Escape the Sunk Cost Filter: When Trust Becomes Shackles

2026-01-12 14:48:33

Cryptocurrency is no longer the ideal dream of dreamers. Bitcoin ETFs attract $49 billion, Ethereum ETFs reach $4.3 billion, and giant companies like Robinhood are building infrastructure based on blockchain technology. But this very “success” raises a dangerous question: are you staying because of trust, or because you’ve invested for too long?

When Investment Becomes a Reason to Continue

The sunk cost fallacy isn’t a dry economic concept. It’s a psychological trap that keeps you in an unsuitable relationship, an uninteresting job, or a field you know is outdated.

“I can’t leave because I’ve spent too much time,” – you’ve heard this familiar phrase, right? In crypto, it sounds like this:

“I haven’t sold Ethereum because I bought early; it made me rich”
“I can’t leave because I’ve researched this industry for 10 years”
“There’s too much potential; I need to be patient a little longer”

This is the sunk cost cage. You’re not staying for current benefits, but for what you’ve sacrificed. It’s like Plato’s allegory of the cave – prisoners see shadows on the wall and think that’s reality, but in the 21st century, reality isn’t the issue. The problem is: you don’t want to leave because you’ve “bought your ticket in.”

The Hierarchical System in Cryptocurrency

Currently, the crypto community is divided into four main groups:

Bitcoin Believers (believe in Bitcoin, skeptical of altcoins) Altcoin Enthusiasts (believe in the ecosystem, skeptical of Bitcoin) Neutral Group (believe in both) Skeptics (don’t believe in any)

Each group is further split based on future outlook: whether there’s still room for price appreciation or not.

The harsh reality: only those who believe in the future of crypto AND believe there’s still profit to be made from it (the altcoin group today) should dedicate all their time to this field.

If you’re wavering between skepticism and hope, if you feel the upside has been exhausted by early investors, startup founders, or private funds, it’s time to consider a shift.

Lessons from Someone Who Was “Stuck”

The author once fell into the terrifying sunk cost filter. After years working in a field, they realized that the skills developed no longer held value in the market, but they couldn’t let go because:

They had invested too much time to master it
Their current income was higher than any alternative
They didn’t know what else they could do
They saw the industry declining but kept going

Getting out of this “cage” isn’t a one-night process. The first step is to start allocating time to other fields. When Ethereum began to surge in 2020, those who were “diverting attention” were actually choosing a relatively safe path – they learned new skills while maintaining old ones, ready to seize opportunities when they arose.

Fragile, but luckier than those who only see shadows on the wall.

Cryptocurrency Is No Longer What It Used to Be

A few years ago, positive news about Ethereum could boost prices by 10%. Now? Robinhood is building a trading platform on Arbitrum, but token prices are falling.

Reason: As crypto technology becomes mainstream, the beneficiaries are no longer those holding altcoins. It’s the owners of Robinhood (HOOD) shares, project founders, and venture capital funds.

If you want to “be patient and wait,” you need to:

Invest early in projects that are truly raising funds
Or build something yourself
Or switch to other assets like tech stocks

Just “holding tokens and waiting” is no longer enough.

Questions You Need to Answer Immediately

Which group do you belong to? Do you truly believe in the future of crypto, or are you just playing the “get rich quick” game?
Do you like it? Or are you just staying because of what you’ve already invested?
Do you have a Plan B? If crypto doesn’t become the legendary path, what will you do?

The reality is: a shift in plan isn’t a lack of trust, but wisdom. Developing additional skills that can be used elsewhere isn’t about abandoning crypto, but about having a safe landing when everything goes wrong.

The door of the sunk cost fallacy never truly closes. What keeps you there is only your own thinking.

Occasionally open the door and look around—that’s all. The world is bigger than what you see from your current perspective.

BTC3,16%

ETH3,13%

ARB6,46%

TOKEN2,9%

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