Hexdrunker on Crypto Pitfalls and a $17,000 Misstep

The Coinomist: You're recognized as the founder of a prominent crypto team. However, it's intriguing to learn about your journey — how you commenced and ultimately became the owner of a crypto company. 

Anton Dziuba: I ventured into the world of crypto mining when I was 18. I invested $700 in a miner, which served me for roughly six months. When I eventually sold it, I ended up with around $3,500. Encouraged by this success, I decided to try my hand at trading on Bittrex, which allowed me to make $5,000. Filled with excitement, I rushed to my father and proudly shared my progress, saying, “I started with $700, and now I'm at $5,000. I'm looking to expand further.” My father lent me $17,000, giving me a total of $22,000 to work with. I managed to escalate it to $30,000, but it eventually dwindled down to just $1,000. That marked the turning point of my crypto journey, as I had effectively “liquidated” my resources. It was then, with only 3% of my initial deposit remaining, that I realized I must have been making some critical mistakes in my approach.

So, after I got rekt [REKT is a crypto slang for wrecked used to describe a severe financial loss — ed.], I invested about $2,000 – $3,000 in a project, which yielded a fivefold return. Following this, I spent about half a year studying cryptocurrency, its mechanics, and naturally, the art of trading. As my funds depleted, I understood the need to reboot my strategies. I turned to BitMEX, deciding, “Now I'll either double my investment or go bust and exit crypto.” Luckily, I managed to double up, earning $2,500. 

Subsequently, I entered a sale on Bittrex. By then, we had already formed a community. This highlights why being part of a community is pivotal: I became a part of the right group, where we formulated a script and clinched the entire sale using our chat group alone — the whole sale, every bit of it! I managed to multiply my $2,500 into $10,000. Then, my previous investment bounced back. So, in a matter of days, I went from having $1,000 to somewhere between $13,000 and $15,000 — I can't recall the exact amount. It was a shocking turn of events. 

After that sale, I realized the importance of remaining active within the community, interacting with people, and staying involved. Of course, it was much simpler than working in a factory, and, in addition, it was exciting. All it required was dedication, strategic thinking, and not merely jumping on an investment opportunity because someone mentioned an Initial Exchange Offering (IEO). Otherwise, you'll find yourself in a situation where you've lost everything and have no idea whom to blame. So, the secret probably lies in being active and hardworking.

The Coinomist: How did you explain to your father your plan for those $17,000? Did you discuss cryptocurrency with him?

Anton Dziuba: My dad has always been an enthusiast, always up for something new. He's a risk-taker, not in the sense that he gambles everything away at a casino, but in the sense that he's open to trying new things. I think I inherited a bit of that from him. He simply said, “This sounds like an interesting venture, it's something new.” He's never been one to react skeptically to new ideas. His response was, “If you think it's the right move, I trust you.”

The Coinomist: What advice would you give to crypto newcomers who don't have a father willing to give them $17,000? How can they get started with just $100?

Anton Dziuba: The ironic thing is that those $17,000 didn't really help me at all. In reality, I ended up losing all of it. The only positive aspect was that it served as motivation for me to strive and recoup the lost funds. However, the more substantial impact on my journey was having a supportive brother who guided me through the mining process, enabling me to take my initial steps in this realm. But in essence, money isn't the be-all and end-all. 

We have a case in point: not long ago, Gnat [Alex Gnatenko, the co-founder of DOUBLETOP] featured a person in his stories. She won $100 from Gnat during a live stream for asking a question. She then put this $100 into Arbitrum. She obtained an airdrop, split it across 5-10 wallets, and made some purchases via SUI. Afterwards, she set up a farm for Coinlist and managed to participate in the next sale. Now, she's turned that initial $100 into nearly $100,000, all in less than a year! 

The Coinomist: That's an incredible result! How do you generally feel about your community? Is it just about enjoying helping and receiving feedback from your audience, or do you consider these people as potential sources of profit?

Anton Dziuba: Those who regard this merely as an opportunity to profit don't last long (in a market sense), because at one point it becomes exhausting. I truly enjoy this, and indeed, it can be profitable. However, when I first started on Instagram, I used the hashtag #build everywhere. Build build build! It represented the need to build a community. We've probably managed to sustain for so long due to that, and I believe we'll continue to be successful.

The Coinomist: Why do crypto enthusiasts, on one hand, anticipate a bull run, and on the other, wish for the price to drop because they missed the chance to buy?

Anton Dziuba: Because everyone is a hoarder, including me.

The Coinomist: How can one avoid being a hoarder?

Anton Dziuba: That's an interesting question… The key is to strive for critical thinking and remember that opportunities aren't only present today. They'll exist tomorrow, in a month, in six months. The main problem all hoarders face is FOMO. It's exactly as you've mentioned: not buying because the price rose, and then regretting, “Damn, I didn't buy.” It's essential to manage one's emotions. Hence, being a hoarder equates to being stuck in a perpetual state of FOMO.