How people make money in crypto, and how they lose it: an honest account
The real ways people earn from crypto and what each one risks, why most active traders lose, what Aretia's own data says about how few token pools are real, and what to do if you still want to take part.
Updated · Aretia Finance
There is no reliable way to make money in crypto, and anyone who says there is one is selling it. People do make money, and many more lose it. This guide lays out the ways people earn, what each risks, and what the evidence says, so you can decide with the facts in front of you. It is general education, not financial advice.
The ways people earn, and what each one risks
| Way | How it earns | What it risks |
|---|---|---|
| Holding a coin for years | The price rises over time | The price can fall and stay down; you carry it through every crash |
| Trading short term | You buy and sell around price moves | Fees, price impact and being on the wrong side of faster traders; most active traders lose after costs |
| Providing liquidity to a pool | You earn a share of trading fees | The pool’s price moves against you (impermanent loss), and the token can go to zero |
| Staking | You lock coins to help run a network and earn a reward | The reward is paid in a coin whose price moves; locked coins may be hard to sell fast |
| Building something people use | A product, a service, a salary | It is a job or a business, with all their risks |
| Early tokens and launches | Early buyers sometimes sell to later ones | Most new tokens lose almost all value, and bots buy first |
What the evidence says about trading
Studies of retail traders in many markets, over many years, keep finding that most people who trade often lose money after costs, and that the more often they trade, the worse they do. Crypto adds fees that are easy to miss, tokens that cannot be sold, and a steady supply of scams. A rising market makes everyone look skilled, and the same people give it back when it turns.
Aretia’s own data points the same way. On 13 November 2026 the index tracked about 82,800 active token pools on Ethereum. About 3% held $100 or more of liquidity, and about 0.5% traded in the previous 24 hours. On BNB Chain it was about 4.5%, and on Base and Polygon under 1%. Most of what is listed as a “token” is not a market anyone can trade at a reasonable price.
What reduces the damage
- Only money you can lose completely. Not rent, not savings you need, not borrowed money.
- Small positions, many of them small enough that one failure does not matter.
- Check before you buy: liquidity, age, holders, who can change the token, whether you can sell (the seven checks).
- Know what you pay: the fee, the network fee and the price impact, before you confirm.
- Write down why you are buying and when you will sell. A plan made in advance is harder to break in a panic.
- Keep records. Many countries tax each swap.
- Ignore anyone who contacts you first, anyone promising returns, “signal” groups, and anyone asking for your recovery phrase.
A calmer way to take part
If you are curious, the cheapest education is to watch a market without money in it, read how the numbers are built (how Aretia Markets works), and trade a very small amount to learn the mechanics (how to trade coins).
Aretia does not tell you what to buy, does not rate tokens as investments, and cannot say whether any price will rise or fall.