The era of easy money in the crypto market has come to an end: Crypto Assets face a new chapter filled with challenges!

Once upon a time, the crypto assets market was hailed as “the last chance for ordinary people to get rich.” Bitcoin increased tenfold over ten years, Decentralized Finance mining had annualized returns in the thousands of percent, and airdrops could casually earn you a car or a house—at that time, making money seemed really “easy.”

But now, the market has changed.

Many people have found: buying leads to a trap, shorting gets pulled back, mining yields no returns, and airdrops drop to zero. The market's temperament is becoming increasingly unpredictable, even veteran players are frequently falling into traps.

Has the golden age of the crypto market really come to an end? Some say that the crypto market has finally bid farewell to its wild growth and has entered the “Hard mode.” And we are standing at such a historical turning point.

1. Did it drop after buying? It might be the FOMO emotions at play.

“Buy low and sell high” is the most basic logic of investing, but in today's crypto market, many people buy at high points as soon as they enter, only to see the market plummet immediately, causing their accounts to shrink rapidly.

This is not about bad luck, but rather about FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) affecting judgment. At the end of a bull market, emotions drive up the market, and many people can't help but rush in, ultimately becoming the “greater fool.”

Market volatility is increasing, and confidence is unstable, which are typical characteristics of this stage.

2. Shorting is not easy either, funding rates eat into profits

Since it is easy to get trapped when buying up, what about shorting?

The reality is: short selling is more like a race against time. The “funding rate” mechanism in perpetual contracts makes the holding cost of trap positions extremely high. Even if you are right about the direction, you may end up losing all profits due to the accumulation of fees.

Not to mention, a sudden rebound could cause a position to “liquidate” instantly.

3. Liquidity Mining: Earnings Are No Longer “Sky-High”

The era of “putting money in and counting profits” during DeFi summer is long gone.

Nowadays, the annualized returns from liquidity mining often can't even outperform traditional financial management. Project parties can no longer rely solely on “high APY” to attract funds; the market is forcing them to create truly valuable products.

“Mining” is no longer a printing machine, but has turned into a game of efficiency.

4. Airdrop bubble is bursting

Do you still remember those myths of “free coins, selling them for a down payment on a trap”?

Now, airdrops are increasingly like “a dream”: claim → sell → coin price crashes → no one uses it anymore. Users claim and then dump, project parties distribute coins to acquire customers but cannot retain them.

Airdrop strategy is becoming ineffective.

The turning point has arrived, but it is not the end

Although the above phenomenon seems pessimistic, it does not mean that the crypto market is “done for.” On the contrary, we may be witnessing the beginning of this industry truly maturing.

The end of the “easy money” era means:

Projects that rely on hype and models for survival will be eliminated;

📈 Truly technical and practical projects will stand out.

🔍 Investors must be more rational and focus more on long-term value rather than short-term gains;

This is not the end of encryption, but a reshuffle. Just as truly excellent companies navigated the cycle after the internet bubble, the blockchain industry is also experiencing a similar journey.

In conclusion: The market will never be short of opportunities; what is lacking is the eye to discover them.

If you are still in this market, why not ask yourself:

Am I speculating or investing?

Do I understand the project I invested in?

Am I prepared for long-term holding?

Perhaps we should let go of the fantasy of “easy money” and instead pursue “rational money-making”. The crypto market hasn't gotten worse; it has simply become less straightforward.

And this is precisely the evidence that it is growing.

Welcome to leave a message and share your thoughts: Do you think there is still an opportunity in the crypto market?

Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice. Crypto Assets are highly volatile, please do not invest funds that you cannot afford to lose.