We don't love "Blooming Flowers" (the TV series), but rather that era overflowing with opportunities.
The recently concluded TV series Blooming Flowers sparked a nostalgic wave, prompting discussions about 1990s Shanghai—particularly the vibrant Huanghe Road and its capital markets. It wasn't just the protagonist A Bao's golden era but also reflected countless ordinary individuals navigating societal transformations.
Many industries share this trajectory: an early phase brimming with opportunities, followed by normalization as initial chaos fades.
"We don’t love Blooming Flowers—we love that era of boundless opportunities." In many ways, Web3 over the past decade mirrors the 1990s stock market. Now, with Bitcoin ETFs approved and Web3 merging into the mainstream, is crypto's "Blooming Era" drawing to a close?
Crypto's Glory Days
Many in crypto have wondered: if we could return to 10 years ago, how would we seize this wave?
Would you hoard BTC? Mine? Launch another Bitmain? Or join Binance early? The possibilities seem endless—crypto's wild early days were a golden era of unimaginable growth, birthing legends and fortunes.
Binance epitomizes this wealth explosion. In 2017, it struggled to secure funding post-launch, and BNB crashed 50% below its ICO price. Founder CZ reportedly lost 10kg in three weeks from stress. Yet, within six months, Binance became the top exchange by volume, later peaking at a $300+ billion valuation and minting countless millionaires.
Mining was another lucrative path. Early adopters like F2Pool's Shenyu mined BTC on laptops, scaled to home GPU rigs, and eventually founded one of the largest pools—once producing 20K+ BTC and 100K+ ETH. PoW mining tied miners' fates to Bitcoin's success, making them its fiercest advocates and fueling crypto's explosive start.
By 2023, luminaries like Jihan Wu (Bitmain), Li Lin (Huobi), and Xu Mingxing (OKX) ranked among China's wealthiest, per Hurun Rich List. Yet replicating their paths today is nearly impossible.
For average investors, Web3 still offers high-value opportunities.
The Best Time Was 10 Years Ago. The Next Best? Now.
Beyond mining or holding tokens, airdrops since 2020's "DeFi Summer" have rewarded savvy participants:
- Uniswap (UNI): ~$1,200 (iPhone 12)
- Meme (MEME): A house
- Blur (BLUR): $1M+ for top addresses
Regularly testing new protocols isn’t just educational—it plants seeds for future windfalls.
Like Blooming Flowers' Huanghe Road, crypto thrives on information asymmetry. But as the industry matures, gaps shrink. Yet 2023’s Ordinals and memecoins—diverging from VC-driven narratives—proved anyone could still strike gold.
Bitcoin ETFs add another variable: They promise institutional inflows, potentially legitimizing crypto for millions. Yet Web3’s top apps (MetaMask, ENS) still pale beside Web2 giants like Amazon.
Translation? The stage is still set.
Key Takeaways
As Uncle Ye told Bao in Blooming Flowers:
"The Empire State Building takes an hour to climb but 8.8 seconds to fall. That’s the stock market. To profit, first learn to lose."
Since 2017—especially post-2020—crypto’s rotating narratives (DeFi "golden shovels," NFTs, L1 wars, Ordinals) have offered endless "rags-to-riches" stories. This volatility signals Web3’s golden age persists.
So remember: stay at the table. Whether via elevators or stairs, persistence ensures your "Blooming Era" awaits.
FAQs
Q: Is crypto still profitable for newcomers?
A: Yes—through airdrops, niche narratives (e.g., Ordinals), and ETFs' long-tail growth.
Q: How do Bitcoin ETFs impact Web3?
A: They bridge traditional finance, boosting legitimacy and potential institutional adoption.
Q: Can mining still make you rich?
A: Large-scale mining is now capital-intensive, but staking/cloud mining offer alternatives.
Q: What’s the next big crypto trend?
A: Watch RWA tokenization, AI-blockchain fusion, and Layer-2 scaling solutions.
👉 Explore Bitcoin ETFs' latest updates
👉 Master crypto airdrops with this guide
Stay curious. Stay invested.
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