There is an interesting phenomenon worth pondering.

Looking back over the past year, different sectors have taken turns leading the market—DeFi concepts were extremely hot in the first half, followed by intense competition in the smart contract ecosystem, and later Layer2 and AI-related tokens started to gain momentum. Each of these sectors has seen returns of dozens or even hundreds of times, and it’s common for some tokens to multiply several times. If you manage to catch just one of these trends, your one-year gains can outperform 99% of the market.

But what about reality? For most traders, not only do they fail to beat these sectors over the year, but they also struggle to even break even. Many people spend an entire year working hard, yet their accounts are still in the red.

Where is the problem?

It’s not just about information gaps or luck. The deeper reason is that most people become aware of opportunities only after the fact, and they often follow the trend at high points. By the time real good news appears, they are already caught in the trap. Coupled with emotional swings, poor position management, and a lack of risk control awareness, it’s no surprise that they end up being harvested by the market.

Opportunities do exist, but those who can truly seize them are often not lucky, but have a clear understanding of market rhythms and their own trading systems. How about you? Have you thought about what your own issues might be?