The investment threshold for crypto is not as high as you might think.

Many people think that you need several million dollars to play with coins, but that's not true.

What is the minimum starting capital?

• Buy coins directly: You can get started with less than 100 dollars.
• Mining machine construction: You need to invest several thousand to tens of thousands of dollars.

Most people choose the former because it is simpler. Now almost all exchanges support fractional purchases, and you can buy Bitcoin for $10.

But there are a few pitfalls to watch out for:

1. Funding Issues: Small investments are fine, but if you are already living paycheck to paycheck, don't force it. Overtime, side jobs, cutting expenses - there's always a way.

2. Risk Allocation: Never put all your wealth into coins. Cryptocurrencies are highly volatile and carry regulatory risks. In a serious investment portfolio, digital assets should at most account for a small portion, while the rest should be allocated to stocks and bonds for reliability.

3. Time Cost: Want to turn $1000 into $1 million? Theoretically possible, but it would take 73 years, assuming an annual return of 10%. If you're lucky (like Erik Finman, who went all-in at 12 and was worth $3.4 million at 18), but this is an exception.

4. Steep learning curve: No matter how much you study, mistakes are easy to make, and one or two losses can wipe out previous gains. Some coins may even become permanently trapped (no one to take them over).

Conclusion: The entry barrier has indeed lowered, but the tuition for success is not cheap.