U.Today - Changpeng Zhao, or CZ as he is known in the crypto community, did not hold back when revisiting his early Bitcoin journey. The former Binance CEO told the strange story of buying Bitcoin in 2014, a time when the market seemed almost determined to test his resolve. He entered during a bear market and, with little money on hand, found himself unable to buy the dips or take profits during the slump. It was a rocky start, to say the least.
But the story does not end there. What may sound like an unremarkable tale of bad timing has taken an unexpected turn over the years. Bitcoin's staggering rise - over 35,800% since those early days - would turn even modest investments into life-changing sums.
It is hard to ignore the math: an investment of less than $3,000 back then could mean millions today. As for Zhao, his "diamond hands" resilience has been richly rewarded, with various estimates calculating his net worth at more than $60 billion.
Zhao's thoughts come at a time when the cryptocurrency market is feeling pretty intense. Just recently, $1.7 billion in derivative positions have been liquidated. But CZ's message is not one of bragging. Instead, it is a quiet nod to luck, timing and what you can learn from it, and a subtle warning to others.
"I do not recommend my strategy," seems to be the bottom line of his reveal. Zhao's strategy was profitable, but the circumstances that made it work are unlikely to be repeated. It is a nuanced takeaway: his success was not about perfect execution but rather about sticking with it.
The larger lesson? Investment strategies need to be personal, adaptive and mindful of market realities. However, Bitcoin's (BTC) history shows more holding and sitting on your hands, rather than actively doing anything.