Hey y’all! It’s JC

If you’ve been in crypto longer than five minutes, you’ve probably felt it, that itch to jump into the “next big thing” before you even know what it is. I’ve chased hype cycles, bought tops, aped into trends with zero understanding, and got burned more times than I can count. But over the years, something shifted. I stopped playing musical chairs and started focusing.

Today's chat is about that shift, how I went from FOMO-fueled chaos to being intentional, curious, and maybe even a little patient. Not financial advice, just hard-earned experience and a new lens on the space.

The Early Days: FOMO Everything, All the Time

In the beginning, I thought speed was the game. If something was trending on Twitter or Discord, I had to be in it. Didn’t matter what it did, who built it, or how long it had been live, I was smashing the buy button before I could blink.

Sometimes I won. Most times, I didn’t.

I’d be up five figures one day, then staring at a rug pull the next. I remember flipping between wallets, price trackers, and Telegram like a man possessed. It was all signal, no strategy. It took a toll, mentally, financially, and emotionally. I was in so many telegram groups, waiting for calls and buying things I had no idea about.

Eventually, I realised I wasn’t investing. I was reacting.

Learning to Slow Down (Without Falling Behind)

What changed? I got tired of losing money and sleep over projects I didn’t even believe in. I started asking myself real questions:

Who’s behind this project? What problem are they solving? Have they deployed projects before or is this just a pitch deck with a slick logo?

Does the token actually do something?

I started reading GitHubs, Listening to founder interviews, Following the devs, not the influencers. Projects like Sonic, Sui, and Base started catching my attention not because they were trending, but because the people building them had track records. They were pushing boundaries, not just launching tokens.

That’s when things clicked: the team is what is important. Not the hype.

What I Look for Now

These days, I don’t jump at every sparkly thing. I look deeper. Here’s what matters to me now:

Founders & Devs: Are they public? Do they have a past in the space? If they’re anonymous, do they show up anyway? I’ll back someone who’s shipping relentlessly over someone with 200K followers and a buzzword pitch.

Community & Communication: Can they clearly explain what they’re building? Do they answer questions honestly? Is the Discord full of bots or real users asking smart things?

Execution Over Narratives: If your whitepaper says “revolution,” but your product isn’t live, I’m out. I want to use what I’m investing in, not wait three years while the devs figure it out.

Tokenomics That Make Sense: If I can’t figure out what the token actually does, I don’t touch it. No more “just vibes” plays.

Backers, but Not Blindly: Yes, big VC names matter but only if the project still prioritises the community. I’ve seen too many pump-and-dump situations to trust that blindly now.

Filtering the Noise

Crypto never shuts up. X is 24/7 alpha threads, new mints, and “this is going to 10x or 100x” tweets. But I’ve built filters now, people I trust, tools I use, and ways to stay grounded.

Warpcast’s been huge for me, the conversations feel more thoughtful, less echo-chamber. I’ll jump into calls with founders or contributors, ask real questions, and sit with the answers. If something excites me, I let it simmer for a few days before jumping in.

And if I miss a play? So what. There’s always another opportunity. FOMO’s a liar, there’s no last train in crypto another one will always come.

Why This Matters (Beyond the Charts)

This shift isn’t just about making better plays, it’s about protecting your headspace. When I was chasing hype, I felt anxious, burnt out, reactive. Now, I’m more curious, more steady. I can sleep without checking the charts. I can engage with projects I actually care about, even if they don’t “moon” tomorrow.

I’m also finding better conversations. When you show people you’re here to learn, not just chase you attract the right ones. The doors start opening. Freelance gigs pop up. Builders start replying. That’s the long game.

Wrap-Up

Maybe the real alpha isn’t catching the top, it’s staying in the game long enough to matter. I’ve fumbled through enough cycles to know that hype fades, but great teams and real tech stick around. These days, I’m playing for those.

How about you? Still chasing the noise? Drop me a message or leave a comment, always down to chat real research.

Let’s build something that lasts.

Cover image x ChatGPT