pumping and then abandoning projects, the project team should change the script. --- Instead of dreaming of getting rich overnight, it's better to think about how not to lose money—that's the real clarity. --- After a year of shanzhai, I still think mainstream coins are more reliable; at least their market cap is big enough to avoid being easily manipulated. --- When the manipulators finish their harvest and run, we’re left holding the bag—this is truly a brilliant business. --- Lower your expectations and just survive—this phrase must be engraved in your mind; it's a bloody lesson. --- The fluctuations on the contract side are looking more and more fake; it's obvious someone is manipulating. --- Waiting all year for shanzhai season, but nothing happened; it feels like this round is really over. --- A bunch of new projects and concepts, but in the end, it's still the manipulators who call the shots. No matter how many stories are told, it’s useless.

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SelfStaking

· 01-05 10:54

This article is too harsh. The contract scene is indeed a slaughterhouse for the whales, retail investors just lose money when they get in. Shanzhai season? I don't even dare to think about it. It really feels like that era will never come back. --- Wake up, everyone. Stop dreaming. Surviving is the real winner. --- That's right. Now it's all about mindset and risk control, not luck like in those days. --- I just want to know how many people are still holding on to those crappy projects waiting for a turnaround, haha. --- Whales finish their harvest and run, while we cry below. That's just how the game is played. --- Instead of trading coins, it's better to trade yourself. Learning real skills is more practical. --- The last sentence hits deep: "Leave alive." That’s the true meaning of this cycle.

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GweiWatcher

· 01-05 10:41

That hits too close to home. Now it's a game of mindset. --- As for the contract side, institutions are bottom-fishing retail investors, without any insider information, it's just a race to the finish. --- Fake season? Ha, I'm waiting too, but right now it seems all I get are margin call notices. --- Good grief, new projects are just new stories with old tricks. The whales smile while we cry. --- Instead of hoping for a rebound, it's better to learn what a stop-loss is. That's real skill. --- The era of turning things around through clones is over. Now it's just about who loses less. --- Recently, the biggest earners aren't traders but exchanges and quant firms. --- I strongly agree. The difficulty isn't increasing; it's like magic tricks.

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MemeCurator

· 01-05 10:37

It's really heartbreaking. I'm now thinking about how to survive and leave. Contracts are truly a meat grinder for institutions to cut leeks. --- The counterfeit season has withered all the flowers, and it feels like there's really no way back. --- Pulling up the market, unfinished projects, zeroing out—this set of processes is executed very smoothly, and the big players have long figured it out. --- Instead of fantasizing about a market revival, it's better to learn how to cut losses. That's the wisdom of survival. --- Retail investors are here just to give away money. Recognizing this early can help you lose less. --- Contracts seem simple, but in reality, you're just waiting to be liquidated. I see through it now. --- Innovative projects and new concepts are flying everywhere, but in the end, it's still the same old trick of cutting leeks—nothing has changed. --- Lowering expectations sounds uncomfortable, but it is indeed the clearest choice right now, I have to admit. --- The people doing quantitative trading have long calculated retail investors' money. The game rules are inherently unfair.

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