Sounds like she just bought without a plan.
Which usually shows itself out within a week or so after a trade.
She’s probably put too much into the investment too.
I suspect she bought at $100k assuming it’ll shoot off again into $130k just like the last move in November. This is possible (I actually think there’s a big move between now and mid January), but sometimes, it just needs time and trying to judge the timing is difficult. And of course, you also could just be wrong about it.
Even though crypto is volatile, it doesn’t mean quick moves are expected every day.
If she is buying now to sell in January, I think she is more likely to come out with a small gain depending on which side of the correction she sells but will probably still outperform some other Aussie stocks over the same time period.
If she is buying now to sell in March / April, I think she is more likely to come out well from it than not. and probably outperform a very high majority of Aussie stocks over that same time period.
If she is buying now to sell in 4 years time (and probably thinking this thing will reach $1mil by then) then I think she’ll be disappointed but still more likely to come out well from it.
Yes, there are risks. That is a big part of trading.
And there can be massive drawdowns in crypto.
The safest crypto to trade is Bitcoin, so if that’s troubling you, then it’s not worth even contemplating other crypto.
But if you are prepared for them and have a plan (i.e. I’ll exit and cut my losses at $[insert price here]) then you are will minimise your losses and won’t be so devastated.
Of course, if you put your ‘stop losses’ too close to the current price, you can witness your stop being fired and this thing take off for a quick 30% gain. Sit through enough of those and you’ll start going through conspiracy theories how it is corrupt and everyone is against you, etc.
Most people just invest without really thinking much.
That’s why the majority lose their money in crypto.
Usually a mix of not knowing what to expect, investing too much, having unrealistic expectations, not understanding where they are in the cycle, thinking things will always be great, getting in far too late on a move and not having an exit plan (which includes both positive and negative gains) and not really having a strategy (what entry and exits do you use).
And of course the kicker…
Not even backtesting their strategy to see how it actually works on crypto during similar parts of previous cycles and seeing what the drawdowns are, how many trades are positive, do you end up with a particular result. Then tweak it again to get better results that you can manage. Then actually execute the strategy live without letting your ‘feelings’ get in the way and going off strategy and trying to buy the next big thing.
I’ve had a friend ask me if he should invest in a particular coin (cannot recall its name). All I asked is what does he like about it. He said, because he read somewhere that it could be the next bitcoin. No analysis, not entry or exit, not sure when to expect these returns, etc. I told him it’s unlikely those coins will be the next bitcoin and if it does you’ll need to hold it for 12+ years and you’ll need to watch it’s value drop by 80% every 4 years. Just take a look at Ethereum. It’s been around since 2015 and gone from $1 to $1.4k. Since 2017 it has not even come close to out pacing Bitcoin long enough to outperform it.
He still thinks he might find the one needle in a haystack that goes from $1 to $100k just like bitcoin. There’s probably a better chance of winning Tattslotto.
It’s a great time to buy crypto. As long as you have a plan, know what to expect and have realistic goals. In my opinion, doing this takes around four to five months to strike the right balance for the way you wish to trade, so if you aren’t ready for it, then I’d say it isn’t the right time, because by the time you find something that suits your temperament and lifestyle, the cycle will likely be over or you’ll be buying to close to the top of the cycle. It may be best to just sit, watch and wait for the next cycle.