2025 Reflection that helped me become an investor.

[SPIDERMAN008]

2025 ended and 2026 has begun. I knew about Bitcoin long ago, but I joined the bitcointalk forum in August 2025. Since then, I have learned more about Bitcoin than ever before. I have two reasons for writing this topic. First, to share what I have learned for those who are completely new.Secondly, there are many who are very experienced and want to know their experience in 2025.

1. When I first learned about Bitcoin, I saw it as a way to get rich quickly. Later, after coming to this forum, I learned a lot about investment, which helped me buy Bitcoin regularly. Actually, Bitcoin is not a way to profit quickly. Here, you have to have patience, emotional control, and strong cash flow to survive for a long time.

2. Many people wait without thinking about the perfect price and perfect time and invest. The perfect entry into Bitcoin depends on the person's income condition. If you decide to do DCA for a long time, you can stay away from this kind of thinking.

3. The biggest problem in investing is not being able to control your emotions. You should always keep yourself calm. Now I don't have a panic selling mentality. I don't try to invest too much if the price is rising. I always try to understand the status of my discretionary income and invest.

4. When I first came to this forum, I used to see these two sentences a lot. “Not your keys, not your coins”. Since then, I have been very careful about security issues. I want to tell everyone new that it is important to follow the things that can be kept as safe as possible in your wallet.

The first decision I made in this year 2026 is that my discretionary income has increased a bit. And I will start investing more of that additional discretionary income from now.

Share your mistakes or new learning experiences in 2025.
Happy New Year .

[Frankolala]

Setting up an emergency funds to safeguard your bitcoin investment from premature sales is very important as a long-term investor. A lot of people panic and sell when they price is down because some real life emergency played out in their lives that they most solve to avoid more losses or damages because they didn't get fully ready to keep their bitcoin investment safe and didn't have any emergency funds available.

[Spaceman1000$]

Investing with discretionary income keeps you on balance as it allows you gradually experiencing different market situation especially using the DCA strategy, A lot of newbie investors normally make the mistake of front loading their investment on the beginning stages, creating a great room for panic hence there are little market shake up's, this is because their mindset (psychological) are not built to absorb some of this incumbrances that the market might bring some times. So for me, i believe regardless of your income as a beginner you should start gradually, you should not be making a Pro move when you are still on the beginning stage.

[Lembo69]

Your steps to start investing were very nice and realistic. I also joined this forum in 2025. And I am still learning about Bitcoin. Along with this, I am also trying to invest by buying small amounts of Bitcoin. At first, I thought investing in Bitcoin was very difficult. But after joining the forum, I have learned and understood what I have heard from experienced members. Investing in Bitcoin is not difficult at all. We just need to start, and have a long-term plan. Only then will the investment be sustainable, and to maintain investment discipline, we need to invest with money that I will not need for the next 4-10 years.

In fact, our education is endless. After joining this forum, I have gained practical and unbiased knowledge. In 2025, I have seen the market crash and skyrocketing market value. I have learned so much that even if the market seems bad, there is nothing to be afraid of, because the recession is not permanent.

[batang_bitcoin]

2. Many people wait without thinking about the perfect price and perfect time and invest. The perfect entry into Bitcoin depends on the person's income condition. If you decide to do DCA for a long time, you can stay away from this kind of thinking.

This is so true. Those who have been telling themselves that they'll wait for the dip, they've never seen the dip. Because even if the market shows them that the dip has come, they won't do anything about it and won't believe that it has come. They'll wait for another moment that they believe it's the dip and yet when it has come, they'll increase their expectation of a lower price for Bitcoin which shall come soon. In the end, they have never bought themselves anything because of waiting too much. DCA is the best option, you don't count for the prices but you count on your consistency.

[Muba20]

Investing in Bitcoin need to change in mindset, especially for new comers. Those who see Bitcoin as a get-rich scheme or a quick profit in investment should first change their mindset. For those who want to start investing in 2026, the same advice as before is to invest with your own discretionary income and follow the DCA. Bitcoin does not guarantee that it will make you rich, but when investors are patient and invest regularly, the chances of profiting from investment increase.

There are some investors who try to buy Bitcoin at a lower price even in bear markets. They wait for the market to go down according to their wishes without investing. Such waiting will only waste time, which will not bring any return but will lost opportunity.

Bitcoin does not only mean financial freedom but also financial security. And to protect it, it is also your responsibility to properly store your security keys. If it is not properly preserved or maintained, then everything is in vain. Therefore, along with investment, one must also acquire knowledge to maintain it.

[xbetz.io]

Good reflection.

I think many people come into Bitcoin with the idea of getting rich quickly and only later realize that patience and emotional control matter far more than timing entries. Learning to DCA consistently removes a lot of stress and prevents impulsive decisions. Having an emergency fund is also underrated. When you know your real-life expenses are covered, it’s much easier to hold through volatility instead of panic selling at the worst moments.

In the long run, discipline, cash flow and risk management outperform any short-term strategy or price prediction.

[Cookdata]

Good reflection.

I think many people come into Bitcoin with the idea of getting rich quickly and only later realize that patience and emotional control matter far more than timing entries. Learning to DCA consistently removes a lot of stress and prevents impulsive decisions. Having an emergency fund is also underrated. When you know your real-life expenses are covered, it’s much easier to hold through volatility instead of panic selling at the worst moments.

In the long run, discipline, cash flow and risk management outperform any short-term strategy or price prediction.

I don't see anything bad in been optimistic, definitely an investor will expect some profits from where they put there money but then, people expectations are not real, to far from reality. Those days it was easy to flip Bitcoin price by 2 in the space of months but now as price keeps going up, the more it becomes even hard to flip, no way we are going to flip $100k by 2, that's $200k but sadly this is the expectations of many investsors that put momeh on Bitcoin, they want quick money and that's in the past already.

Some people have discipline left but it's majorly gone from many investors and which is why you see people running to invest into other investment. All of a sudden, I saw a notification on my phone from Robert Kiyosaki is making bullish comment about silver that it's going $400 this year and I laugh. This man has said alot of good things about Bitcoin now that the momentum is down, they have jumped onto another train to mass print the profit until there is nothing left to entertain investors anymore, perhaps that's going to be best time to move from there to Bitcoin again for another run.

[famososMuertos]

We should talk about decisions, and about mistakes when they are truly mistakes. They may seem like simple things, but distinguishing them helps to better channel concepts and opinions. In that sense, decisions (or decision-making) entail responsibilities and, consequently, liabilities.

It was my decision not to enter Bitcoin in its early stages. I always joke that I have a Twitter account from 2009, when I should have had an account here on the forum instead. The former didn’t change my life, but surely an account here on the forum would have. That’s not a mistake; it’s circumstantial.

Anyway, the point is that many complain they didn’t get into bitcoin in time, while others want to become “investors” overnight. They come up with ideas about dollar-cost averaging, taking “x” percentage of their income and putting it into bitcoin, etc. But the reality is that the goal is to understand Bitcoin, support it, and above all, trust it.
Bitcoin didn’t reach its current price because everyone thinks like you (OP); it’s because people believed in something (that something was the Bitcoin)

So, OP, have you read the Bitcoin white paper? Do you understand its premises? That’s more important than simply being an investor. If everyone only becomes an investor (and yes, investors are needed), Bitcoin could go to hell. Investors usually have confidence only in the short term.
Understand me: if you choose to be an investor, that’s your decision, but not thinking about being a HODLer could be a mistake.

That’s all for now; a short thought.
^{Speaking of decisions, I decided to start 2026 with my first post on one of the most distinguished boards of this forum, the same place where I began writing my first posts in English.}

[catnine1]

2025 ended and 2026 has begun. I knew about Bitcoin long ago, but I joined the bitcointalk forum in August 2025. Since then, I have learned more about Bitcoin than ever before. I have two reasons for writing this topic. First, to share what I have learned for those who are completely new.Secondly, there are many who are very experienced and want to know their experience in 2025.

1. When I first learned about Bitcoin, I saw it as a way to get rich quickly. Later, after coming to this forum, I learned a lot about investment, which helped me buy Bitcoin regularly. Actually, Bitcoin is not a way to profit quickly. Here, you have to have patience, emotional control, and strong cash flow to survive for a long time.

2. Many people wait without thinking about the perfect price and perfect time and invest. The perfect entry into Bitcoin depends on the person's income condition. If you decide to do DCA for a long time, you can stay away from this kind of thinking.

3. The biggest problem in investing is not being able to control your emotions. You should always keep yourself calm. Now I don't have a panic selling mentality. I don't try to invest too much if the price is rising. I always try to understand the status of my discretionary income and invest.

4. When I first came to this forum, I used to see these two sentences a lot. “Not your keys, not your coins”. Since then, I have been very careful about security issues. I want to tell everyone new that it is important to follow the things that can be kept as safe as possible in your wallet.

The first decision I made in this year 2026 is that my discretionary income has increased a bit. And I will start investing more of that additional discretionary income from now.

Share your mistakes or new learning experiences in 2025.
Happy New Year .

damn, that's a solid post. exactly the mindset shift everyone needs.
went from "get rich quick" to "patiently stack sats and control emotions" that's the real win. the dca and self-custody lessons are the foundations that'll actually let u keep ur wealth long-term, not just gamble it away.
biggest lesson i relearned in '25 was to stop lookin at the charts every day set the dca, put the keys in cold storage and go live life the noise is a distraction glad ur here man, welcome to the real game

[Marvelockg]

Share your mistakes or new learning experiences in 2025.
Happy New Year .

One of the mistakes i made earlier into my investment is to be all money minded as though once i invested in bitcoin that it was certain that i am going to hit it real big the next day or week. overtime, i have learnt to be patient while investing because as good as bitcoin is, the only way you have a guarantee of profitability is when you are patient in addition to investing with a large amount. In 2026, just ensure you are investing in a manner that will not put pressure on you and cause you to sell at loss. at some time, the market might get bad and at some other instances it might do well, it is the plan you have set in place and the finances you have that will save you through each of those times so you can remain invested till you have reached your investment goal.

[AprilioMP]

The first decision I made in this year 2026 is that my discretionary income has increased a bit. And I will start investing more of that additional discretionary income from now.

Share your mistakes or new learning experiences in 2025.
Happy New Year .

After thinking it over, I don't think I made any mistakes in 2025 in terms of Bitcoin investment. I treated my DCA well. The shortcoming last year was financial problems that I couldn't fully manage as I wanted to for other things because there were one or more activities that required me to work hard to cover them. Fortunately, my investments weren't disrupted, and I expect this year to go smoothly since it's my final year of studies at university. If any obstacles arise, I'll have to find alternative solutions that don't disadvantage me.

[ContentWriter]

OP, you sounded more like a trader than someone who is investing in Bitcoin. I really do not think that a Bitcoin investor should be agitated by short-term price swings like a typical day trader. Your references to emotion or the greed/fear factor in the course of your post means that you may still be viewing Bitcoin as an opportunity. Every Bitcoin investor should view their investment as a long-term project. When I say long-term, you must be willing to leave your assets foir a minimum of 8 years to see its value worth your while. The exception to this rule is the early investor. These afre the people who are consistently in profit even with the benefit of short-term view from now.

[Basels]

I just wanted to say how much I appreciate this discussion on gaming and crypto! It’s fascinating to see how interconnected these worlds are. I've recently started playing a blockchain-based game, and it’s amazing to earn while having fun. Your insights really resonate with my experience – especially the part about community involvement in projects. It truly makes a difference when players are active participants rather than just consumers. Thanks for shedding light on this topic; I’m excited to explore more games that incorporate crypto elements! Keep up the great work!

Buddy what you wrote up there made no sense. Even if you're new in the forum, avoid this copy and paste because it made you sound like some bot.

[Furball808]

OP, you sounded more like a trader than someone who is investing in Bitcoin. I really do not think that a Bitcoin investor should be agitated by short-term price swings like a typical day trader. Your references to emotion or the greed/fear factor in the course of your post means that you may still be viewing Bitcoin as an opportunity. Every Bitcoin investor should view their investment as a long-term project. When I say long-term, you must be willing to leave your assets foir a minimum of 8 years to see its value worth your while. The exception to this rule is the early investor. These afre the people who are consistently in profit even with the benefit of short-term view from now.

Now I don't have a panic selling mentality.

Did we read different things? What I took from OP’s post is being more mindful of his investment. He knows it’s not a quick investment rather is something done with more patience and control. He also mentioned discretionary income which correct me if I’m wrong is something left of his money after he’s paid all the essentials. Meaning his extra money most likely goes to investment in bitcoin.

[Zlantann]

Share your mistakes or new learning experiences in 2025.
Happy New Year .

Bitcoin was introduced to me when there was a high rate of Ponzi schemes and crypto scams in my country. Many people were given shitcoins as Bitcoin by fraudsters. Due to these problems, I avoided everything about online investments. My mistake was that I refused to do my own research; instead, I followed hearsay and speculation. I never cared to learn the difference between Bitcoin and shitcoins. This forum exposed me to information that would have been of great use to me if I had done my research. My plan has not changed, I'm DCAing the best I can,

[Jewan420]

You are still making some mistakes, you should not look at the market while doing DCA. When the price increases, you should still conduct DCA as usual and keep investing regularly. You may be able to refrain from being aggressive in investing then. However, you should not stop investing when the price increases.

In the new year, you can gain knowledge about financial management, risk management and backup funds which will smoothen your long-term investment journey. You should even become more educated about investment strategies and discover new strategies depending on your position so that you can move forward in the investment journey faster.

[uchegod-21]

One of the major mistakes investors made last year was underestimating the power of patience. There were lots of price movements last year, some which were favourable and some which many thought were not favourable. Many investors acted in panic, sold when they shouldn't or avoided buying because they were waiting for a perfect timing. Lots of lessons learnt; this year they should know that the market always recovers and patience could be the strategy they need. They should also know that there is no perfect timing, they should DCA if they can or buy when they are ready. With patience,  they'll always be profitable.

[Pandorak]

Setting up an emergency funds to safeguard your bitcoin investment from premature sales is very important as a long-term investor. A lot of people panic and sell when they price is down because some real life emergency played out in their lives that they most solve to avoid more losses or damages because they didn't get fully ready to keep their bitcoin investment safe and didn't have any emergency funds available.

An emergency fund is indeed very important before deciding to accumulate Bitcoin in the long term. This is because this fund will ensure that your investment can run safely without fear that your investment could be threatened at any time due to the emergence of an emergency situation that requires you to sell some or all of the Bitcoin that you have accumulated with great effort, simply because you did not have a mature plan from the start. Therefore, an emergency fund should already be in place from the very beginning of purchasing Bitcoin.

However, equally important is always prioritising the use of discretionary funds when making purchases. As we know, these are leftover funds from real-life income after all expenses have been paid, such as bills, living expenses, etc. It is crucial for an investor to understand discretionary funds, especially when combined with the DCA method, one of the best methods for accumulating Bitcoin.

[Gozie51]

The first decision I made in this year 2026 is that my discretionary income has increased a bit. And I will start investing more of that additional discretionary income from now.

This might be a mistake you are about to make because discretionary income like you know should be like liquidity for you that you use to run other expenses so that your btc investment will not be touched and can grow to your target area. So if you are going to it to make new investment, the load might be more that you may still come back to your investment. So to enjoy bitcoin investment, it needs time and that is why you need backup plans to safeguard your investment.