In 2025, did you actually make money in crypto? Looking for real answers

Crypto is always sold as a shortcut to money. Every time I scroll, it feels like everyone is doubling their money. I saw a post like that and had the same question: when people talk about 5x or 10x gains, are they actually making money, or did they just catch one lucky move instead of building gains over time?

Most people I know fall into two camps. Some buy big coins during a bull run. They feel great when it pumps, then panic sell when it drops. When they look back later, they barely made anything, and some are still down. Others chase altcoins. One time it pops off and the gains look insane, then the pullback is just as insane, and it ends up feeling pointless.

I only got into bydfi and crypto in the first half of 2025. I would see people on reddit talk about a coin going up and I would chase. Then it dipped and I would tell myself I could buy the bottom. The more I watched charts, the more mistakes I made. After a while I stopped jumping in just because someone else’s coin was pumping, because that usually just left me holding the bag.

So I want the honest truth. How many of you actually took profits in 2025, not just paper gains? Where did your profits really come from, big coins, catching a trend, or trading a lot? Are you up or down overall right now? If you do not want this to be gambling, can crypto be a long term thing?