Before getting involved with stablecoin protocols, I had been messing around in the crypto market for several years. The initial state was a typical retail investor pattern: chasing whatever was hot, not missing out on projects with 300% annual yields, and gambling on various new tokens one after another. I made small profits where I could, and I also lost big when things went south. Looking back, I couldn’t tell whether I was investing or just gambling in a casino.

It wasn’t until I seriously studied some stablecoin ecosystems and DeFi protocols that I finally understood: I can actually know what I’m doing.

The biggest shift happened in my way of thinking. I gradually moved from the habit of watching K-line charts daily to studying the system itself—how returns are generated, where the money comes from, how to control risks, how to adjust parameters, and who makes the main decisions. This process was initially challenging, but the benefit was a significant reduction in anxiety. Because once you understand the operational mechanism, short-term price fluctuations are much less likely to sway your emotions.

Why did I choose stablecoins as my entry point? Not because they offer the highest yields, but because they provide a clear thinking environment. If I had started by trading highly volatile tokens, my attention would definitely be absorbed by price movements, leaving no room to understand the protocol design itself. Stablecoins minimize the "noise" variable, allowing me to focus all my attention on the systemic logic.

Gradually, I began participating in governance decisions, no longer just a passive holder, but an active participant in the system.