Dream Province Crypto: When Trust in Power Becomes Investors' Biggest Trap

Looking back at 2024 in the cryptocurrency market, perhaps many people still haven’t forgotten the atmosphere of hope that was filled at that time. Most of the crypto community placed their trust in Donald Trump being re-elected as the US president. They believed this would bring friendly crypto policies, and even dreamed of Bitcoin being considered part of a national strategy.\nBut the reality turned out completely different.\nJust a few days before taking office, Trump issued a token bearing his name. Immediately afterward, his wife – Melania – also launched her own coin. Not stopping there, the WLFI family project continued to be promoted on exchanges. Instead of positive signals for the entire market, what the community received was the feeling that crypto was being turned into a cash machine for a small, powerful group.\nThere are rumors that at the time of the market crash, his son – Barron – exploited insider information to open large short positions and made enormous profits. Regardless of the truth, the overall market sentiment at that time was disappointment and loss of trust. Crypto couldn’t wait for “good news” from politics, but instead witnessed a powerful family treating the market like an ATM to exploit.\nLooking back, it must be admitted that the initial expectations of retail investors were a form of illusion. It contradicts the most basic principle of human nature.\nHuman nature is largely selfish, rarely altruistic. All decisions and actions revolve around maximizing personal benefits. The crypto market, inherently a brutal battleground, where greed and personal interests are pushed to the extreme. In such an environment, hoping that someone will “step in to help” or act for the common good is almost impossible.\nSo what did retail investors think? They hoped Trump would attract more new capital, bring more people into the market to become a support for the price. But in the end, those newcomers became the first targets of harvest.\nIn fact, we – retail investors – are not entirely altruistic either. Everyone hopes that others will come in later to bear the risks for them. Yet, they expect a powerful figure to act in the interest of the majority, bringing direct benefits to themselves. Looking back, that is both naive and overly optimistic.\nUp to now, my trust is almost solely reserved for Bitcoin and the philosophy of Satoshi Nakamoto. Not because Bitcoin is perfect, but because it doesn’t depend on the kindness of any individual. It is built on mechanisms, mathematics, and transparency, not on human promises.\nWhen understanding that human nature is selfish, we will be less delusional, less blindly hopeful, and more rational in every decision. Especially in the “black forest” of crypto, sobriety is not only an advantage – but also a condition for survival.