I’m embarrassed to admit how much my fractured Bitcoin impacted my psyche – especially as Bitcoin approached $20,000 in early December. When my Bitcoin was whole, I knew how much I had: whatever its valuation was, that’s what I was holding. Now I had to calculate the current price by 0.995 and it disturbed me beyond reason. A well-adjusted person would just round-up and live their life. I’m just not calibrated like that.
As soon as I received a Christmas bonus, I wired it to my Kraken account. At almost $20K, I couldn’t buy a whole Bitcoin, but I could buy a fraction to make it whole once more.
The rational part of my brain said “Use this $5K to buy Ripple – it’s almost a dollar and seems to be increasing a dime a day”. Another part of my brain said “Didn’t you read Ethereum is under-valued? It’s still around $500 – you could buy 10 of them! And if it does go up, you’ll enjoy 10X the profits”.
But the lizard part of my brain said “MAKE MY BITCOIN WHOLE AGAIN”. So I spent $ $4,688.40 USD on 0.25 BTC, which I figured should be enough to preserve its wholeness even if I transfer it a few more times.
Then I felt guilty and used the remaining $298.60 to buy 391 Ripple for $0.76 each.
Not 2 weeks later, Bitcoin fell to $14K, and Ripple doubled to $1.25.
Why oh why will I never learn. It was that same voice that insisted I buy Bitcoin in December 2016 when it was $700 (which I regrettably ignored) that said to buy Ripple instead of Bitcoin with my Christmas bonus. If I listened the first time, that $700 would have grown 20X IN ONE YEAR. And if I listened to that voice regarding my Christmas bonus, and invested the $5K in Ripple, it would have doubled WITHIN A FORTNIGHT. But I followed my emotions and ignored my senses.
When Ripple reached $3, it was small comfort knowing my $298 was now worth almost $1,000, because the masochist in me also calculated the $5,000 I didn’t invest in Ripple could have bought me another whole Bitcoin. Did I mention Ethereum ended up doubling in value too? So that $5000 could have been $10,000 by now.
I need to teach that sensible voice in my head to punch me when I ignore it.
Does anyone else have a bitter Bitcoin story they’d like to share?
