In crypto slang‭, ‬“hopium”‭ ‬means irrational or addictive optimism about prices going up‭, ‬even when there's little evidence to justify it‭. ‬It's used to describe that emotional high investors get when they want the market to turn bullish so badly that they start ignoring‭ ‬fundamentals or bad news‭.‬

After everything we've been through in the last two years‭, ‬it finally feels like something's shifting‭. ‬The US Federal Reserve was set to meet on interest rates‭, ‬the US and China are sketching out a framework for their issues on trade‭, ‬and everyone seems to have forgotten about the brutal flash crash that wiped out‭ $‬19‭ ‬billion just a few weeks ago‭. ‬

It's easy to confuse this moment with yet another false dawn‭. ‬But as someone who's been buying crypto since 2023‭ ‬–‭ ‬and who's lived through highs and lows‭ ‬-‭ ‬I can say this‭: ‬the difference now is how we're‭ ‬approaching it‭.‬

The long road here

I've made a few mistakes‭: ‬I round-tripped through the Trump bump in late 2024‭ ‬to early 2025‭. ‬I watched my portfolio climb‭, ‬proudly‭ ‬showed it to friends‭, ‬and then watched every bit of those paper profits evaporate‭. ‬I bought a few meme coins‭, ‬and experienced stress I don't wish to replicate‭. ‬I've had projects vanish and others that appear to be regrouping‭. ‬

I withstood the horrible summers of 2024‭ ‬and 2025‭ ‬-‭ ‬the endless chop‭, ‬the fear‭, ‬the disillusionment‭. ‬I watched as my crypto groups turn nasty when all hope seemed lost‭. ‬

Sure‭, ‬there are still nights I wake up at 3‭ ‬a.m‭. ‬wondering if I'm doing the right thing‭. ‬But for the most part‭, ‬I've learned to zoom out‭.‬

A more bullish backdrop

We are on the brink of a massive financial shift‭. ‬There is more regulatory clarity every day‭, ‬helped along by a US president and‭ ‬his family who are all‭ ‬in on crypto‭.‬

Add to that the prospect of rate cuts‭, ‬institutional liquidity returning‭, ‬and many more factors‭, ‬and the setup for a short-to medium-term rally is hard to ignore‭.‬

But as every crypto veteran knows‭, ‬you can't count on anything‭. ‬Which is why this time‭, ‬I have a plan‭.‬

if the rally takes off

I'm taking profits‭. ‬Regularly‭. ‬I'm not selling my Bitcoin‭ ‬-‭ ‬that's my long-term conviction and a key part of my retirement plan‭. ‬I'm still debating what to do with XRP‭: ‬whether it's a generational hold or one to partially trim on strength‭.‬

As for the small altcoins in my portfolio‭? ‬I've stopped obsessing‭. ‬That part of my stack is more like a Vegas table than a retirement account‭, ‬and I treat it accordingly‭. ‬The only new projects I'm interested in are solid layer-ones and perhaps the odd very interesting‭, ‬innovative bet with a good team‭. ‬Crypto veterans often say that when‭ ‬“normies”‭ ‬start asking about crypto‭, ‬it's time to start selling‭. ‬I don't think so‭. ‬But I was very heartened last week‭. ‬I watched a crypto educational video while getting a treatment when the Filipina‭ ‬nurse asked about Bitcoin‭. ‬She was genuinely curious‭, ‬telling me about people back home whose lives had changed through crypto‭.‬‭ ‬I suggested she explore‭: ‬not financial advice‭, ‬but maybe open an account and buy a little‭. ‬See how it feels‭. ‬I wonder what she‭ ‬will say when I return‭ ‬next month‭. ‬

From hope to conviction

I have completely transformed my view on this entire space from when I set out‭. ‬When I entered in 2023‭, ‬I just wanted to catch‭ ‬“alt season‭.‬”‭ ‬Somewhere along the way‭, ‬I developed conviction‭ ‬-‭ ‬in the properties and potential of Bitcoin‭, ‬and more recently‭, ‬in XRP‭.‬

Now‭, ‬my focus is balance‭. ‬Take greed out of it‭. ‬Skim some lifestyle profits along the way‭. ‬And make sure I'm holding something that could stand the test of time‭.‬

I hope this column ages well‭. ‬It does seem that the promised alt season‭ ‬–‭ ‬even the one‭ ‬“guaranteed”‭ ‬by President Trump himself after he was elected‭ ‬–‭ ‬keeps getting delayed‭. ‬Market manipulation is real‭, ‬and it's unnerving to know the same institutional giants who could crush a small investor like me have entered the space‭.‬

Then again‭, ‬is it any different from the stock market‭? ‬That's where we're all told to park our retirement savings‭.‬

A paradigm shift in sight

I truly believe we're in the middle of a massive financial transition‭. ‬Just like the early days of the internet‭, ‬blockchain is going to transform how we do everything‭. ‬

As macro economics expert and‭ ‬“banana zone”‭ ‬crypto expert Raoul Pal put it in a video I watched this week‭, ‬owning crypto is like owning a piece of the internet itself‭ ‬-‭ ‬not just Facebook or Amazon‭, ‬but the infrastructure they run on‭. ‬You couldn't do that with the internet‭. ‬You can with blockchain and the associated projects‭. ‬That is real‭. ‬

Still‭, ‬because it's early and misunderstood‭, ‬it's risky‭. ‬Wildly risky‭. ‬But it's a risk I'm willing‭ ‬–‭ ‬clearly‭ ‬–‭ ‬to keep taking‭.‬

Because while hope can be dangerous‭, ‬it's also what keeps us here‭, ‬quietly accumulating‭, ‬through every crash‭, ‬every plunge‭, ‬every sleepless night‭ ‬-‭ ‬waiting for the moment when it's no longer‭ ‬'hopeium'‭, ‬but reality‭.‬

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