![#CryptoFinance](https://images.hive.blog/DQmWb5Hm8NFdiPtAXShUCLBBUkHu87jcm2SQSfXqEToDHyJ/cryptofinance.jpg)

This is my response to the [Initiative](https://leofinance.io/@theycallmedan/cryptofinance-initiative-how-has-crypto-and-blockchain-technology-impacted-your-personal-finance) by @theycallmedan


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Coming from a technology background, when I first came across Bitcoin sometime in 2013, I was immediately interested.  It all felt geeky.  I first downloaded a CPU miner client and was quickly mining my own Bitcoin and sending it to my fully synced wallet.  It felt like I was making a part of history.  Once I head started mining, I moved on to getting a GPU miner and eventually my first ASIC device.

I cannot claim I ever made much in the early days.  It was probably not profitable for me either as the electricity costs of mining were large.  With hindsight, I would have been better just buying Bitcoin and hodling it - but you know what? I didn't care.  For me, it was learning about Bitcoin and blockchain technology that gave me the buzz.  Besides, I didn't have money to spend.

I did lose a bit of interest for a while when it started becoming more expensive to mine and I didn't have money to invest.  It was a lot of work for not much reward.  However, as the Bitcoin price went up, I renewed my interest and started moving into trading.

I have to say, trading didn't work very well for me either.  I am too busy in my daily life to devote enough time to really understand what I am doing.  However, once again, I didn't really care because I was learning something new.  I do still dabble in trading but I am a lot more cautious and patient now.

2017 was a good year.  Suddenly people were talking to me about my hobby and even family members were asking me how they could get involved.  One of my family members asked if she could invest $50 in XRP because she wanted to pay her mortgage off in a few years!

I kind of wish I never told so many people about investing in Bitcoin now because a lot were put off totally with the 2018 Bitcoin crash.  Well, I did advise them not to invest anything that they would not be upset losing - they were still upset.

The crash was probably the best time for me.  Sometimes you need some hard lessons.  Yes, my portfolio reduced in value greatly but it provided a good time to buy in cheap and now things are looking good again.  I had learnt a lot, become savvy and believed that we would see things bounce back because I really do believe in the tech.  Blockchain and cryptocurrency are not going away, yes there will be bumps in the road but our destination is inevitable.

I now trade carefully, I am prepared to hodl for long times and I do more research into any project before I invest.  A bit of care and insight is working out much better for me.  Perhaps that is the maturity that age brings us all.

DeFi has also provided a new avenue for investment and I have also been looking at other areas such as staking.  I feel confident about the future.

So how has it impacted my personal finance?  As you can see from my story, initially it was quite a negative impact and a hard slog.  Not that money was the main thing.  However, I now find that my cryptocurrency portfolio is maturing nicer than my corporate pension!  Especially after the covid slump in the traditional markets.

So when my family as me, "When are you going to sell your Bitcoin?" I answer, "I will never sell it.  I will use it to spend during my retirement."

That's how crypto has really impacted my personal finance.  It has given me a dream to live for.


Posted Using [LeoFinance <sup>Beta</sup>](https://leofinance.io/@awah/submission-by-awah-how-has-crypto-and-blockchain-technology-impacted-your-personal-finance)