In the crypto space, is making money and exiting the only definition of success?
TechFlow Selected TechFlow Selected
In the crypto space, is making money and exiting the only definition of success?
Are you here for money or for technology?
Navigating Web3 tides with focused insightsAuthor: ROUTE 2 FI
Translation: TechFlow
Today we have a guest post from Shui Tangs.
A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon his Twitter account, and his unique writing style immediately caught my attention. He skillfully combines long sentences, short phrases, and simple vocabulary, using only punctuation to separate ideas. Read it for yourself—you’ll quickly understand what I mean. This article is unedited, entirely in Shui Tangs’ own words, discussing his perspective on success in crypto.
Shui Tangs’ Path to Success
Before we begin, I want to express deep gratitude to Route—not just for giving me the opportunity to share my thoughts here, but also for consistently bringing accessible knowledge and education to this space.
Let’s start with a brief self-introduction—my story.
I first learned about cryptocurrency in 2017 through a friend in a CS:GO skin trading community.
So I created a wallet and started accepting USDT as payment. A few weeks later, I was deeply drawn into this open, gamified financial system, sitting at the edge of its ever-expanding frontier.
I’ve always been interested in money. Ever since I can remember. Freedom, compounding, leverage—all led me to study banking as my major. In university, I learned macroeconomics, basic banking, contracts, financial history, and law. These theories often felt outdated, requiring a practical, actionable approach. Learn, adapt, execute.
So in my spare time, I wandered around this space. Absorbing everything through Discord and Twitter. A few names stood out: Mocho, Godfather, Loop, Donalt.
These insights shaped my economic understanding far more than any degree ever could, helping me quickly pass through the “amateur phase.” You know the old saying—new market participants must pay tuition, go through the fire, sooner or later.
I was no different. By working in this space, I built a small portfolio. Became overconfident. Then lost everything.
Doubt—first success—venture further along the risk curve—more success—leverage—failure.
But I persisted. Took odd jobs, kept grinding, gave up speculation. Until 2021, when DeFi and NFTs pulled me back in.
The skills I’d accumulated from CS skin trading started paying off. A few analytics tools, some sharp speculators (now friends), trading colorful PNGs. Ironically, this became my breakthrough.
Today, I operate comfortably in spot markets, more rationally, less speculatively. Holding some leveraged yield positions, occasionally hunting airdrops. I’ve refined my strengths, waiting for the next moment to strike.
That’s my story.
Have I succeeded? It’s a question I ask myself every day.
I wanted to put these thoughts into words, form a framework.
This is my share.
Defining Success in Crypto
It’s an ancient topic, one that runs through the life of nearly every person who has lived or will live.
The answer is actually simple—but different for everyone. Though times change, human nature remains constant.
You could follow the teachings of the ancient Greek philosophers—define success as the pursuit of wisdom, moral excellence, and cultivation of inner virtue.
Take the modern Emerson route: “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to appreciate beauty; to find and lift up the best in others. But above all—to leave the world better than you found it.”
Or simply heed Wooden’s advice: don’t look for success in external achievements, but in knowing you’ve made the effort, done your best, reached your personal limit.
The answer always depends on your ideals and values—social, economic, religious, ideological.
Let’s bring it back to crypto.
Are You Here for the Money or the Technology?
This framing is too simplistic—and even misleading.
I prefer to think there are two types of people in this space: tourists and residents.
Tourists come to experience, feel the thrill, make money, extract value.
Residents come to build, push the space forward, make money, create value.
Most residents start as tourists. Most industries thrive because of tourists—like tourism itself. There’s a symbiotic relationship. Some may see this as problematic, but I believe it’s essential.
Your position on this spectrum determines how you define personal success in crypto.
Tourists – The Consumers
You’re here purely to get rich quick. You log in to check prices, but only care about your holdings. You jump between narratives, chasing every clickbait post. Join endless Telegram and Discord groups, frantically reading—not to learn, but purely for profit, with no depth.
Making money is a simple goal. It represents freedom, opportunity—the condensed form of human energy and time.
“Once I have enough money, I can pursue my real purpose.”
That purpose lies elsewhere, beyond this subculture. Crypto is merely a stepping stone to something else.
So you keep pushing, always chasing some magical number. One million. One hundred thousand. Today, that might not even be enough to retire, right? It’s delusional. Crypto Twitter (CT) is flooded with endless success stories, misinformation, and foolish takes. Scrolling through them makes you feel small, unsuccessful. Zoom out.
Money isn’t everything. It’s just a means to an end, a tool—an accelerator toward your ultimate destination. So what happens once you hit that number? What do you do? Disappear? Abandon this space? You’ll be drawn back in. I’ve been there.
Why leave the casino during a winning streak, right? The only way out is to find purpose and fulfillment elsewhere—or get badly hurt.
So how do you define success? As a tourist, there are three ways.
First, financially.
You chase a number—believing it will let you retire, live off it forever, or at least until you find your true calling.
Maybe layer in some yield strategies. I remember the “Curve Wars.” Lock up 30,000 CRV, then retire. Enjoy infinite cash flow and passive income.
Second, resilience.
Not everyone makes money in the crypto markets. It’s a predatory environment. Do the unlucky ones consider themselves failures?
The knowledge they gain here may pay off a hundredfold in the future—financial literacy, understanding core DeFi infrastructure.
Sense of community, endurance, connections, work—even a good story.
Some outcomes lead to success without requiring positive returns.
Third, exit.
Harsh but true. For those treating the market like a casino, gambling, investing in shitcoins, no strategy—they should leave.
Like a smoker viewing quitting as success.
But this space is vast, with seemingly infinite directions to work in, and endless demand for real skills. If you spend enough time here, you might discover something that truly excites you—your masterpiece, your purpose.
Fourth, become a resident.
When does a tourist become a resident? It’s not a fixed time, nor necessarily tied to a job. It requires a cognitive shift—in method and motivation.
Forget what I said earlier—this was my first moment of success.
Residents—those who stay.
It’s hard to define from the outside, but you’ll know.
But defining success here is simple. Very simple.
You never truly reach it—but you succeed.
Not what you expected, right?
What is success? A finish line. Once crossed, you have everything you once desired—closing a chapter of your life.
Then, enter a new chapter.
As a resident, you live here. You enjoy working in this space, pushing it forward, in whatever way possible.
You don’t care about price. Of course, seeing BTC drop below $20,000 hurts. Seeing new speculators outperform you hurts. Missing an entire sector due to some risk framework hurts.
But as a resident, you don’t envy tourists. Just as a turtle doesn’t envy a bird, just as a tour guide in Spain doesn’t envy the elderly tourists he shows around, just as a chef doesn’t envy his guests.
They might be better off in the moment—making money, flying, enjoying themselves, consuming.
But you’ve found something real—your purpose.
Join TechFlow official community to stay tuned
Telegram:https://t.me/TechFlowDaily
X (Twitter):https://x.com/TechFlowPost
X (Twitter) EN:https://x.com/BlockFlow_News
@Route2FI
