“Why do you work 9–5 when crypto trading is basically free money?”

Every now and then, I always stumble into tweets like that on X. Whether the author of the post intended the statement to be a heartfelt confession, or a sarcastic comment (typically eked out when the market dumps), I wouldn’t know. But I gotta admit that there is some, if not 80%, truth in that statement.

An anecdotal example would be the typical day of the life of moi. (Note: when the market is good.)

Me, with an ADHD brain, would wake up on some days wanting nothing but lounging around on my bed for two hours before doing anything else. In that span of two hours, I would open my favorite CEX app, look at a certain token I’m familiar with, ride a chart, and by the end of those two hours, I would make some money. Actual realised profits.

Sometimes it feels unfair how easy it was.

Scalping is the result of a lack of faith in token prices, to the extension, to token pricing as a whole. It doesn’t help that with what has unraveled recently, one’s 2024 view of crypto can safely be summarised into one conclusion: Fundamentals no longer matter.

Everything is a meme.

This a cynical view on things, but at this point, it’s nonsensical to not accept the absurdity of the crypto market and by extension, exploit it. Nothing is certain of what makes prices behave as it is. This realization, for many, has encouraged short-termism, and hence the continuing volatility and the pragmatic trader's attitude.

Scalping is the safer way to exploit market uncertainty. Because of the short timeframe, it doesn’t expose you to classic risks such as “holding the bags” or “married to the bag.” Loss is limited. You can say it’s a commitment-free crypto ‘investing’ approach. You don’t have to expose yourself to the stress of holding positions longer than necessary. Come in, get it done, and call it a day. And for some people, it is simply fun.

“Why do you work 9–5 when crypto trading is basically free money?”

Every now and then, I always stumble into tweets like that on X. Whether the author of the post intended the statement to be a heartfelt confession, or a sarcastic comment (typically eked out when the market dumps), I wouldn’t know. But I gotta admit that there is some, if not 80%, truth in that statement.

An anecdotal example would be the typical day of the life of moi. (Note: when the market is good.)

Me, with an ADHD brain, would wake up on some days wanting nothing but lounging around on my bed for two hours before doing anything else. In that span of two hours, I would open my favorite CEX app, look at a certain token I’m familiar with, ride a chart, and by the end of those two hours, I would make some money. Actual realised profits.

Sometimes it feels unfair how easy it was.

Scalping is the result of a lack of faith in token prices, to the extension, to token pricing as a whole. It doesn’t help that with what has unraveled recently, one’s 2024 view of crypto can safely be summarised into one conclusion: Fundamentals no longer matter.

Everything is a meme.

This a cynical view on things, but at this point, it’s nonsensical to not accept the absurdity of the crypto market and by extension, exploit it. Nothing is certain of what makes prices behave as it is. This realization, for many, has encouraged short-termism, and hence the continuing volatility and the pragmatic trader's attitude.

Scalping is the safer way to exploit market uncertainty. Because of the short timeframe, it doesn’t expose you to classic risks such as “holding the bags” or “married to the bag.” Loss is limited. You can say it’s a commitment-free crypto ‘investing’ approach. You don’t have to expose yourself to the stress of holding positions longer than necessary. Come in, get it done, and call it a day. And for some people, it is simply fun.