I Invested $100 In Bitcoin And Fartcoin. Here’s What Happened.

Any time I inform somebody what I write about for work — particularly, cryptocurrencies — individuals all the time ask the identical follow-up query: How can I get wealthy by investing in crypto? In truth, I’ve questioned the identical factor.

I’ve invested in crypto earlier than, however it was a very long time in the past — like lengthy sufficient in the past that if I had held onto it, I might in all probability be wealthy proper now. 

So again in January, I got down to see which cash had that “cha-ching” issue. How would Bitcoin, a “blue chip” crypto, carry out towards Fartcoin, a to-the-moon memecoin? Sure, Fartcoin. 

In my software bag: $100 and a dream. The dream?

My husband and I reside in Europe for the summer season. We take our yacht to the Monaco Grand Prix. In a single hand, I’ve a Chanel bag (undecided which one but, however I’ve time to determine) and within the different, a glass of effervescent Dom Pérignon. I’m sporting a brand new pair of CELINE sun shades and a brand new sundress from Loro Piana. My husband flashes his Rolex Submariner, the solar reflecting on the inexperienced bezel. We throw our heads again and chortle that wealthy chortle — yeah, you recognize what chortle I’m speaking about — the Jeff Bezos chortle.  

Now, you is perhaps questioning, “Effectively, Logan, how did you pay for all of it?!” My Fartcoin positive aspects from this endeavor, in fact.

How arduous may it’s? Loads of individuals have achieved it with memecoins. Working example: A child made a meme coin final yr, then rug pulled his traders and made $30,000 in a single night. Moral? No. However, if a 13-year-old could make that a lot cash by scamming individuals, absolutely, I may make some money by merely investing.

Confessions of a crypto cynic half 1: I normally go on crypto

Earlier than we get into how Fartcoin carried out towards Bitcoin, I’ve just a few confessions to make.

Confession No. 1: I’ve purchased Bitcoin earlier than, however it was so way back that I don’t keep in mind when and even how a lot I invested. I’m fairly positive I made nothing after I bought what little I had. Trying again, I ought to’ve held onto it given Bitcoin’s meteoric rise lately.

Confession No. 2: My solely crypto funding is just a few shares of a Bitcoin ETF in a person brokerage account. These shares are such a small share of my portfolio that I don’t actually discover an influence.  

Confession No. 3: Simply final yr, I hit the main monetary benchmarks — emergency fund, manageable debt, diversified portfolio — that many monetary advisors suggest reaching earlier than investing in crypto. For my husband and me, that appeared like bolstering our emergency financial savings and dealing on maxing out retirement contributions.

My playbook: Why I purchased Bitcoin and Fartcoin 

I made a decision to take a position $100 complete in two utterly several types of cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, a extra established “blue chip” coin, and Fartcoin, a wild, even-more-speculative-than-usual memecoin. 

With a market cap that rivals the Magnificent 7, Bitcoin presents the relative stability that I wished, plus it has a use case — albeit debatable. However many of the “get wealthy fast with crypto” tales come from investing in memecoins, which don’t have any use case and might skyrocket (or plummet) in a matter of days, generally minutes. 

Then, I’d maintain the cash for 90 days to see how they’d carry out, monitoring the day by day closing value and my portfolio worth. I invested Jan. 14 and ended the take a look at drive on April 14. 

I purchased $50 of Bitcoin on Coinbase — 0.00051795 of a Bitcoin on the time, when the coin closed at $96,534. (All value knowledge are from CoinMarketCap.com.)

However to actually make some cash, I wanted a coin with severe development potential, like Fartcoin, one of many hottest memecoins of the second. Created by an AI agent in October 2024, Fartcoin ignited a frenzy, reaching a peak market cap of $2.4 billion in January — due to a 55.3 million p.c value enhance in three months.

1st Fartcoin replace of 2025…

It is up 62% in 7 days and now has a market cap of over $1.5 BILLION

What is going on 😂 pic.twitter.com/TnMRXmQggl

— Stocktwits (@Stocktwits) January 3, 2025

So, I purchased $50 of Fartcoin. Since I couldn’t instantly purchase Fartcoin on Coinbase, I created a Coinbase Pockets — a self-custody pockets that could be a separate product — and bought $50 of Solana that I may then swap for Fartcoin.

In case you’re questioning when you learn that appropriately, sure. You probably did.

Right here’s how the 2 cash I selected stacked up towards one another.

Why my Monaco dream was alive one second and gone the following

Again on a chilly day in January, I sat overlooking New York Metropolis as I contemplated clicking the “purchase” button on Coinbase. I hit the button, then acquired as much as get a espresso.

After I got here again, I glanced at my cellphone. I had made $5 from my Fartcoin funding and misplaced $2.51 on my Bitcoin funding in a matter of two minutes. Ideas started to run by way of my head.

If I actually wished this to develop, I assumed, I may throw a few thousand {dollars} into it after just a few paychecks. 

OK, however actually, is it that unhealthy if I money out a part of my 401(okay) and pay the penalties on the early withdrawal to fund my dream of Fartcoin-fueled riches?

I sipped my iced espresso and stared out the window as my thoughts continued to buzz. 

Shoot, I forgot concerning the capital positive aspects I’ll must pay on the Fartcoin itself. However actually, who cares? If I make sufficient, it’ll be a drop within the bucket.

After taking a second to seek out some self-control and remind myself that I may lose each greenback simply as rapidly, I walked away — with greenback indicators in my eyes.

So, Bitcoin didn’t make me wealthy

My Bitcoin funding began off regular, as I anticipated. The coin was experiencing a rally, as a result of the vibes had been vibing. Nevertheless, the rally was quick lived. The value of Bitcoin declined from late February into March as a result of, nicely, the vibes misplaced their vibe.

My Bitcoin funding reached its peak worth of $54.98 within the first week, when Bitcoin closed at $106,146 on Jan. 21. In the identical week, Bitcoin hit an all-time excessive of practically $109,115 — a stable week to begin this take a look at drive, huh? — however for consistency, I solely calculated my portfolio worth based mostly on the closing value every day.

Don’t let the acquire idiot you. Due to how tiny my funding was, my portfolio was solely up $4.98 from my unique $50 funding. From there, the portfolio started its gradual decline to its lowest worth of $39.51 on April 8, representing a 21 p.c loss from my preliminary funding. 

Shock, Fartcoin didn’t make me wealthy, both

My Fartcoin funding, then again, took me for a wild trip. Inside per week, my $50 funding grew to $102.63. A $50 funding isn’t some huge cash, by any means, however to see it double from doing nothing besides merely clicking a button had me giddy. 

I’m not going to lie, when my portfolio hit its all-time excessive in January, I Googled how a lot cash I’d really must make to afford a brand new Chanel Traditional 11.12 purse. (I had lastly selected the precise model).

It was in mid-February that I started to lose all hope. Fartcoin’s worth plummeted simply as rapidly because it rose, taking my goals of F1 races, yachts and designer luggage with it. By March 10, my Fartcoin funding fell to $10.75, its lowest level in 90 days and an 89.5 p.c loss from its peak of $102.63 on Jan. 19. Yikes.

Confessions of a crypto cynic half 2: I misplaced cash and I didn’t prefer it 

Though my goals had been rapidly crushed, I’m nonetheless holding onto each cash. I’d prefer to see what occurs to them after some time. Who is aware of, perhaps I’ll even purchase extra, however this 90-day take a look at drive in crypto investing made me notice just a few issues. 

Confession No. 1: Crypto actually is as risky as individuals say it’s. 

You’ll be able to hear all of it day from investing professionals (*cough* me): Crypto is to not be messed with calmly. However, till you place some money behind an funding, you could not ever actually know what it feels prefer to expertise the extraordinary value — and temper — swings. 

Bitcoin was one factor — I knew the value would fluctuate a bit. However investing in a memecoin is a wholly completely different ballgame. 

Bear in mind the Bitcoin ETF I discussed? It undoubtedly experiences some value swings, however I don’t test it typically and even then the swings aren’t enormous as a result of I don’t personal that many shares. 

Each time I checked my Fartcoin funding, although, I used to be sweating. To go from $102 to $49 in lower than per week was jarring. 

You actually don’t know what’s going to occur. Crypto costs aren’t backed by underlying property or money flows, leaving costs vulnerable to severe yo-yos based mostly solely on what others are prepared to pay. Within the crypto neighborhood, that is typically referred to as hype, or vibes, and it’s what drives the market. 

Confession No. 2: Memecoins add one other layer to crypto investing. 

Investing in memecoins form of felt like attempting to purchase your manner right into a membership you didn’t get an invite to, and you need to determine the clubhouse guidelines by yourself. 

Fartcoin, particularly, was a problem as a result of — in contrast to Bitcoin — it isn’t out there within the Coinbase app, a custodial pockets that manages my non-public keys (codes/phrases to entry my crypto) for me.

• To purchase Fartcoin, I needed to obtain Coinbase Pockets, a non-custodial pockets, the place I used to be in control of my non-public keys and will entry the Solana blockchain with out being restricted by what’s out there on Coinbase. Primarily, I used to be juggling two sorts of wallets on the similar time.
• Let’s additionally not neglect that I must manually monitor my Fartcoin positive aspects and losses for taxes. Coinbase does this for you, whereas Coinbase Pockets doesn’t. I’m already picturing my tax advisor’s face.

Confession No. 3: Different investments would have put extra money in my pocket.

It will’ve been a lot simpler — and extra profitable in the long run — to take a position $100 in a broad-based fairness ETF or purchase a person inventory that pays an ideal dividend and hold it till I retire, letting it compound. For instance, Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) declined by 7.4 p.c over the identical 90 days — lower than my crypto investments.

The factor is, I’ve already taken the set-it-and-forget-it strategy for many of my investments, and there’s simply one thing about Fartcoin that makes for a enjoyable story, you recognize?

Confession No. 4: To get wealthy from investing in crypto, you need to take massive dangers.

After years of reporting on crypto, I’ve realized that the individuals who really get wealthy are buying and selling crypto day by day and dedicate their lives to it. 

Don’t imagine me? Log onto any social media platform and observe a crypto bro. You’ll see their candlestick charts, their 3 a.m. technical evaluation posts, and there’s all the time one publish that reads, “STOP SELLING YOU IDIOTS,” accompanied by a downward-sloping graph. Most of them lose some huge cash within the course of, however a few of them get fortunate and hit the jackpot on a coin that pops off. Solana involves thoughts; even the early Bitcoin traders skilled this. 

In the meantime, I took on this experiment with $100 and a dream. There was, in fact, an irrational hope I’d miraculously strike it massive with out breaking a sweat or investing extra money. We’ve now confirmed that wasn’t the case, and it’s true for a lot of traders. I might’ve needed to work loads tougher and put much more money upfront and tackle some severe dangers to perhaps make my Monaco dream a actuality. 

The reality is, getting wealthy from crypto tends to demand both a full-time obsession with it — looking at screens till your eyes bleed out of your head whereas analyzing candlesticks — or a morally questionable, unlawful scheme to rug pull some poor dude who simply opened a Pump.enjoyable account. 

So, what now? 

The place did this experiment land me? Effectively, I’m sitting at my desk telling you this story and undoubtedly not crusing on a yacht. Then once more, I solely invested $100.  

Truthfully, the entire expertise introduced me proper again to the place I began, minus $11.48. At its highest closing value, I may’ve cashed out my Fartcoin portfolio and acquired a pair very good lattes right here in New York on my strategy to work. 

The truth is, I’ll nonetheless be fielding questions like, “What do you do for work?”

And my reply additionally hasn’t modified — I write about investing, however I’m undoubtedly not about to affix the crypto millionaire membership. 

For now, I’ll keep on with my day job. 

Editorial Disclaimer: All traders are suggested to conduct their very own unbiased analysis into funding methods earlier than investing choice. As well as, traders are suggested that previous funding product efficiency is not any assure of future value appreciation.