"I've seen some shit."
The company I originally bought my bitcoins from (for $10, biting my nails at a Walmart customer service counter), BitInstant, was shut down and it's founder was jailed.
I bought mining hardware through Butterfly Labs. I didn't receive my miners till it was too late, and I was never able to recoup my cost. The company was shut down and they reached a settlement with the FTC.
I managed to get my remaining coins out of Mt Gox shortly before it too went belly-up, its founder charged with embezzlement.
I perused the Silk Road before it was shut down and Ross Ulbricht was imprisoned. (I never bought drugs; only found the site to be to be an incredible experiment in freedom.)
Although I did not participate, I was there when Bitfinex was hacked, and when ether forked from DAO. And on, and on, and on...
I've seen bubbles come and go. I've seen diarrhea-inducing volatility. I've abandoned all sense of price normalcy.
I was literally there watching my screen when the BearWhale was slain. I've hodled. I know what it means to be "gentlemen." I know the difference between a Satoshi and a Dorian. I've seen Bitcoin die a hundred times.
I've seen the Bitcoin community grow toxic over scaling. I've seen censorship, division, and alienation. I've seen some cryptos rise to be worthy contenders to Bitcoin's dominance, and I've seen others turn to dust.
I've also made life-changing profits.
These growing pains aren't going to cease any time soon. You don't survive as an early adopter in this space unless you stay on your toes and take the appropriate precautions. I can't stress this enough.
The truth is, it's fucking stressful. I spend hours and hours researching and worrying about what I should do. Just last night I dreamt our house burned down and I lost everything. Not just that, but "loose lips sink ships" so to speak. Sometimes I think I should just shut up about it all.
But I ain't done riding this wave. It's moon or bust. And I'm proud to be a part of the cryptocurrency community.