The circle is a very strange place.
Every day, people here talk about faith, consensus, long-termism, and value investing—and some even put “right heart and right mind” on their lips.
But on the other side, it’s a completely different scene:
A project that was still shouting “change the world” yesterday is already at zero today;
A KOL was talking about “long-term optimism” in the morning, yet in the afternoon their wallet is already transferring coins;
In a livestream, everyone talks about financial freedom, but very few tell you where the risks are;
A project team packages marketing as “community co-building,” frames recruiting people as “ecosystem growth,” and wraps up emotional agitation as “consensus”;
Some people take a few backend screenshots, a couple of所谓 "whale addresses," and some photos of luxury cars, and then start telling newcomers: "The opportunity is here."
As a result, a more and more ironic phenomenon has appeared in crypto:
There are more and more people talking about right-mindedness and mindfulness, but there are not that many people truly willing to be responsible for every word they say.
If所谓 "right-mindedness and mindfulness" is just a bowl of chicken soup in a朋友圈 post, just a slogan in a livestream room, or just a layer of packaging during project promotion, then it has little to do with true right-mindedness and mindfulness.
True right-mindedness and mindfulness is not about making you "say the right things."
But rather:
When利益 is right in front of you, you still know what can be said, what money can be made, who cannot be deceived, and what things cannot be done.
That is right-mindedness.
When everyone is FOMOing, you can still stay clear-headed; when everyone is fearful, you can still stay rational; when you make money, you don't package luck as ability; when you lose money, you don't push all the responsibility onto others.
That is mindfulness.
1. The biggest chaos in crypto is not that there are too many projects, but that the cost of "speaking the truth" is too high
First, a possibly unpleasant fact:
Crypto never lacks people who can promote; what it lacks are people willing to tell you the full truth.
Because promotion and truth are fundamentally two completely different things.
Promotion needs to tell you:
"How amazing this project is."
But the truth must tell you:
"Where might this project not work?"
Promotion tells you:
"How much upside is left in the future."
But the truth must tell you:
"What is the worst-case scenario."
Promotion tells you:
"A certain Token may rise many times over."
But the truth should tell you:
"Who holds these Tokens? When do they unlock? How is liquidity? Does the project team have the ability to sell? Does the team have conflicts of interest? After you buy in, who is your counterparty?"
The former is easier to get traffic.
The latter is easier to offend people.
So many times, the real problem is not that people don't know the risks, but that:
Risk has no traffic; dreams have traffic.
Someone posts:
"This project may carry the risk of going to zero, everyone should research cautiously."
Maybe no one will like it.
But if you change it to:
"The next 100x opportunity is right here!"
Someone reposts immediately.
A person carefully analyzing token allocation, unlocks, liquidity, team background, and funding sources, writing 3,000 words, may not be as effective as one sentence:
"The last chance to get on board."
The propagation mechanism naturally favors simple, stimulating, certain, and emotional information.
Then, a very dangerous thing happens:
The market begins to reward those best at creating certainty, not those closest to the facts.
In recent years, U.S. regulators such as the SEC and FTC have repeatedly warned investors not to make investment decisions based solely on recommendations on social media; the FTC also explicitly pointed out that crypto investment scams often spread through social media, attracting users with promises of "quick money," "high returns," and "low risk."
This is not to say all crypto promotion is a scam.
Quite the opposite.
Precisely because there are many real projects, real innovations, and real opportunities in this industry, there is even more need for a basic principle:
Separate facts from marketing.
If the project is good, say it's good.
But because you hold it, you can't say "I hope it goes up" as "it will definitely go up."
A project has potential, and can be researched.
But you can't take money from the project team and then call advertising an independent opinion.
A Token may have opportunity, and it may also have risk.
But you can't only tell the stories from above and not the traps below.
This is the most basic right-mindedness.
Two. True right-mindedness is first of all "don't disguise your own interests as someone else's interests"
This is one of the most worth reflecting on things in crypto promotion.
Many people do not actually not know they are making money.
The real question is:
He is clearly making money, yet he packages himself as "helping others."
The project team paying KOLs for promotion is a business activity, and there is nothing mysterious about it.
KOLs getting advertising fees is also income from labor.
The real question is:
Have you told others what relationship you and this project actually have?
Are you a project investor?
Do you hold Tokens?
Do you have promotion rebates?
Do you have invitation rewards?
Are you a project advisor?
Did you obtain the chips in advance?
Do you have any lockup, unlock, market-making, investment on behalf of others, or other interest relationships?
These things determine how others should understand your words.
The U.S. SEC has taken enforcement action against public figures for promoting crypto asset securities without disclosing compensation. In 2022, the SEC announced related enforcement against Kim Kardashian; in 2023, the SEC also announced a related case against Paul Pierce. In both cases, the SEC emphasized the relationship of interest between the promoter and the promoted asset as well as disclosure issues.
FTC guidance for social media influencers similarly emphasizes that if the recommender has a monetary, employment, personal, or other material relationship with the brand, the audience should be able to clearly know about that relationship.
This is not just a legal issue.
It is also a matter of personal credibility.
Because a truly right-minded person will know:
I can make money, but I cannot let others think I was making judgments for them without any conflict of interest.
I can promote products.
But I want to tell you this is an advertisement.
I can hold a Token.
But I want to tell you I have a position.
I can be very bullish on a project.
But I want to tell you that my optimism and your risk bearing are two different things.
That is what truly being open and honest is called.
True right-mindedness is not "not making money."
True right-mindedness is daring to admit you're making money when you are making money.
Three. The most frightening thing is not the "slash and burn," but packaging the "slash and burn" as faith
There is a very strange culture in crypto:
Many people like to talk about "faith."
But true faith should allow questioning.
If a project does not allow you to ask:
How are the Tokens distributed?
When is the unlock?
How much does the team take?
How much do investment institutions take?
Where is the money?
Does the product actually have users?
Where does the income come from?
Why do we need Tokens?
Why is the valuation so high?
Why is this wallet always selling?
Then that may not be faith.
More like:
It is demanding that you stop thinking.
True mindfulness is exactly the opposite.
Mindfulness does not make you believe more.
It is not to make you believe more, but to help you doubt more accurately.
A truly mature investor should allow themselves to say:
"I'm bullish on this project, but I also know it may fail."
"I bought this Token, but I don't require others to believe me."
"I think this narrative has a chance, but I don't know what will definitely happen in the future."
"If I judged wrong today, I am willing to admit it."
This is actually very hard.
Because human nature likes certainty.
We prefer others to tell us:
"Don't worry."
"It's a lock."
"This time is different."
"The institutions are already in."
"Going to take off any minute."
But the market never gives anyone that kind of certainty.
So true mindfulness is accepting:
This world does not have that much certainty.
Especially in financial markets.
Four. The first layer of mindfulness is staying clear-headed about your own desires
Many people think trading losses are due to insufficient technical skill.
In fact, before massive losses happen, the problem has already appeared:
Greed has already made the decision for you.
You see someone else making 50% in a day.
You start resenting that your principal is too small.
Others post 100x gains.
You start feeling that 10% gains are meaningless.
Someone says a certain coin is about to take off.
You start feeling that not buying means missing out on life.
And so you slowly go from a normal person to someone chasing numbers.
When the account goes from 10,000 to 12,000, you are not happy.
Because you want 50,000.
From 12,000 down to 9,000, you start feeling anxious.
Because you feel you "could have made money."
From 9,000 down to 7,000, you start adding to your position.
Because you are unwilling to accept it.
In the end, the account goes to zero.
Then start cursing:
The project team is trash.
The manipulators are disgusting.
KOLs lie.
Market manipulation.
Exchanges scam people.
Of course, manipulation, fraud, and unfair behavior do exist in the market.
But a mature person must learn to distinguish:
The market's problems, and your own problems.
True mindfulness is asking yourself before every order:
Why did I buy?
Because you studied it?
Or is it because of fear of missing out?
Why did I add to my position?
Because the logic got stronger?
Or is it because they are unwilling to admit they were wrong?
Why am I selling?
Because of changes in fundamentals?
Or is it because of panic?
Why do I believe this KOL?
Because his logic has evidence?
Or because he has previously bet correctly on a few coins?
These questions seem simple.
Very few people can actually do it.
Because the hardest part of trading has never been understanding candlesticks.
It is not about following others, but about knowing yourself.
Five. True right-mindedness is not taking "money others lost" as your own achievement
There is a particularly easily overlooked fact in crypto:
Many people's profits fundamentally come from other people's losses.
This is not a moral judgment.
This is part of market structure.
So when you make money, you especially should know:
You are not a god.
You just stood on the right side.
Sometimes it's even just luck.
The most dangerous moment is often not when you lose money.
But rather:
After you win several times in a row, you start believing you're invincible.
The first time you make money, it's luck.
The second time you make money, it's experience.
The third time you make money, it's ability.
The fifth time you make money, you start feeling like you understand the market.
Then leverage gets higher and higher.
The position gets heavier and heavier.
The stop loss gets farther and farther away.
One final mistake, and all the previous profits are given back.
So true mindfulness includes a very important ability:
After making money, still knowing who you are.
You did not suddenly gain a God's-eye view just because you made a profit.
You are not trash just because you made one wrong call.
The market is just constantly giving you feedback.
What you need to do is keep correcting.
Six. True right-mindedness also means "not manufacturing unnecessary fear in others"
There are two very common emotional weapons in crypto promotion:
Greed and fear.
"If you don't get on board now, you won't be able to afford it later."
"If you don't get on board now, you'll never have another chance in your life."
This is manufacturing greed.
On the other side:
"This project is going to collapse."
"This exchange is about to have problems."
"The crash is about to begin."
This is manufacturing fear.
The two seem to point in opposite directions.
In fact, the logic is exactly the same:
They are all trying to seize your right to judge.
True research should make people calmer, not more excited.
If after reading a piece of content, all you're left with is one impulse:
"Buy now!"
Or:
"Sell now!"
Then it is more like emotional dissemination rather than information dissemination.
Good content should make you ask more questions:
Why?
What about the data?
Where is the evidence?
What about counterexamples?
Who benefits?
Who bears the risk?
What if you're wrong?
If this logic really keeps developing, where is the biggest risk?
Good promotion doesn't make others lose their judgment; it gives others more basis for judgment.
That is true mindfulness.
Seven. Right-mindedness is not "only saying nice things," but daring to say the full story
Many people misunderstand "positive energy."
Thinking positive energy means:
Only talk about the good.
Only talk about hope.
Only talk about opportunities.
Only talk about the future.
But truly mature positive energy never avoids reality.
It should be:
I know things are hard, but I still face them seriously.
So truly good crypto content should allow both of these sentences to coexist:
"This sector has opportunities."
And:
"This sector may also see many projects die."
"This project is worth researching."
And:
"This project has obvious risks."
"This Token has an upward logic."
And:
"An upward logic does not equal an upward result."
"I remain bullish for the long term."
And:
"If I judge wrong, I will exit."
That is truly complete information.
Because the market is not a fairy tale.
Any place that only allows one voice is easy to become an emotional field rather than a cognitive field.
Eight. True mindfulness is respecting a person's right to choose
This is the deepest layer of what I believe "right-mindedness and mindfulness" is.
You can tell others what you are optimistic about.
But don't decide for others.
You can share your position.
But don't make others feel that not following you is wrong.
You can talk about your own trading method.
But don't imply that it's suitable for everyone.
You can introduce a project.
But don't push others into risks you yourself can't bear.
Especially when facing newcomers.
What newcomers lack most is not opportunities.
What newcomers lack most is the ability to distinguish opportunities from traps.
A truly responsible person, when facing newcomers, should proactively tell them:
"This thing might make money, or it might lose money."
"Don't borrow money."
"Don't put all your principal in."
"Don't think you must follow just because others are posting gains."
"Don't think what someone says must be correct just because they are famous."
"Don't skip your own research just because a project has a big-name backer."
These words may not be exciting.
It is not as viral as "100x," "surge," or "financial freedom."
But they may actually be valuable.
Because you are not stealing his attention.
You are protecting his ability to judge.
Nine. Right-mindedness and mindfulness should also be reflected in "how you behave after losing"
A person's character may not be visible when making money.
After losing money, it becomes easy to see instead.
Some people, after losing money, start cursing everyone.
Some people, after losing money, start making up stories.
Some people, after losing money, keep bringing newcomers in.
Someone says after losing money:
"It's all for the community."
Some people even package their mistakes as "growth."
But true mindfulness is:
Wrong is wrong.
If you recommend the wrong thing, admit it.
If you're wrong, correct it.
If the ad was wrong, apologize.
If interests were not disclosed, then add an explanation.
If your words caused others to bear risk, then face the consequences seriously.
This does not mean every loss should be borne by the recommender.
Investing itself is risky, and everyone must be responsible for their own investment decisions.
But if you have ever used your influence to affect others, then at least there should be a basic bottom line:
Don't completely distance yourself when others bear the losses.
You can say:
"I judged it that way too at the time."
But don't say:
"You lost money because you don't understand it yourself."
You can explain your logic.
But don't secretly revise your historical view after the result is out.
A truly right-minded person does not need to be right forever.
He only needs not to run away after the mistake happens.
Ten. What should a truly respectable crypto KOL look like?
I don't think truly valuable KOLs are necessarily the best money-makers.
And not necessarily even the most accurate forecaster.
I value a few things more.
First, will he tell you about the relationship of interests?
Second, will he distinguish facts from opinions?
Third, will he tell you his own uncertainty?
Fourth, does he keep a long-term record of his views, rather than only screenshotting the times he was right?
Fifth, does he only show up when the price is rising?
Sixth, does he dare to publicly talk about failure?
Seventh, when he recommends a project, will he proactively talk about the risks?
Eighth, does he treat his fans as traffic, or as real people one by one?
This is actually a very simple standard:
If you remove the word "money," can you still agree with what you just said?
If not,
Then that may not be right-mindedness.
It's just marketing.
Eleven. True right-mindedness is "not changing your heart when money appears"
The easiest place for people to change themselves is in front of利益.
When there is no money, everyone can talk about principles.
Only when there is really 1 million in front of you do principles begin to be tested.
A project team gives you a huge budget:
"Just say a few nice words."
A KOL receives chips in advance:
"Everyone's going to buy anyway."
A community lead discovers:
"As long as we hype the emotions, users will come in."
At this point, what exactly is right-mindedness?
It's not pretending you don't love money.
And not pretending to be noble.
But rather:
I know money is important, but I am unwilling to use others' ignorance to make money for myself.
This sentence looks simple.
Actually doing it is hard.
Because the greatest temptation in human nature is not poverty.
But rather:
I clearly could earn more, but as soon as I take one extra step, I might hurt others.
True right-mindedness is stopping here.
Twelve. What crypto needs is not more "saints," but more people with boundaries
There is no need for us to demand that everyone become saints.
People who run projects need to make money.
Exchanges need to make money.
KOLs need to make money.
Media needs to make money.
Researchers also need to make money.
Business itself is not sinful.
The real question is:
When making money, is there a boundary?
Are there boundaries between advertising and opinions?
Are there boundaries between interests and positions?
Are there boundaries between facts and predictions?
Are there boundaries between belief and blind following?
Are there boundaries between marketing and deception?
Are there boundaries between freedom and manipulation?
This is the true sign of an industry becoming mature.
A healthy market should not have no利益.
Quite the opposite, it should allow everyone to reasonably pursue their own interests.
But at the same time, everyone should also know:
Interests must be expressed transparently, risks must be stated honestly, and others must retain the right to independent judgment.
Thirteen. So-called "mindfulness" is actually just always leaving a little room for doubt
If I had to explain mindfulness in one sentence.
I would say:
Mindfulness is being allowed to be wrong even when you trust yourself the most.
When the market surges:
I may be wrong.
When the market crashes:
I may be wrong.
When everyone is bullish:
I may be wrong.
When everyone is bearish:
I may be wrong too.
A project looks perfect:
I still need to study the risks.
A big V seems very impressive:
I still need to judge for myself.
A friend made a lot of money:
I'm happy for him, but that doesn't mean I need to copy his trade.
A project makes my heart move:
I can research, but I don't need to buy right away.
This state is very important.
Because it makes you slow down.
And the most profitable crypto content often urges you to:
Immediately.
Now.
Last chance.
The last window.
The last train.
The last time.
But true mindfulness often only says one sentence:
And so on.
Take a look first.
Research first.
First confirm.
Ask yourself first:
If this thing ultimately goes wrong, can I bear it?
Fourteen. Finally, right-mindedness and mindfulness is not a persona, but a set of choices
So, what is true right-mindedness and mindfulness?
I think it can be condensed into twelve sentences.
First, don't disguise advertising as opinion.
Second, don't hide the relationship of interests.
Third, don't package your own position as a public opportunity.
Fourth, don't present probability as certainty.
Fifth, don't package luck as ability.
Sixth, don't think you're always right just because you're making money.
Seventh, don't push all the responsibility onto others just because you lost money.
Eighth, don't use fear and greed to strip others of their judgment.
Ninth, don't give up your own thinking just because someone is a big V.
Tenth, don't demand that others must believe in a project just because you do.
Eleven. Allow others to question you, and allow yourself to overturn yourself.
Twelfth, when利益 is at its greatest, still hold onto your bottom line.
These twelve sentences sound like they have no "get-rich-quick" vibe at all.
There is no 100x.
There is no financial freedom.
There is no inside information.
There is no "biggest opportunity of the next bull run."
Not even a single line especially suitable for clickbait.
But I, on the contrary, think:
This is what an industry truly needs.
Because the market will not remember how many times you shouted "all in" today.
It will only leave one result:
Are you really making money by manufacturing emotions,
Or making money by creating value.
Are you really treating others as traffic,
Or whether you treat them as a real person.
Are you really spreading information,
Or are you selling hope.
At the end: true right-mindedness means being worthy of your own money; true mindfulness means being worthy of others' trust
Crypto is huge.
Big enough to contain technical idealists, founders, traders, speculators, investors, developers, KOLs, project teams, market makers, and countless ordinary people just entering this world.
Of course there is a bubble in this industry.
There is speculation.
There is fraud.
There is greed.
There is manipulation.
There are also truly transformative financial infrastructure technologies, truly valuable products, and truly serious builders.
So we don't need to deny the whole industry just because there is chaos in it.
But likewise, we cannot pretend those problems don't exist just because we believe in the industry's future.
True building is never just shouting "believe in the future."
True building is daring to face the present.
Facing those terrible promotions.
Facing conflicts of interest.
Facing false prosperity.
Facing over-packaging.
Facing their own greed.
Facing their own fear.
Facing those who rush in because of one sentence.
Facing those who silently leave after losing money.
And face ourselves too.
Because in the end:
Right-mindedness and mindfulness are not about telling others how they should live.
It first asks itself:
Have I lied to myself?
Did I lie to others?
Have I packaged desire as faith?
Have I packaged interests as ideals?
Did I, because I was making money, selectively ignore the truth?
Have I become more cautious when others trust me?
If a person can keep asking themselves these questions, then even if they still make mistakes, still lose money, and still misjudge, they are at least building something very precious:
Credibility.
And in a market full of noise, emotions, FOMO, and interest games,
What is truly scarce has never been a new narrative.
It's not a new Token.
Not a new 100x myth.
Not even a new "inside tip."
What is truly scarce is a person who, when facing利益, is still willing to tell the truth.
True right-mindedness is not letting your heart be disturbed when you see profit.
True mindfulness is not getting arrogant on the rise, not panicking on the fall, not blindly following the crowd, and not forgetting your roots when profit appears.
True right-mindedness and mindfulness is not having no desire in your mouth, but having desire in your heart and still knowing where the boundaries are.
A person can love money.
You can pursue wealth.
You can speculate.
You can take risks.
You can even make a lot of money in the market.
These are all fine.
The real question is only one:
When you finally make money, can you still calmly tell yourself — I earned this money clearly; I said these words responsibly; I can live up to the trust others placed in me.
If possible.
Then this is probably the most plain, and also the rarest, thing an ordinary person can achieve in this noisy market:
Right-mindedness and mindfulness.