I bought my first Bitcoin at 19. Made every mistake in the book. Here's what I'd tell my younger self:

1. You don't need to buy a whole coin.

Seriously. You can buy $10 of Bitcoin. Most people don't start because they think they need thousands. You don't.

2. Never invest money you can't afford to lose.

This sounds obvious until you're staring at a 40% dip and your rent is due. Only use money you genuinely won't need for 6+ months.

3. Ignore the noise, follow the data.

Crypto Twitter will have you panic selling at 2am. Instead, learn to read on-chain metrics, check funding rates, and look at actual adoption numbers.

4. Start with BTC and ETH.

Altcoins are exciting but they're 10x riskier. Build a foundation first. You can explore alts later with money you can afford to experiment with.

5. Have a plan before you buy.

"Buy low sell high" isn't a plan. Know your entry, your exit, and your risk. Write it down. Stick to it.

I started The Alpha Wire to help people skip the expensive lessons I had to learn the hard way. If you're just getting into crypto and want clear, no-BS guidance every week — this is for you.