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>*Good thing I kept blogging through the last crypto winter, so the mental anguish is a little less than it was then!* 


This post is due to this reminder from @bozz - Thanks mate. 

Bozz has been around for a while now, since early January 2018, which means he came in at the peak of the crypto hype, like many. But, unlike many - he is still here. I believe, this is a testament to the power of socially-powered crypto, where economic activity is combined with social, to create a matrix of value that keeps people engaged, even through a protracted bear market.

But, not all make it. 

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/tarazkp/243g9k9gLHXbQHMKSFTfQJsqN7HnUpbKPiCJMSBoYjxnisC5EzfTfnPax2rQ1eKUvV9y5.png)

As I was describing in my last post, is how during a bear market, small amounts add up and come the bull, things turn around very fast, especially these days where it is possible to get earnings on top of holdings. While a lot of people pull back, those that look past the bear are able to powerup whatever they are able to scrounge together and get far more token volume for the buck.

I always find it interesting how people are more willing to put 1000 dollars int BTC when it is at 60,000, than the same 1000 when it was at 10,000. However, that is the way social proofing works, as *when there is no hype, the average investor says there is no hope.*

1000 dollars is 1000 dollars and it doesn't change much from one year to the next - but 1000 dollars worth of crypto during the bear, well, what could it become when the bull charges? 10x, 20x, more? And for those in the hardest financial positions with little hope of anything better, the bear is the time to change destinies. 

Me, I came in a year before the hype train by accident, but soon learned that the activity was worth far more than the crypto I was earning - *or so I thought.* Early on, I didn't understand it at all, but that first late-2017 run to 20K on Bitcoin and pumped the market gave a taste of what was possible, as my account moved past 100K in value for a moment - *in just under a year.* 

![image.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/tarazkp/EoH5GGWRRa1Rd6MRzHvhMHp5kvXda4ixgnQWKRTVawUM7pGb2KgYJqQrwPGMiorAHip.png)

It is at 200 now - but, is that where it will stay? I don't think so, but it is just a matter of time, timing and that hype to start again - how long will it take? Impossible to say, but there is one thing that is key to success at a personal level - participation. Essentially, *skin in the game.*

And I think it is because of this that the bear scares so many people, as when no one is buying, there is the sense that whatever is put in faces too much risk, throwing good after bad. That 10, 100 or 1000 dollars in the hand now, seems better spent elsewhere. But again, the power of being in an active community is strong, and that sense of "in it together" can be maintained, even if the group is small.

I am not sure what makes a community, but a group of people can inspire habits in an individual. A post a day, some voting activity, taking part in a competition, playing a few rounds of a game - these habits of participation might seem so irrelevant and insignificant, but they compound to build volume of tokens, understanding and most importantly, relationships.

>Bonds.

Living through the bear isn't hard from an IRL standpoint, but living the crypto life through the bear, that is something quite different. Doing it alone is no fun, which is why so many go into hibernation, as the hype dies down in the news, the FUD increases, the friends start asking "How's your Bitcoin doing now?" and it feels like an opportunity has been missed.

But missing that opportunity together, laughing about how 6 months ago retirement was on the cards and now destitution beckons, and experiencing the *crypto trench life* with others - makes it bearable, even enjoyable. So much happens in the bear when prices are far down from the highs and heading sideways - but for those who are buyers and sellers, but not interactors - it seems silent. But, being active in a crypto community, means never having to suffer in silence - *we have all been there.*

I am always surprised at how many people I have come to know over the years here, but have never met, nor may never. However, I still trust them and can rely on them in many ways to be who they are. And, I hope that when things are in those ATHs again, they are benefiting and glad that they stayed active, learning and growing - regardless of the price.

Web 3 is going to change it all again.
In the meantime, just participate.


Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]


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