What I Wish I Knew Before I Got Into Crypto

It started like most mistakes do — quietly.

No warning, no red flags, no panic.

Just a little curiosity, a bit of excitement, and a name that made me laugh.

I was scrolling through crypto charts when I stumbled on something absurd.

A token with a name so ridiculous, so chaotic, so shamelessly over-the-top…

I couldn’t help myself.

HarryPotterObamaSonic420Inu.

It was trending.

People were posting screenshots of crazy profits.

The price had multiplied overnight.

And something inside me whispered, “Maybe this is your moment.”

I had £100 I was willing to risk.

So I bought it.

No research. No reading. Just vibes.

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At first, it worked.

My wallet doubled, then tripled.

I refreshed the page, and the number kept rising.

But then came the moment I tried to sell.

And nothing happened.

No error. No confirmation. Just… nothing.

I tried again. Then again. Still nothing.

Then I paid the gas fee — and the transaction failed.

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That’s when I realised: I wasn’t holding money.

I was holding something that looked like money — but wasn’t.

The developers had locked trading.

The liquidity pool was under their full control.

The smart contract — the code that should’ve protected buyers — had been written in their favour from the start.

There was no way out.

And I wasn’t the only one.

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It was my first real lesson in crypto:

Just because a number is in your wallet doesn’t mean it’s yours.

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So What Are Memecoins, Really?

Memecoins are digital tokens that start as jokes, often with no real utility or purpose — other than to entertain.

They tend to have funny names, silly logos, and chaotic communities.

They spread fast, attract attention, and sometimes create massive short-term gains.

Think of coins like:

• Dogecoin — the original memecoin, created in 2013 as a joke.

• Shiba Inu — another dog-themed coin that gained billions in market cap.

• Pepe, Floki, and yes — even TrumpCoin.

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Trump-Themed Coins: Hype Meets Controversy

There are dozens of tokens themed around Donald Trump.

Some were launched by fans.

Others by trolls.

Most have no official connection to Trump himself — just his name, image, or branding.

They rise fast.

Some even get listed on major exchanges, for a while.

But most are short-lived — designed to catch attention during news cycles or election seasons.

One day, a Trump token goes viral.

The next, it crashes and burns — with thousands left holding worthless bags.

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What I Learned

Memecoins can be fun.

They create communities, spark viral moments, and sometimes turn £10 into £1,000.

But they’re also risky.

They’re easy to manipulate.

They attract inexperienced investors.

And they often rely on hype rather than substance.

The danger isn’t just the volatility.

It’s the illusion.

They make you feel like you’re part of something — until it vanishes overnight.

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That first experience — buying something for the name, then watching it trap me — shaped everything that came after.

Now I read smart contracts before I click.

I check liquidity.

I ask myself: Can I actually exit?

And most of all: Is this a meme — or a minefield?

Because in crypto, the line is thinner than you think.