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In just a few days, Donald Trump will step back into the White House.

Many are expecting him to drop a bombshell announcement:

A U.S. Bitcoin Strategic Reserve.

If the U.S. moves forward with its plan to buy 200,000 Bitcoin per year for the next five years, the market impact will be historic.

Some are predicting a $200,000 Bitcoin in 2025. Others believe $1 million is possible.

One thing is certain—2025 will be unlike anything we've ever seen.

The cycles are aligned perfectly:

• The liquidity cycle

• The Bitcoin halving cycle

• The U.S. presidential election cycle

You can drastically change your life in the next 6-12 months with Bitcoin.

But if you don’t understand what you’re doing, it’s also one of the riskiest times in the market.

The Perfect Storm

2025 is expected to be the biggest year in Bitcoin's history.

• The halving has reduced new supply.

• Institutional demand is hitting record highs.

• The first Bitcoin president will step into office in just a few days.

This is the perfect storm.

And if the U.S. really does start buying Bitcoin for strategic reserves, we’re entering uncharted territory.

Think about the success of the Bitcoin ETF launch in 2024. Institutions rushed in, demand skyrocketed, and Bitcoin surged past $60,000—before the real bull market even began.

Now imagine that, but on a national level.

If the U.S. commits to buying 200,000 Bitcoin per year, other countries will be forced to follow.

Because no government wants to be the last one holding the fiat bag.

This is game theory playing out in real time.

And when the biggest players in the world start accumulating, the supply shock could be like nothing we’ve ever seen.

Over two-thirds of all Bitcoin hasn’t moved in over a year.

People aren’t selling. They’re stacking. They’re treating Bitcoin as a savings account for the future.

Bitcoin is the greatest opportunity of our lifetime, and we're in the middle of a massive bull market.

But it's also when many people make irreversible mistakes.

Two critical mistakes wipe people out every cycle:

• Losing Bitcoin to hacks, scams, or exchange collapses

• Selling at the wrong time due to fear, greed, or lack of conviction

Most people have no idea, and that's where they blow their shot at financial independence.

A bull market is not the time to wing it.

If you don’t have a plan, you’re going to get shaken out.

Distractions will be everywhere. Altcoins, meme coins, trading—people will try to convince you there’s a faster way to get rich.

And then there’s the fear and greed.

• Pumps will test your greed

• Dips will test your conviction

If you don’t have a framework to navigate the chaos, you’ll fall into the same traps that wreck people every cycle.

I’ve been in Bitcoin since 2021, which means I have completed one full cycle.

I’ve seen what happens when euphoria takes over.

And I’ve also seen what happens when people don’t take self-custody of their Bitcoin.

That’s why I put together this simple playbook.

A set of 8 guiding principles to help you avoid the biggest mistakes and stay ahead of most others.

Let's break it down.

1. Time in the Market Beats Timing the Market

I've seen it happen in the previous cycle.

People try to outsmart the market—waiting for the perfect dip, selling too early, thinking they can time it just right.

And then Bitcoin rips higher, leaving them on the sidelines, waiting for a re-entry that never comes.

The truth?

No one knows exactly when the top or bottom is. Not traders, not influencers, not even institutions.

If you're trading Bitcoin, you don't understand the game you're playing.

That’s why the best strategy is very simple: think long-term and stay in the game.

I don’t try to time the market. I accumulate steadily, using DCA (dollar-cost averaging).

This means accumulating Bitcoin consistently—whether it’s monthly, weekly, daily, or even hourly.

In a cycle like this, with institutions and possibly even governments buying, we’re in uncharted territory.

You don't want to be sitting on the sidelines, potentially missing out on the biggest gains we've ever seen.

If history is any guide, the biggest winners are always the ones who hold for at least 4-10 years.

This market will test your patience. But if you stay in, you’ll outperform almost everyone.

2. Stay Rational, Don't Get Emotional

Bitcoin will test you.

When the price pumps, greed kicks in. You start wondering if you should buy more, go all in, or chase the latest hype.

When it dips, fear creeps in. Doubt takes over. Maybe this time, it’s different. Maybe you should sell before it crashes further.

This is where most people fail. They let emotions drive their decisions instead of logic.

You should mentally prepare for bigger numbers. Bitcoin moves fast, and if you aren’t ready, the volatility will shake you out.

Avoid herd mentality. Just because everyone is screaming “buy” or “sell” doesn’t mean they’re right.

This is how you lose. If you let emotions take over, you’ll buy tops, sell bottoms, and repeat that cycle until you’re wrecked.

If you’ve studied Bitcoin properly and built real conviction, a 10-20% dip shouldn’t scare you. Instead of panic selling, see it for what it is—an opportunity to accumulate more at a discount.

Dips are when coins move from weak hands to strong hands. Every cycle, Bitcoin transfers from people who can’t handle the volatility to those who can.

If you're selling during a dip, you're selling to hardcore Bitcoiners, big institutions, or even governments.

Remember that.

3. Focus, Don't Get Distracted

Bitcoin is money.

The rest are technologies.

Right now, half of the world’s wealth is locked up in assets that people use as a savings account—real estate, stocks, even art. And Bitcoin is competing to become the ultimate global savings account.

That’s a $500 trillion opportunity in today’s terms.

Meanwhile, altcoins are competing with tech companies. Even the most successful projects might only reach a $1-5 trillion valuation at best.

And unlike Bitcoin, many altcoins are a zero-sum game—for one person to leave with profit, someone else loses money. Speculators rotate from one project to the next, chasing hype and momentum.

Bitcoin is different. It’s a new form of money, and money is not a zero-sum game. As Bitcoin adoption grows, its value doesn’t just shift around—it expands.

That doesn’t mean altcoins won’t pump. The hype cycle will send some of them skyrocketing.

If you choose to speculate, make sure you understand the game you're playing.

In a bull market, everything gets overhyped—even the best projects. And when the cycle ends, they all collapse.

It's all fueled by hype.

If you’re going to touch altcoins at all, buy in the bear market and sell into the mania—because if you don’t, you’ll likely lose it all.

The simplest, most foolproof strategy?

Buy and hold Bitcoin for the long term.

No stress, no guessing, no way to screw it up.

4. Without Self-Custody, You Don't Own Anything

If you don't hold the keys to your Bitcoin, you don't own anything.

When you hold Bitcoin on an exchange, the only thing you have is a promise—a promise that can be broken.

Every cycle, people lose life-changing amounts of Bitcoin because they trust a third party.

But trusting a third party is exactly what Bitcoin was designed to eliminate.

Holding Bitcoin on exchanges comes with serious risks:

Moving your Bitcoin to a hardware wallet is a critical first step—but it's only one piece of the puzzle.

To build a truly resilient self-custody strategy, you need a holistic approach—one that balances three key pillars:

• Mindset: Embracing radical self-responsibility, mastering key self-custody principles, and understanding trade-offs between security and convenience.

• Tools: Choosing, setting up, and using the right hardware wallet correctly, and proper seed phrase management.

• Practices: Building habits to protect your Bitcoin long-term and avoid critical mistakes.

That's what I teach in The Bitcoin Self-Custody Triangle.

Each pillar plays a critical role in building a strong self-custody strategy.

The pillars are deeply connected. Neglecting one weakens the others.

Think about your Bitcoin in future value. Take a 10x scenario—if Bitcoin reaches $1M, is your current setup strong enough to protect that kind of wealth?

5. There Are Only Trade-Offs

Bitcoin itself is a trade-off.

It gives you the ability to hold a censorship-resistant, scarce asset that no one can seize or inflate. But in exchange, you take on full responsibility for securing it.

Some people chase yield, trying to earn interest on their Bitcoin through lending platforms.

The trade-off?

Your Bitcoin is no longer in your hands. You’re trusting a third party, and if they go bankrupt, your Bitcoin is gone. It happens time and time again.

If something seems risk free, the risk just might be hidden.

In Bitcoin, there is no help desk, and there are no second chances. That’s the essence of self-custody—it’s all about trade-offs.

Every self-custody setup comes with trade-offs. The balance is always between security and convenience—stronger security often means more complexity.

• Custodial vs. Non-Custodial: Do you want full control, or do you trust someone else to hold your Bitcoin?

• One Backup vs. Redundant Backups: A single backup is simple and easy to manage, but multiple backups protect against loss.

• Using a Passphrase vs. No Passphrase: A passphrase removes the single point of failure of your seed phrase, but now you need to secure two critical pieces of information instead of one.

The goal is to find a setup that matches your level of sophistication.

Too simple, and you leave yourself vulnerable. Too complex, and you risk locking yourself out.

More complexity means less convenience.

More convenience means less security.

Bitcoin and self-custody don’t eliminate risk—they let you choose which risks you’re willing to take.

6. Keep Your Holdings to Yourself

As Bitcoin’s value continues to rise, so will the attention from thieves and attackers.

Don't make yourself a target.

• Don't reveal which exchange you use.

• Don't talk about how much Bitcoin you own.

• Don't share details about your self-custody setup.

Keep a low profile, flexing is not worth the risk.

If you’re public about Bitcoin, whether as a creator or working in the industry, your self-custody needs to be bulletproof.

• Your funds should not be accessible from a single point of failure.

• A physical attack should not mean losing your Bitcoin.

• Your self-custody strategy should make you an unattractive target.

Don't put Bitcoin stickers on your laptop.

7. It's a Journey

There’s an endless rabbit hole of information—new tools, new platforms, new security practices. The learning never stops. And that’s a good thing.

The key is to start simple and build complexity over time. Get your Bitcoin off exchanges, secure it with a hardware wallet, and refine your setup as you go.

If you’re already thinking about self-custody, you’re ahead of most people. The majority are either too lazy, too ignorant, or too close-minded to take it seriously—until it’s too late.

If you're focused on truly understanding Bitcoin, and using it for long-term wealth building, you're on the right track.

8. Help Others Along the Way

Bitcoin changed the way I see the world.

Once you see it, you can't unsee it.

And if you truly understand Bitcoin, you have a responsibility to help others do the same.

I’ve had countless conversations with friends and family, trying to explain why Bitcoin matters.

Some get it right away. Others need time. And some will never get it, no matter how hard you try. That’s just how it is.

But it's worth it in the end.

If we can fix the money, we can fix the world.

Don’t Fuck This Up

That's it.

Master these 8 principles, and you’ll be ahead of 99% of people in this cycle.

You can drastically change your life in the coming year—don't waste it.

Stay focused, keep stacking, and don't get distracted.

—Robin