As 2025 winds down, it feels like the right moment to step back and be honest about the trades that defined the year for me, not just the wins, but the ones that tested discipline, patience, and ego.
This was a year where markets rewarded timing and punished complacency. AI mania, crypto euphoria, sudden macro shifts, and violent rotations made it impossible to coast. You either managed risk actively, or the market managed you.
Here are my two most memorable trades of 2025, for very different reasons:
The Best Trade: Selling MSTR Before the Drop
My most memorable win this year was not a flashy multi-bagger. It was selling MSTR before it rolled over.
MSTR had become one of the most crowded expressions of Bitcoin optimism — leveraged sentiment on top of leveraged sentiment. Price action was strong, narratives were loud, and social media conviction was sky-high. That combination alone was a warning sign.
What made me act was not fear, but structure:
Momentum was stalling
Volatility was compressing
Upside was becoming asymmetric against downside risk
Selling into strength felt uncomfortable, especially when the crowd was still bullish. But when MSTR finally broke down, it validated a key lesson of 2025: exiting well is often harder, and more valuable, than entering well.
That trade reminded me that protecting capital during late-stage euphoria is a win in itself.
The Worst Trade: Holding On to CRCL for Too Long
On the other side of the ledger sits CRCL.
This one hurt, not because of bad entry, but because of bad exit discipline. CRCL kept dropping, and instead of responding to price, I responded to hope. I told myself the story would eventually catch up to the chart. It didn't.
Each bounce felt like the bounce. Each dip felt temporary. Meanwhile, losses compounded quietly.
The hard truth: holding and hoping is still a decision, just not a good one.
CRCL became a reminder that conviction without risk management is not conviction; it is attachment. As the year closes, my goal is simple: exit cleanly, take the lesson, and free up mental capital for better opportunities.
The Bigger Lesson of 2025
If there is one theme that defined this year, it is this:
Wins came from decisive action
Losses came from hesitation
Survival came from position sizing and exits
2025 did not reward stubbornness. It rewarded flexibility.
As I head into the new year, my focus is not on revenge trades or forcing recovery. It is on carrying forward the habits that worked, cutting risk early, respecting price, and staying emotionally neutral when the market gets loud.
Some trades paid me money. Others paid me wisdom. Both matter.
I am not a financial advisor. Trade wisely, Comrades!
Comments