2026-01-03 09:28:06

Having been in this industry for so many years, I've seen too many people rush into the market full of passion, only to become "fertilizer" for big funds in the end. Many like to portray Bitcoin as some kind of "technological revolution" or "financial liberation," but honestly, the game rules in the crypto world are just two words—"domination."

To put it plainly, there's no such thing as mutual benefit in the market. Every dollar you earn is someone else's liquidation loss; every dollar you lose might become a big player's building block. This is a naked zero-sum game.

Take Bitcoin as an example. You and a big player both have a bullish outlook—you each put in 50 dollars. But when the market suddenly drops sharply to shake out positions, your account gets wiped out, while they only experience a slight pullback—because their principal could be hundreds of times yours. With the same judgment and the same direction, the outcomes are worlds apart. This is the power of scale.

Retail traders are most likely to fall into the trap of treating emotions as strategy. When the market is soaring wildly, you're so excited that you chase highs and buy in; but the big players have already calculated everything, and when retail traders rush in, they start unloading aggressively. Conversely, when the market suddenly crashes, you panic and cut your losses, while others are leisurely picking up positions at the bottom.

Ironically, your panic and greed become the most stable profit machines for professional funds. The crypto market operates 24/7 without rest, and volatility can strike at any moment. A single spike can wipe out small funds, but what about big funds? They withstand the shocks with their size and can even eat up your stop-loss orders.

What truly tests this industry is not whether you can "predict the right direction," but whether you can "survive." Many retail traders dream of turning things around overnight, but the logic of big players is completely different—they use time to gain space. They can endure market fluctuations, wait for market cycles, and even actively guide the price trend. In the long run, those who last the longest are often the final winners.

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UncleWhale

· 01-05 09:04

No problem with that, retail investors are just regular employees of the leek farm. --- After all these years, I still don't understand why I keep getting cut. --- The phrase "exchanging time for space" hit home; I just lack time and principal. --- I've seen too many cases of big players eating stop-loss orders; it's truly the end. --- Dreams of overnight reversal shattered; now I just want to survive. --- So basically, it's because I have no money. If I had money, who couldn't tough it out? --- This is the reality. The stories of Bitcoin saviors are all scams to deceive retail investors. --- One spike and a margin call, it's really an insult. --- The longest-living winners, I need to survive this month first. --- Buying at the top in a panic was really brainless; just thinking about it makes me uncomfortable.

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PermabullPete

· 01-04 08:16

That's right, but I think the problem isn't with the system itself, but that most people simply don't take it seriously. Those who truly make money never chase highs; they are always waiting. The cost of persistence is too high, and most people get cleared out before that day comes. I've seen too many cases like that. Still the old saying goes, surviving is a hundred times harder than seeing the right direction. It's easy to say, but how many can really do it? That's why wealth ultimately concentrates in the hands of a few. Actually, mindset accounts for about 70%, and the remaining 30% is technical. Most people do the opposite, no wonder they lose.

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SnapshotBot

· 01-03 09:57

That's right, we retail investors are just working for the big players. The scale of funds varies by multiple orders of magnitude, and the outcomes of the same orders are completely different. It's really powerless. --- Another heartbreaking truth post, but who doesn't know it... The problem is, knowing doesn't change anything. --- Damn, this is the real story behind me getting stopped out and taking a loss last time. They eat my orders at the bottom, while I’m eating snail noodles on the rooftop. --- Living longer is the true winner, this saying is spot on. Most people won't even make it to that day. --- Using emotions as strategy... That's how I blew up. Even now, thinking about it makes me want to vomit. --- The zero-sum game phrase is outdated, but it’s true that the amount of funds determines everything. There's no way around it.

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LiquidityNinja

· 01-03 09:57

To be honest, I'm tired of hearing this theory. Big players crushing retail investors, zero-sum games—anyone can say these words. The question is, so what if you know? You still have to face liquidation if it happens.

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BTCWaveRider

· 01-03 09:57

It's so insightful. Retail investors are just being harvested like leeks, and they call it "market education." Really, one needle poke and my account explodes, while the big players leisurely sip coffee. The gap is truly remarkable. Treating emotions as strategy, chasing highs and cutting losses—it's a cliché but I keep falling for it every time. So frustrating. Wait, are you saying that holding long-term can lead to wins? Then why am I still losing after holding for so long? The scale of funds is everything. Even when looking at the right direction, they can withstand drawdowns that I can't handle.

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