EGO

I didn’t get the Hyperliquid airdrop.

I regularly write blog posts telling people to keep an open mind and to try absolutely everything.

So you can imagine how embarrassing it feels to have skipped the one thing in crypto that was actually worth trying.

Hyperliquid.

Why?

Well, I can lie to myself all I want and say it was because I was concerned about the tax treatment.

Or that I'd farmed perp DEXs before and always lost money.

Or because it was "on Arbitrum" and they'd already airdropped, so it was more capital-efficient to focus on new chains.

Me replying with the dumbest thing I have ever said

But the honest truth is, I skipped it because:

I was being lazy and egotistical.

I thought that I knew better than the market. My past successes in crypto had gone to my head.

I knew about Hyperliquid incredibly early. I first heard about it during the Friend Tech era, but skipped it because I'd taken my funds off Arbitrum.

So a few months later, when I saw Jez, and Shoku, and countless others that I deeply respect on the timeline posting borderline hysterically about how impressive Hyperliquid was, I told myself it was too late. I had missed it. I convinced myself that I don't trade perps anyway and I should move on. Like an ostrich with a degenerative brain disease, I stuck my head in the sand and closed my eyes and ears.

I didn't even bother to take a deeper look.

The funny thing is I've made this mistake countless times before. I bet many of us have.

Bored Apes, NFTs, memecoins, AI stocks, etc. - all are things I've been super early to, sold for a decent profit, and then hate watched the chart as it went up without me, too annoyed at my past self to think clearly about the next leg of the trade.

However, something about Hyperliquid felt different.

Usually, after a TGE, the bull posters slip away, dump their airdrop, and move on to the "next big thing."

But this time... this time... they just didn't.

A few days after the airdrop happened, I faced a decision - do I let my ego rule me, or give into it and try the bloody thing and see for myself if people are just posting about their bags, or if this really is the real deal?

So I tried it. I was impressed. So I tried it some more.

And then, suddenly, it all made sense.

For once I was using an app that just worked.

It didn't make me want to hurl my laptop across the room in anger because my wallet had logged me out for the 20th time. I didn't have to wade through 27 versions of USDC to figure out which one was real. I didn't have to approve spending or click seven times whenever I wanted to do anything.

It just worked, and it worked well, every single time.

So I read more about it. I learned about UNIT and their ambitions. I studied builder codes and HIP-3. I spoke to my friends who had been there all along and asked questions.

I killed my ego.

Not going to lie, I did spend a few days hating myself for being an absolute idiot and missing probably the easiest trade I will ever get, but alas, ruminating forever on our dumbest moments is not helpful, and we must try hard to forgive ourselves to move forward.

What I realised though, as I went, was that the airdrop was simply just part one of the trade.

Yes, I had missed it. But so did tons of other people. And many of those that did market sold it at $3 and coped as they watched it go up without them, and now all they see is the price their bag would have been, rather than what Hyperliquid is - probably the greatest project we've seen in crypto in the past decade. Part two of the trade, however, started after the airdrop had taken place. This part, thank god, is one I did not miss, and full disclosure: my Hyperliquid position has now grown to be my second largest crypto holding.

There are a million posts on why Hyperliquid is so great, and chances are if you're reading this, you already know why, so I'll spare you the essay.

But I'll summarise by saying it's probably the one project that can truly change the way crypto, and maybe even all of finance works, forever.

Hyperbolic. Maybe. I often am.

But this week’s Phantom integration was a glimpse into the future. A future where you don't need to fight against Hyperliquid - you simply build on top of it and share in the upside together as it scales alongside you.

I suspect this is just the start.

But anyway, the point of this post is not to shill Hyperliquid - there are already hundreds of people doing that far better than me on Twitter.

The point of this post is to remind myself that you cannot let your ego rule you.

Chances are, if you're like me, then you're pretty stupid. Your first opinion of something isn't always right. The past does not matter, all that counts is the present moment and the trade you see in front of you. Changing your mind is not a weakness - it's a strength all the best traders have. When others you respect speak, you should listen, but take the time to validate what they are saying yourself and make your own decisions.

My ego kept me from being early.

But my curiosity stopped me from being late.

Hyperliquid.

NOT FINANCIAL ADVICE HYPERLIQUID HAS BEEN UP ONLY, WRITING THIS IS PROBABLY THE TOP, MY TOP SIGNAL IRL FRIEND ASKED ME ABOUT IT YESTERDAY AAAAAAAAAA. I AM INCREDIBLY STUPID, THIS MIGHT EVEN BE ME PRETENDING THAT IT'S CURIOSITY WHEN IN REALITY IT IS FOMO. DON'T FOLLOW ME. MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS OR YOU WILL DIE ALONE POOR AND HUNGRY AND SAD.