A Crypto Miracle: Turning a $70K Loss into an $89K Gain

I have an unbelievable story to share with you all—it's been a rollercoaster of emotions this past week!

Remember back in 2017 to 2019 when I was diving deep into the world of cryptocurrencies? I participated in a bunch of ICOs for small cryptos across various exchanges. To be honest, it didn't go as planned, and I ended up losing about $70,000 USD. It was a tough lesson, and I kind of stepped away from the crypto scene after that.

Fast forward to about a week ago, I received an email from KuCoin, one of the exchanges I used back then. The email mentioned that KuCoin is closing its operations in the USA and that if I had any coins left, I should withdraw them within the next few days. I was swamped with other things and didn't think much of it—I assumed maybe I had a few dollars left at most. So, I didn't even open the email immediately.

Today, I finally had some free time and decided to check out that email. After a lot of trial and error (I hadn't logged into that account in five years!), I managed to access my KuCoin account. Navigating the old Korean exchange platform was a challenge, especially since I had forgotten most of my login details.

And here's where it gets crazy: I discovered that the coins I had left in that account had grown to $89,000! I was absolutely stunned. I thought maybe there'd be $50 or so left, but nearly $90k? I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

But the adventure didn't stop there. I faced a new hurdle—I couldn't withdraw the funds because I had lost access to my Google Authenticator 2FA. It was a stressful few hours trying to recover that. After a lot of back-and-forth and perhaps a few new gray hairs, I finally managed to move the coins to my MetaMask wallet for BNB and to Trust Wallet for KCS.

Now, the next step is cashing out. I applied to Binance.US so I can convert the BNB to ETH and then transfer it to Coinbase to cash out. Of course, I had also lost my Binance.US 2FA, so that added another layer of complexity. I've submitted all the necessary documents, including my driver's license, and now I'm just waiting for them to verify my account. Hopefully, in the next three business days, I'll be able to access the funds.

Here's the most amazing part: I recently lost my job, and things have been pretty tight financially. To stumble upon this unexpected windfall feels like a miracle. It's as if the universe—or perhaps a higher power—found a way to keep me afloat when I needed it most.

Isn't that incredible? Life has a funny way of surprising us when we least expect it. I just had to share this wild turn of events with you all!

The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

The Bed of Procrustes: Philosophical and Practical Aphorisms by Nassim Nicholas Taleb is a sharp, thought-provoking collection of short insights that really make you stop and think. Taleb touches on everything from uncertainty and randomness to human nature and how much we actually don't know. It’s a bit like The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran and Sovietsky Koutukov by Masud Mahmood—packed with wisdom you want to keep coming back to.

I finished the Audible version and liked it so much that I ordered the hardcover, because, like those two books, I plan to read it every once in a while. Taleb’s style is witty and to the point, but these aphorisms have layers that take time to fully appreciate. If you enjoy deep, bite-sized philosophical insights, this book is definitely worth adding to your shelf.

Here are some quotes from the book that resonate well with me - 

• True humility is when you can surprise yourself more than others; the rest is either shyness or good marketing
• You know you have influence when people start noticing your absence more than the presence of others.
• They agree that chess training only improves chess skills but disagree that classroom training (almost) only improves classroom skills.
• Your reputation is harmed the most by what you say to defend it.
• You are rich if money you refuse tastes better than money you accept.
• Regular minds find similarities in stories (and situations); finer minds detect differences.
• Sometimes people ask you a question with their eyes begging you to not tell them the truth.
• A verbal threat is the most authentic certificate of impotence.
• The difference between slaves in Roman and Ottoman days and today’s employees is that slaves did not need to flatter their boss.
• Asking science to explain life and vital matters is equivalent to asking a grammarian to explain poetry.
• Religion isn’t so much about telling man that there is one God as about preventing man from thinking that he is God.
• Social science means inventing a certain brand of human we can understand.
• Those who think religion is about “belief” don’t understand religion, and don’t understand belief.
• Hatred is much harder to fake than love. You hear of fake love; never of fake hate.
• The best test of whether someone is extremely stupid (or extremely wise) is whether financial and political news makes sense to him.
• Engineers can compute but not define, mathematicians can define but not compute, economists can neither define nor compute.
• Love without sacrifice is like theft.
• The Web is an unhealthy place for someone hungry for attention.
• If you find any reason why you and someone are friends, you are not friends.