Trading
Article on the reality of trading for a living.
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Article on the reality of trading for a living.
Last updated
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Every now and then, I feel the need to get some things off my chest. This is one of those unfiltered articles where I share what trading for a living truly feels like. Please note that everything I say should be taken with a grain of salt, as it is purely based on my personal experiences and feelings after being involved in the market for approximately seven years, five of which I have spent trading full-time.
I began my journey in the cryptocurrency markets by simply purchasing spot through a platform then known as Bitcoinmeester. I likely ended up there because of their effective marketing campaign, which drew me into their net. Little did I know at the time—and in hindsight—it turned out they had some of the worst transaction fees, even worse than Bitvavo. Honestly, fuck those guys; they exploit newcomers' lack of knowledge with extravagant marketing campaigns.
XRP was the first coin I ever bought, priced at around €0.04 at the time. Once again, I had no idea what I was doing, and Twitter was flooded with fanboys and fake news about XRP. That shit had me glued to my phone and laptop for hours every day. And guess what? I ended up selling it at a loss!
I ended up making money by meeting the right people. There was nothing particularly special about what I did—I just happened to connect with the right individuals through a Discord channel. They helped me get into algorithmic trading, develop my own algorithms, and eventually ride a bull market to generate a significant amount of stablecoins. Enough about me—I'm not special, nor do I want to spend any more time writing about my achievements. Let’s shift the focus and talk about the reality of this 'trading world.'
If you're looking to end up depressed or completely detached from reality, trading might be the perfect path. No, really—trading can do things to you that may positively impact your finances, but it can just as easily take a devastating turn. If you’re like I was—accustomed to working for a boss and earning a fixed monthly income—the experience of making a huge percentage of your monthly salary in just one day through trading can seriously mess with your mindset. It’s even more unsettling if you find yourself, what I would consider, lucky and manage to earn in a month what you used to make annually—just by trading.
Few people are immune to the psychological effects of trading, and it can really mess with your perspective in ways you'd never expect. Unlike some others who trade for a living, I didn’t come from a wealthy family where money was always readily available. So, making a significant amount of money in a short period of time gave me a distorted view of how the world works. It’s unsettling to see how some people, far better than I am, can make what I earn from 14+ hours a day behind the screens with just a single trade. Yeah, it’s not fair! After a while, I started to take myself more seriously. After all, I was making a lot of money, and in Western society, that usually means you're good at something, right? Funny enough, every time I thought I was actually good at trading, I ended up losing money. The moment I accepted that I was just a lucky fool, I started making money again. In the end, where I stand now: I know how to run a business, I know how to extract money from the markets (sometimes, not always), but more than anything, I see myself as a professional risk-taker, which I like to compare to being a gambler.
The fact that I had no idea what I was doing and yet was still making money continues to boggle my mind. I can no longer fully grasp how people go to their jobs every day when you could sit behind a computer and make a day's wage in just a few minutes. Over time, I’ve come to realize that those people are actually more grounded than I am. I’m the exception—gambling money on leverage to try and outperform the majority. Trust me, this so-called profession knows far more losers than winners, and this darker side is rarely talked about. It’s not glamorous, and those who fall on the losing side often end up losing everything.
I really cannot emphasize this enough, and it’s one of the main reasons I strive to be transparent about the world of trading. Very few people actually manage to make a living here. You either have insider knowledge to take on risk (popular side hussle of your average politician)—you’re lucky and smart enough to turn that luck into a secure foundation for retirement, or you’re one of the world’s top programmers or mathematicians. Let’s just say I don’t fit into any of those categories. I’ve simply had the privilege of working with some of the latter, and I’ve leveraged that experience to create something that works for me. Hopefully, it also helps PinoAPI's users by shielding them from the harsh realities of manual trading.
For me, I’ve spent countless hours staring at screens—no joke, my eyesight has worsened from watching charts day in and day out. Even though I can make a significant amount of money being exposed to the markets, I’d rather not. I’m comfortable where I am. No, I haven’t cashed out enough to retire and do nothing just yet, but I’ve taken a side quest by running a business in the trading space. It takes time, commitment, and, once again, sheer determination to succeed. Honestly, if I don’t have to trade or expose myself to the market, I simply don’t. I’ve had my fair share of dopamine for a lifetime. I’ve moved on from ‘trying to make it’—now I’m diving deeper, learning more about my own psychology while being exposed, and building a system that makes the process easier for aspiring traders who are still on their journey. And just enjoy life lol.
In the end, you may find yourself becoming a hermit to society—not because you’re anti-social, but because trading is so challenging that very few people can truly relate to your experiences. Many of them have returned to regular day jobs, while others, sadly, are no longer with us.~ End Man
It’s not all negativity and extremes. If you’re making money here, great! If not, you might want to consider looking for another path, as is more valuable than money when you’re young. On the other hand, when you’re older, the money you lose often becomes more precious than your time. I’ve traded on beaches, traveled to many countries, and live in complete freedom. I speak for myself—losing the sheep mentality after my first major loss—and now I can say whatever I want because I truly have zero fucks to give. To get to this point, read everything I’ve written above and really think about whether this is something you’re ready to go through. If it is, buckle up—this ride will hurt you!
