Are the old ways dead? Is crypto no longer about the HODL?

Hello everybody!

I’ve been into crypto since 2020, from my start on BSC, to my love affair with the Cosmos network, and now trying out the Solana eco.

I got into crypto when community projects were all the rage. Despite almost everything I bought being a scam, I enjoyed it. I also made a lot of money from just holding and taking small profits from every project. I met a lot of great people, too. When our tokens were pumping it was a euphoric, amazing feeling. Even when the market was crashing, it felt like just the start of something new.

I thought it would be the same this time. Why would it change?

Well, it did change! It’s as if being a member of a community means you’ve failed. You’re expected to take everything and move on. I’ve seen it referred to as “PvP”.

If that’s where we are headed, is there any point in building a good community project? I’m asking because I’ve been working on a project for months now. My goal was to build a trustworthy community project with full transparency and an actual community product.

I invested just over $5,000 of my savings into this project, $1,000 being my token bag that I locked for one year. I fully doxxed myself, all my personal socials are on the website and I’ve done many video chats as well as a YouTube video. Every week I put between 30-40 hours into the development of the project. In the beginning, it was over 50 hours a week. Bear in mind that I have a full-time company that I run in the real world. I haven’t taken any profit nor do I plan to until we hit our milestones. We have a website, all the socials, and tick every box you could want in a safe project.

Having done all that, my project struggled to even hit an ATH of $192,000. We’re now down to $25,000. I’ve seen the shadiest, scammiest shitcoins rocket past us. No matter where I put money into marketing, it only attracts the pump-and-dump crowd. Very few people stick around.

But, that’s how a meme coin used to become successful. People buying, holding, and then spreading the word. As more people hold, the floor supports more buyers. The new buyers tell their friends and family. The floor keeps rising and even if people take some profits, it’s fine! The floor can support it.

I don’t see that today.

Am I just a crypto dinosaur? Am I trying to exist in a world that doesn’t exist anymore? Does anyone even want a safe long hold or is the majority constantly moving their money around looking to ride a moonshot? Are the days of buying $20 of a token and walking away for a few years over? If so, does that mean there will never be another Doge or Shiba? I can’t see these latest meme coins lasting if there isn’t a community prepared to wait years for the payout.

This rant may sound like I’m complaining, but honestly, I’m not upset over it. I see this as a challenge and an opportunity to readjust my thinking and my strategy. As long as there is still a base out there that is buying and holding in hopes of owning the next Doge, I’m in.

If it’s just money-in-money-out, manipulation, and scamming, I’m not sure I have the stomach for this new crypto world.

I hope to hear what others think.