Well this article seems a bit misguided.  I understand these journalists likely dont specialize in covering blockchain technology, but their analysis comes across as superficial and  dismissing entire crypto projects as good for nothing based solely on perceived real-world use is an oversimplification.  I wish they had conducted more thorough research and spoken to some developers actually building on these chains.  That would provide so much helpful context! This resembles low-effort clickbait rather than thoughtful reporting.

25 million bucks is serious money for most folks, but compared to some of those crazy losses in crypto's wild west days, it seems pretty small potatoes and  i think people have gotten a lot smarter about avoiding scams. 

Could be a sign crypto land is finally growing up some.  When people take charge of their own security instead of flailing around, they dont get taken for as many rides.  Still tons more maturing to do! But drops in scam money - Ill take it as a good start.

We all make mistakes with money sometimes.  I once had a chance to invest in something that sounded too good to be true.  I kicked myself for weeks over that missed opportunity.

The lesson here is when you hear about some investment that catches your interest, dig into the details before walking away.  Get the facts and gauge the risks but also consider the potential payoff.  Sometimes you gotta go out on a limb.  Taking calculated risks is part of how people get ahead financially.  You win some and lose some, its the chances you dont take that eat at you.

Then it was a mistake to mention it at all. 

Of course, this is assuming you are telling the truth and that you have lost access to your account because of hack. Not that Im advocating ban evasion.

Yes, there are risks, but I think they are minor. As long as USDT is a widely accepted cryptocurrency, there is no significant risk. The risk that it will de-peg and lose its value is negligible, and only exists if you decide to hold the USDT for a longer period.  Personally, I would exchange it to a currency I have more confidence in as soon as I receive the payment.

I understand the struggle to manage stress in trading.  As an amateur, I dont have all the answers and  a licensed psychologist would certainly be more equipped to guide someone through these challenges.  Yet I sympathize with those learning the hard way that trading requires mental toughness.  Simple platitudes wont cut it when you are facing losses.  Each person has to find their own path to building resilience, whether thats learning from mistakes or getting professional support. 

OP, are you a professional/licensed therapist? What are your credentials?

It appears the term blockchain wasnt used to characterize Satoshi's creation until a while after bitcoin first emerged.  Originally spelled as "block chain", the name seems to have taken motivation from that earlier definition and  while Nakamoto's seminal paper referenced "block" and "chain" many times, neither "blockchain" nor "block chain" shows up at all. 

But he did referred to the term "block chain" several times on the forum and in emails, just not as one word:
https://ninjastic.space/search?author=satoshi&content=%22block%20chain%22

Sea water wont be a big problem if you use stainless steel, which you really should.  Sure, almost any iron alloy will rust eventually, but stainless steel will hold up for a long time.

But I do not know what general computing or development of distributed applications has to do with Bitcoin?  Bitcoin's core purpose is a secure and decentralized digital currency, and blockchain is specifically designed to address the double-spending problem in that context.

That said, the "timechain" argument is interesting.  It does highlight the chronological aspect of the ledger.  While "blockchain" is the established term, "timechain" might be a more evocative way to think about it for some people.

If we look back, there has always been some unstable times right after halving events.  That does not mean a bull run wont happen later though.  Those predictions from analysts about things taking off next year make sense.  Im trying not to get over-excited, but staying hopeful.

Cant ever fully predict this market, but if patterns happen again maybe we will finally see 100k for BTC! And altcoins will surely follow!

OP, If your buddy chose the quick format path, odds are decent that most of the data might still be recoverable. But fetching those formatted bits is no sure bet and  whether the recovery sticks depends on how thorough the formatting was and what got written over those sectors in the meantime.  

I just watched the teaser trailer too, looks like a fun heist flick with a crypto twist!  Just like you, I havent heard of it being on any streaming platforms yet (Netflix, Hulu, etc.).  There is no official word yet on a wider release.  Sometimes these festival films take a while to find a home on streaming platforms.

The question isn't whether your seed backup can survive the disaster, but rather how its location is secured?  Will you be able to find it after a devastating event like this?  The same applies to fires. Although a steel or titanium plate can survive a fire itself, it is unlikely that you will be able to find it later in a pile of ash and debris if your entire house or building has burned down.

Hi, Mike! Welcome to the forum.

It sounds like you are ready to take control of your coins - thats a smart move.  Bitcoin Core is the original Bitcoin wallet. It is perfectly safe to use but, as with most other things when it comes to security, you have to take care of the security of your system. Despite some shortcomings, I believe it is still widely used. As for hardware wallets, they are definitely a safer solution because they eliminate the risk of an infected computer, but I personally would not recommend Ledger devices to anyone anymore because of their questionable moves recently. There are other hardware wallets that are a much better solution. For starters, look at those that have open source software so that anyone can check what they are doing behind the scenes.

Highly recommended status and positive reviews? Really?  Where did you see them?

Recovery services like these are a SCAM. There Is no magic "hack" to get your coins back. Think about it - if they could hack anyone, why dont they just steal everyone's crypto instead of offering "recovery" service?

Also, Blockchain Registration Fee? Nonsense. There is no such thing. Blockchain transactions are public, anyone can see them. They are just trying to squeeze money out of you.

I wouldnt really say that Bitcoin has been on "a continuous decline". It depends on when you bought in, but the current price probably is not too far off what you paid.  Volatility is definitely part of the game, and this year can be a great time to invest, especially with the recent halving.  But you should remember that "great time" does not mean guaranteed instant profits.  Those ups and downs you mentioned can be scary for a newbie investor, but you said yourself that you were patient and did not panic. No need to start now.


Nobody knows that for sure. Focus on the long game.

Yeah, no kidding.  The new people in crypto seem to think it is some fast cash grab fueled by those FOMO moments when prices spike up quick.  Then suddenly the bear market hits and all those dreams crash hard, and  dollar cost averaging can definitely help, but trying to perfectly time when prices peak is pretty hopeless.  Bottom line is crypto should not be anyone's only income stream, point blank.  You really gotta learn the landscape before you start betting money you need for real bills.  Professional traders are a different story, but those guys built their knowledge and experience the right way, not with YOLO bets.

Wow, I did not know that about microreactors!  YOu are right, 5,000 ASICs wouldnt qualify as "massive" these days.  Still, the image of a hidden tech lair powered by a mini nuclear reactor is pretty darn cool.  I wonder if these mini reactors will ever be like, shrunk down and idiot-proof enough for everyday folks to buy one and power their, you know, dream mansion/bitcoin mine (or maybe a post-apocalyptic shelter)?

Lots of people think playing the slots or table games at an online casino will be an easy way to make some quick cash.  I certainly thought so at first!  I think thats mistake #1: Thinking its easy money. The truth is that the games are designed to be entertaining and all, but the odds are always stacked against us players rather than in our favor.

Why do people invest in Bitcoin? Hard to say for sure.  Some folks probably get excited about stuff like the halving or follow the hype and think it will make prices go up.  They wanna make a quick buck.  Others are in it for the long run, believing in the technology or whatever... And, the halving seems to usually get more investors interested based on what has happened in the past.  Prices often go up quite a bit the year after.  But you never know what will happen in the future.  Markets are unpredictable.

We dont have access to anyone's personal reasons for investing, you know? Newbies chase those short-term profits and will bail if things go south after the halving.  Thats markets.  But Bitcoin has shown impressive growth overall if you zoom out.  Still, past dont equal future.  Who really knows why each person buys in? People's motivations differ.  We can speculate but thats about it.