Friends of OKX｜Talking to Bit Wu about the trading philosophy of "slow is fast"

The market's trends are constantly changing, and people are eager to chase the next opportunity for wealth.

The blockchain industry has never stopped innovating, with the overlap of the Crypto and AI waves, NFT, Memecoin, RWA…

New hotspots and new legends emerge endlessly. Some have experienced assets skyrocketing overnight only to nearly go to zero, while many others find themselves trapped in the cycle of buying high and selling low.

Nine-year veteran OG Bitcoin Wu @BTW0205 shares his personal experience: After the prosperity, what can truly stand undefeated is patience and deep thinking.

He jokingly refers to himself as an "ancient KOL," having started creating crypto content in 2016. At that time, he was experiencing a low point in life, with his second startup nearly failing.

However, the wheel of fate quietly turned at that moment—he unexpectedly received 40 bitcoins as payment for an outsourced mining software development project. Thus began his journey in the crypto world.

This is the "Friends of OKX" series of interviews, aimed at providing new users with learning references by exploring the stories, industry insights, and lessons learned from KOLs of different backgrounds.

This issue's interviewee is Mercy Mei Xi @Mercy_okx, welcome everyone to follow (*´∀`)~

The ICO Craze: Overnight Fame

In 2017, the initial coin offering (ICO) craze swept the globe. Various tokens sprang up like mushrooms after rain, with prices skyrocketing.
Wu recalls that at that time, the price increases of altcoins far exceeded those of Bitcoin and Ethereum, turning tens of thousands of yuan into tens of millions easily.
According to him, at the peak of the bull market, his account value reached "hundreds of millions."
During that time, he would see millions added to his account daily, yet he had become somewhat numb, "After reaching A8, having a few million more in the account felt completely indifferent." The illusion of capital made him somewhat forgetful, as if success came easily.
But looking back, he realized: when everyone around is immersed in celebration, the most important thing to do is to stay alert and be wary of the risks brought by bubbles.

On the Edge of Zero: Madness and Anxiety

As expected, the bubble eventually burst. In 2018, the bear market hit, ICO projects collapsed one after another, and countless altcoins went to zero, causing his wealth to evaporate overnight.
Reflecting on that year, Teacher Wu admitted that this round of plummeting prices plunged him into a "loss loop"—invested projects lost money, altcoins lost money, and switching between Bitcoin and Ethereum also resulted in losses; the more he operated, the deeper the losses became, and his mindset grew increasingly anxious.
He reviewed: "The more I operated, the more mistakes I made; the more I lost, the more I gambled; the more I gambled, the more I feared… ultimately forming a complete loss loop."
The drop from peak to trough caught him off guard, and during that period, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. It was then he realized: cognition must keep pace with market changes, and one must avoid "path dependence." Once the path to wealth fails, it's necessary to find a new direction.

Reflection and Reconstruction: Finding the "Well Water"

After this heavy blow, Teacher Wu began to establish a systematic trading framework and methods for continuous profit.
He believes that to survive long-term in the crypto industry, one must build an "anchor point"—like having a self-sustaining well that can provide water continuously even in drought.
During this period, he found that he could still rely on the content and advisory channels he established early on to earn stable income during market downturns.
This was akin to preparing a "well of information" for himself, providing nourishment even when the market dried up.
This channel smoothed out his downward cycles, becoming a continuous "source of water."
Additionally, through continuous research and writing, he could constantly validate market hypotheses and deepen his understanding of various mechanisms, preparing for the next opportunity.

Turbulence and Heightened Vigilance

Just as one wave calms, another rises. An unexpected incident once again tested Teacher Wu's understanding of the industry, as part of his assets faced depreciation again. This incident made him realize that trading crypto assets involves two types of risks: one is the severe volatility of the market itself, and the other is policy and legal risks. To avoid repeating past mistakes, he made a more conservative choice—

Learn to distinguish what truly constitutes core assets, emphasizing that decentralized assets are what truly belong to "yourself."

He believes: "Only by holding Bitcoin can your assets truly belong to you and remain yours for the long term."

After that, his positions gradually tilted towards Bitcoin, essentially abandoning all risky bets, steadfastly holding onto this digital gold.

At the same time, he continuously reviewed his experiences in content output, deepening his understanding—just as he advocates the "Feynman Learning Method," writing itself is a method of deep learning. Countless reviews have made him better at controlling emotions and continuously optimizing strategies.

During bear markets, he prefers to remain steadfast; when the next bull market arrives, he deploys funds in small batches. This "slow work yields fine products" approach gradually proved effective: time allowed him to accumulate more and more Bitcoin, making him calmer and more composed.

Now, he rarely trades, usually making only two or three trades in a cycle. For him, true victory is to calmly and confidently see wealth appreciation ten or twenty years later.

The Truth of "Slow is Fast"

After experiencing two significant asset drawdowns, Teacher Wu summarized his "four-character mantra"—slow is fast.
In his view, many people think that only by quickly following up can they seize opportunities, but in reality, opportunities in the industry arise endlessly; the hardest part is to survive and be well-prepared.
He explains that this "slow" does not mean passively waiting, but rather a process of thoughtful consideration and systematic construction.
Only by patiently refining details and validating hypotheses can one decisively strike when opportunities arise.

He likens it to watching a cat at home catch fish: "My cat sometimes waits there for half an hour… once it reaches in, it can catch that fish. I think slow is fast; it's really that kind of process."
Slowly observing, slowly thinking, and suddenly striking when fully prepared. True success is not a stroke of luck but a decisive victory supported by deep thinking and a resilient mindset.

Mindset Training: From Anxiety to Calmness

In fact, Teacher Wu believes that trading is a combination of deep thinking + rational decision-making + quick action, with mindset being the foundation.
In the last bull market, he frequently traded due to excessive anxiety, leading to significant losses—
"At that time, my body would undergo some changes, making it hard to sleep, and my emotions were also poor; after feeling anxious, I would want to operate… the result of anxiety was actually losses."
This experience honed him like a Zen practitioner in meditation, as market fluctuations no longer easily affected his emotions.
As he said: "The anxiety from the last round made me feel greater pain, so this round I won't be anxious."
With this calmness, he can observe the market peacefully; even when many around him frequently trade and engage in short-term speculation, he insists on keeping 80-90% of his funds in mainstream coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum, using only a small "ant position" to participate in and sense the hotspots.
Not everyone can handle the rhythm of frequent trading; for Bitcoin Wu, he is more suited to watch the trends during each bull-bear transition and engage in low-frequency trend trading.
Of course, he also advises that every trader should find their own suitable "track" and not blindly follow others' trading methods.

OKX Wealth Management and Diversified Allocation

On the strategic tools front, Teacher Wu has also consistently practiced the "slow is fast" philosophy.
First, he emphasizes the importance of stable wealth management products: "Wealth management can ensure that in a bear market, your assets can still grow well; OKX's earn products are doing well. In other words, during a bear market or sideways market, using fixed income or dual currency earn products to allow assets to grow is key to preserving wealth."
In his own portfolio, about 80% is allocated to mainstream assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum, while the remaining 10%-20% is diversified into stablecoin earning and dual currency strategies.
He most frequently uses OKX's "Excess Coin Treasure" (simple earning) and dual currency win. For example, in response to the recent surge in Bitcoin, he once set a dual currency strategy with a coin-based order: setting a target sell price for Bitcoin (e.g., 108,000), with an annualized return of up to 20%.
Thus, once Bitcoin rises to the target price, he can earn a high return; if the market declines, he then converts the funds to USDT dual currency to earn returns.
In simple terms, wealth management tools can make funds "move on their own," allowing for substantial interest gains while avoiding the complexities of chasing highs and cutting losses.
Not limited to crypto assets, he is also hedging across markets. For instance, he recently purchased some gold to counter fiat currency inflation risks; he also sees long-term opportunities in the U.S. tech stock index.
He believes that the future wave of technology (AI, biotechnology, etc.) will likely still be led by U.S. stock giants, stating, "Buying U.S. stocks in the next ten or twenty years should be a very good choice."
Based on these judgments, he almost completely avoids futures contracts and high leverage on exchanges, believing that "normal people cannot control leverage above one times."
In summary, his current overall strategy is: patiently accumulating coins + earning stable returns + moderate hedging.
Although this strategy is slow-paced, it has brought steady returns and allowed him to retain ample chips during bear markets, ready to embrace the next wave of increases.

In Conclusion

In Teacher Wu, I seem to see the calmness and composure of "the light boat has passed through thousands of mountains." From his experiences, I feel that on the path of trading, there are no shortcuts, only steady progress.
In the ever-changing world of Web3, do not rush to follow trends; seriously build your foundational framework, path, and mindset. When the next opportunity arises, you will have the ability to seize it.
I wonder if you have had similar ups and downs? What is your trading philosophy? Feel free to share your stories and insights in the comments! Quality content will draw three sets of the latest OKX merchandise~
If you also agree with the wisdom of "slow is fast," please like and share this article, so more people can see Teacher Wu's practices and thoughts, and grow together~

Disclaimer

This article is for reference only. It represents the author's views and does not reflect the position of OKX. This article does not intend to provide (i) investment advice or recommendations; (ii) offers or solicitations to buy, sell, or hold digital assets; (iii) financial, accounting, legal, or tax advice. We do not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of such information. Holding digital assets (including stablecoins and NFTs) involves high risks and may fluctuate significantly. You should carefully consider whether trading or holding digital assets is suitable for you based on your financial situation. Please consult your legal/tax/investment professionals regarding your specific circumstances. You are responsible for understanding and complying with applicable local laws and regulations.