Odaily 8th Anniversary Special | From 8 to ♾️

Odaily is 8 years old!

Eight years, through multiple bull and bear cycles, the crypto industry has moved from the fringes into the spotlight. Looking back on this journey, we've set aside those hastily sought-after "outcomes," insisting on delivering clumsy yet sincere "value," and continuously building bridges between people and technology, the present and the future. Having engaged with this uncertain crypto world many times over, our enthusiasm remains undimmed.

Because we know that every late-night glance at the charts, every cautious protocol interaction, and every debate about a decentralized future are moments of your 'struggle' with Web3. And it’s precisely these moments that allow us to say: We are living authentically, creating something that transcends market cycles.

From 8 to ♾️, from finite to infinite, from this moment to eternity. On this eighth anniversary, we invited fellow travelers of the crypto industry – both seasoned OGs who have weathered many storms and enthusiastic newcomers just beginning to explore the world. They are sending their best wishes to Odaily and to everyone out there still chasing the light.

Here's to the next eight years of infinite imagination, still being present.

Up-and-Coming Newcomers (In the space for 1-3 years)

Odaily: What was your impetus for entering Web3? What did you imagine Web3 to be? Has it lived up to your expectations?

Yang Zhuanzhuan (2.5 years in): After the college entrance exam, I was casually looking for ways to make money at university, then somehow got pulled in. In my mind, Web3 was a place where you could change your life with very little money. The market is pretty bleak now, but at least newcomers still have a chance.

MaraCake @MaraCakeHotSale (2 years in): When I was graduating and job hunting, I came across a CEX contract BD recruitment post on Xiaohongshu. Seeing it was the blockchain/crypto industry, I wanted to give it a try. I imagined Web3 as a bustling bull market, with projects airdropping tokens inexplicably daily, and full of interesting narratives, protocols, and teams. Although it's quite a mixed bag right now, finding genuinely interesting things in this market is still very exciting. The barriers to entry are usually lower here, offering opportunities for early participation and wealth generation.

yael @YaelC_03: I saw that Arbitrum was doing an airdrop, and I thought, 'What? Free money just for interacting with projects?' So I got in and started learning. I found the space quite interesting and decided to stay. Honestly, it's different from what I expected because there isn't much real innovation happening in the space right now.

Nini @nininaby (2.2 years in): I hadn't even graduated college when I met an online friend who told me airdrop farming in Web3 was very profitable, saying he made millions from ARB. So I started farming StarkNet. When I first encountered Web3, I thought it was magical—being able to interact wallet-to-wallet outside the traditional financial system, even anonymously without knowing the other person's name. I thought Web3 would definitely shine brightly back then. Now, I see Web3 more as a hub for Ponzi schemes.

Nexus (2.5 years in): My entry point was after the FTX collapse. A friend recommended I buy ETH. Having my first crypto asset, I started on the path of 'buy first, research later,' and found this space far more interesting than I imagined. Misled by some traditional media, I initially held a bias against Web3, thinking it was a perfect embodiment of scams, speculation, and bubbles. But after actually getting in, I realized these labels aren't entirely wrong, just overly simplistic.

To me, Web3 is essentially a disintermediated value network where everyone can participate and price assets more freely. But in reality, it currently looks more like a global trading market driven by liquidity and amplified by narratives, where technology, products, and applications are still catching up. So, it doesn't completely match my initial expectations. But because it's imperfect and immature, it offers participants plenty of room and opportunity.

Odaily: What's your current persona in Web3?

Yang Zhuanzhuan (2.5 years in): 'Meme bagholder' fits me perfectly, haha. I'm always on the front lines, scanning the chain every day, hoping to win big just once.

MaraCake (2 years in): My persona is alpha hunter/degen marketer. I hope my tweets can bring some real alpha opportunities to those who see them.

yael: Perps degen.

Nini (2.2 years in): I used to do everything, but now I'm a value holder. Occasionally, I play with some Meme coins too.

Nexus (2.5 years in): An absolute perps enthusiast, passionate about short-term trading, rarely buying spot, just using leverage to amplify short-term volatility.

Odaily: What's the biggest loss/profit you've made since entering the space?

Yang Zhuanzhuan (2.5 years in): Lost $230,000… Holding the mentality of 'if I can't catch the Trump pump, at least I'll catch Alon.'

MaraCake (2 years in): My biggest gain was on PLASMA, and my biggest loss was on a CEX platform token (bought the top, now cut in half). I haven't had huge losses because I'm very strict with risk control, firmly believing in betting small to win big and taking profits.

yael: My biggest single gain was on a Meme coin, reaching A6 (6 figures in USD). The biggest loss was probably on inscriptions. I don't remember how much I lost, but I was consistently losing money over the six months they slowly went to zero.

Nini (2.2 years in): My biggest loss was on the Merlin chain. My biggest profit was on TRUMP; I got in at $0.20 and made more money than my whole family could earn working their entire lives.

Nexus (2.5 years in): I'll answer based on rate of return. My biggest loss is unforgettable. I was still in college, had just learned some technical analysis, and got overconfident after a few lucky winning trades. So I went full leverage to short BTC. Predictably, I got liquidated, losing around 3000 USDT. I was out of sorts for days afterward; I doubt I'll ever forget it.

As for gains, since I mostly trade short-term, single trade profits aren't huge. The coin I made the most from was RIVER. I caught it in a few swing trades last year and managed to double my portfolio.

Odaily: What new Web3 things are people more willing to pay for now?

Yang Zhuanzhuan (2.5 years in): Probably still Memes. There's nothing new worth paying for.

MaraCake (2 years in): Fewer protocols lately, but possibly 'sh*tcoins'with crazy moves and real-world asset tokenization (RWA) – commodities, US/HK stocks etc.

yael: Two directions: one is PerpDex, the other is prediction markets. I think these two are quite interesting right now.

Nini (2.2 years in): New ways of asset issuance.

Nexus (2.5 years in): Mainly two: first, Memes, the eternal traffic magnet; second, AI + Crypto, old wine in new bottles, but good enough for storytelling.

OGs (8+ years in the space)

Odaily: What was your impetus for entering Web3? What did you imagine Web3 to be? Has it lived up to your expectations?

TC (8 years in): I used to work in the internet sector. A Beijing-based internet entrepreneur airdropped EOS on WeChat Moments. I won some, searched how to claim them, and ended up downloading a CEX app. In my mind, Web3 was about idealism, decentralization, and immutability. But now, the industry is easily influenced by extremely centralized forces like Trump and Wall Street.

Zhang Xia (10 years in): By chance, someone in my WeChat Moments shared the Bitcoin whitepaper with a price chart. I got curious, started researching, found it easy to buy, and quickly made my first purchase.

To me, Web3 should be 'decentralized,' 'fair,' and 'censorship-resistant,' but it doesn't seem to be what I once expected. Things have their ups and downs; I've only walked a part of this path. The future remains uncertain.

Ma Siqi (13 years in): I first learned about Bitcoin from the Weibo influencer 'Hardware Academy' when I was starting college, just in time for that bull run. In 2018, I became a journalist for a financial media outlet, attended some industry conferences, got closer to the space, and learned more about blockchain technology. My ideal Web3 was more technically idealistic, but now it feels more like entertainment.

Mudan (8 years in): A senior recommended it, and I followed some friends to invest in a presale. I felt it offered more opportunities than other industries, so I jumped into Web3. I've been constantly learning over the years, picking up diverse skills in marketing, content, and specific business operations within Web3 – opportunities less common in traditional industries.

The industry isn't exactly what I expected: on one hand, I've made some money, which aligns with expectations; on the other hand, it's a mixed bag with many overly hyped people, so I don't really socialize much.

Odaily: How does the current industry environment and entrepreneurial atmosphere feel compared to 8 years ago?

TC (8 years in): The fundamentals haven't changed much, but making money has gotten harder.

Zhang Xia (10 years in): The current environment is quite singular. In past cycles, people experimented with different narratives, attracting many entrepreneurs and funds. But the results were disappointing, leaving trading as the only dominant track. The positive side is that this industry has become a large liquidity pool for global financial markets. It's no longer niche, but also quite boring.

Ma Siqi (13 years in): The entrepreneurial vibe is much worse. Although there were always chaotic situations in the past, many people still discussed technology, believed in the 'decentralization' narrative, and had faith in the industry's prospects. Through the washouts of several bull and bear cycles, it's now completely dominated by 'Shandong studies' (political maneuvering). Some 'big shots' have chosen to join the establishment, some have retired to a free life, others have left for AI in disappointment, and those still in the game are forming cliques and bootlicking to survive this bear market.

Mudan (8 years in): When I first joined eight years ago, there was a lot of vitality, and it was easier to get funding for startups. I think it's also related to the overall economic environment. The entrepreneurial climate is nowhere near as good now.

Odaily: How has being in Web3 changed your life/investments over the years?

TC (8 years in): Part of my life has turned into a digital nomad lifestyle. Life is more free, and I like to measure prices in stablecoins.

Zhang Xia (10 years in): The work atmosphere in Web3 was great in the early years. We shared a stellar time together; work was fulfilling.

Ma Siqi (13 years in): It didn't drastically change my life or investments, but it profoundly affected my worldview. It gave me a very detailed and deep insight into society and human nature. If I hadn't entered this space, I might never have had the chance to understand these things.

Mudan (8 years in): My life is physically and financially freer. I can fly anywhere with my laptop, experiencing different countries' vibes. My spending is quite casual; I don't stress much about prices and just enjoy life. I remember reading an article by Mandy that resonated with me – spending one or two SOL on a nice meal, earning money to experience and enjoy, not to gamble with more chips. I've also seen many people who've made enough to be rich for life lose it all overnight due to their obsessions.

Odaily: Which Web3 sectors are you currently watching? What do you think the next breakout narrative will be?

TC (8 years in): Prediction markets, stablecoins, AI.

Ma Siqi (13 years in): Payments and RWA. Payments are gradually rolling out. RWA still lacks a catalyst; it needs some adjustments. Simply putting equity/debt assets on-chain isn't very meaningful.

Mudan (8 years in): Honestly, I'm not following any specific track anymore. I'm just holding ETH and SOL, waiting for a miracle. It's hard to say what the next breakout narrative will be. Many practitioners have moved to AI, and I haven't seen any good business models combining AI and blockchain yet.

Personally, I always feel that AI's tooling utility is greater than the various hyped concepts right now. In the future, it might be like WeChat—you'll be deeply dependent on it for communication and monetizing traffic, not for replacing humans or anything else.

Odaily: On the occasion of Odaily's 8th anniversary, what message would you like to send to Odaily or crypto players?

TC: Survive. During the bear market, increase your income stream and keep a seat at the table.

Zhang Xia: Odaily still has 92 years to go to become a century-old establishment. Happy birthday every year!

Ma Siqi: Let me borrow Chairman Mao's poem to end: "Dawn is breaking, don't say you're early. Traveling over green hills, one never grows old; the scenery here is uniquely fine."

Yang Zhuanzhuan: Trust the market, trust everyone, and ultimately, trust yourself.

MaraCake: To Odaily: Wishing you prosperous business and great luck! To crypto players: Keep tears of passion forever flowing 🥹.

yael: You've got to survive until the bull market. Things will get better.

Nini: The harder you try, the more unfortunate you become. Learn to hold, not just to buy. Best wishes to all of us that we can be among the few players who survive the bull and bear and grow their assets!

Nexus: Cycles will always exist, but not many can navigate through them. This space doesn't lack opportunities or stories; it lacks the ability to survive until the next round. Many lose not because they misread the market, but because of poor position sizing, emotional control, and timing. Those who can manage risk often go further than those who can only seize opportunities.

Mudan: Live well, stay healthy, and your own happiness is what