2026-01-15 04:25:07

I entered the Polkadot ICO stage in 2021, when the price was around $50, and I invested several tens of thousands of dollars in one go. Now, in January 2026, the price hovers around $5-6, with a market cap of just over $10 billion, but I haven't sold a single token. Riding this roller coaster has tested my mentality countless times, but I still haven't run away.

My initial interest in Polkadot was driven by its "relay chain" design concept. It’s not just a single blockchain struggling to survive, but a super routing hub that connects a bunch of parachains, each with its own ecosystem operating independently while sharing security. If you want to do decentralized finance, you do it on parachains; if you want to play games, you set up a gaming chain. Gas fees are kept very low, and the costs for validating nodes don’t have to be borne from scratch.

This idea is indeed promising. I’ve run Ethereum-compatible DeFi products on Moonbeam, experienced NFT-related applications on Astar, and participated in liquidity staking on Hydration. Transactions confirm in seconds, and fees are ridiculously cheap—these advantages are real.

But staking is what truly got me hooked. Currently, staking yields around 10%. Although the inflation rate has decreased, I still choose a few trustworthy validator nodes, and the feeling of seeing rewards come in every day is incredibly satisfying. The 28-day unlock period is indeed long, but this forced lock-in actually prevents me from making reckless moves. Later, the platform opened small staking pools, where you only need 1 DOT to participate, greatly lowering the entry barrier.

Open governance is also quite interesting. I’ve voted on a few proposals; the longer the lock-up period, the greater the voting power. It feels like I’m truly participating in the ecosystem’s decision-making, rather than just being a bystander.

Of course, there are plenty of pitfalls. During the parachain auctions, I locked DOT to participate in crowd loans, but the airdrop rewards from the projects were almost worthless. The bear market over these years has indeed tested my mentality, but since it’s been so long, I might as well hold on and see how it goes.

DOT-0,84%

ETH1,82%

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ChainWatcher

· 8h ago

Damn, from $50 all the way down to $5, if my mentality isn't崩, I'm really convinced. Damn, staking a 10% yield is really attractive, just like a fixed deposit. I've also been burned by airdrops from those trash crowdfunding projects, but Polkadot's design approach does have some merit. The 28-day lock-up period is actually quite satisfying, saves me from messing around with reckless operations.

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ForkThisDAO

· 8h ago

50 bucks invested and now only 5 bucks left, this mentality is really unmatched haha Staking 10% returns is indeed attractive, but probably all eaten up by inflation The airdrop from Zhongdai is really a trap, I also fell for it, now I don't dare to participate anymore Just hold it like this, anyway it's already a loss haha Polkadot's governance voting is quite interesting, feels like I really have a say Moonbeam's DeFi products are really user-friendly, just the ecosystem's popularity is a bit lacking The 28-day unlock period is long, but it really helps me break the bad habit of frequent operations Just one Polkadot can be staked, the threshold is lowered quite a bit, a good news for small investors The outlook for Polkadot is still promising, just worried that no one will continue to develop it later The bear market these past few years have been tough, but running away would be even more costly, so I might as well keep lying low

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GasFeeTherapist

· 8h ago

Damn, going from $50 all the way to now, this mindset is really incredible. I need to learn from it. Staking with a 10% yield is indeed attractive, a hundred times better than my zeroed-out airdrops. How is Moonbeam doing now? Is it still alive? The 28-day unlock period has saved so many people from panic selling, haha. Honestly, those who haven't run away during this bear market are true believers. I've witnessed it myself.

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0xOverleveraged

· 9h ago

Oh my, buying the dip at $50 and now it's down to $5—how strong must your mindset be? Honestly, a 10% staking yield is really attractive, but it feels like the Cardano ecosystem has no movement lately. I've also experienced the airdrop from Zhongdai, and it really burned a hole in my pocket. Still, let's hold on; we've been in this for so long anyway.

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SerumSurfer

· 9h ago

Damn, from $50 to $5 and still holding on. I really respect this mindset. Staking a 10% yield is indeed attractive, but it feels like the Polkadot ecosystem has never really taken off. Those airdrops from parachains are really all trash. There were too many people scamming others with crowd loans back then. The saying that the bear market tests your mentality is not wrong; I'm just worried that when the bull market comes, people will sell again. Wait, have you really not sold a single one? Even after a 90% drop over five years, still holding firm—either your faith is overflowing or you're numb from being trapped. I've also experienced DeFi instant confirmation with low fees, but the liquidity has always been somewhat lacking. After lowering the staking pool threshold to 1 DOT, retail investors indeed find it easier to participate. This is a step forward for Polkadot. Governance voting sounds nice, but in reality, it's still dominated by big players. Honestly, Polkadot's presence is getting weaker and weaker now. A market cap of over ten billion is really disappointing. But since I've persisted until 2026, I guess it is what it is.

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memecoin_therapy

· 9h ago

Bought for $50, now worth $5... you must have a really strong heart not to sell one coin Staking rewards are great, but this wave of Polkadot feels like it's becoming a "pension fund" The airdrop scheme of the crowdloan really resulted in heavy losses; the projects that many people hyped up back then are now nothing The 28-day unlock period is truly a "forced cooling-off period" haha Polkadot's design definitely has something special, but the market just isn't paying attention...

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ContractBugHunter

· 9h ago

From 50 to 5 dollars, this drop is really incredible. I have to say I admire those who can hold for five years without selling. Staking with a 10% yield is indeed attractive, but the governance voting system is a bit useless, does it really make any difference? The blood loss from the airdrop of Zhongdai is too heartbreaking. So many people have fallen into this trap.

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