The alternation of greed and fear has always been the dual engine driving the market. This principle is especially true in the crypto market.

During the correction at the end of November last year, the market was shrouded in pessimism. Many investors saw their accounts shrink and their mindsets collapse. A friend of mine who works in e-commerce was caught in a dilemma—his account had only a few ten thousand U.S. dollars left, the year-end was approaching, and the outlook was bleak. He asked me if there was still a chance to turn things around.

My judgment was straightforward: yes.

Why am I so confident? Because at that time, the overall market sentiment was extremely pessimistic, and even small-cap coins were abandoned completely. But this is precisely the most dangerous signal—when everyone is fleeing, it actually indicates the bottom is near. I was watching the BEAT coin at the time and noticed its price pattern had already shown clear bottoming features. The problem was, most people's fear caused them to ignore it.

I advised him to start accumulating around 1.8. The key was to hold steady and not be shaken out by the oscillations in the middle. He did consider giving up a few times along the way, but I persuaded him to stay. As a result, BEAT rose all the way up, finally breaking above 2.6. This move earned him nearly 20,000 U.S. dollars.

Even more interesting was what happened afterward.

When BEAT retraced to around 2.3, I judged that this was just a normal shakeout during the upward trend, and a second opportunity window appeared. I recommended him to decisively add to his position amid the hesitation. This time, he acted even more resolutely, and BEAT then surged strongly, reaching a high of about 4.1. This wave of adding positions brought him an additional profit of over 24,000 U.S. dollars.

The entire process took less than a month. With two precise operations, his account grew from a few ten thousand U.S. dollars to 570,000 U.S. dollars. The account increased tenfold.

What are most people in the market doing? Waiting for signals. Waiting for clearer signs. Waiting to buy after others have bought. As a result, they always miss the opportunity in hesitation or get caught in a squeeze during a rally.

The logic behind this is simple: the real big opportunities often brew at the most desperate moments of human sentiment. At that time, news is most pessimistic, discussions are most negative, and participation is at its lowest. It is precisely this extreme pessimism that creates space for bold players to position themselves.

How to judge that the bottom is near? A key indicator is extreme market apathy. When even small-cap coins are ignored, when discussions shift from heated to silent, and when all KOLs are advising to exit rather than induce FOMO—these are often the best times to accumulate.

Of course, there are risks involved. Not all bottom signals lead to a rise, and not all add-to positions turn out as hoped. The key is weighing probabilities and risk-reward. Entering during extreme pessimism, even with a 50% failure rate, can be worthwhile because once successful, the profit potential usually outweighs the risk. That’s why big institutions tend to build positions aggressively during bear markets.

So, returning to that old saying: Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful. It sounds simple, but it’s hard to do because it requires maintaining rationality and courage at the most desperate moments. Most people can’t do it, and that’s why most people miss the opportunities.