Coin prices are regressing, and the market is getting competitive; encryption in 2025 is going to be very difficult to play.

The crypto market is in a downturn, with altcoin prices falling below levels seen after the FTX collapse. Facing fierce competition in 2025, building exclusive knowledge has become key to survival. This article is sourced from a piece by Route 2 FI, organized, translated, and authored by Deep Tide TechFlow. (Background: A sincere dialogue with HongKongDoll doll sister: How did I make millions in the crypto world? Should I still make videos? Newbies should be cautious in selecting information sources.) (Background: With the release of iPhone 17, I found that the biggest 'Apple mentality' in the crypto world is Coin Hoarding.) Whether you believe the market will hit new highs or that we have entered a Bear Market, you should start accumulating 'exclusive knowledge' to safeguard yourself. If you are still wondering why most people on Crypto Twitter are feeling down, consider this fact: the prices of the top 50 altcoins have already fallen below the levels seen after the FTX collapse in 2022 (data sourced from @VentureCoinist). Moreover, the prices of mainstream tokens like SOL, ETH, and BTC have also returned to the levels of December 2024. Many traders on Crypto Twitter have not achieved any substantial gains in this cycle and have instead begun to feel increasingly desperate, hoping to catch the last opportunity. However, the current market sentiment is bleak, coupled with the 'four-year cycle theory,' which suggests we are already in the late stages of this cycle. In fact, according to historical data, we have surpassed the 18-month window period, which typically marks the top of Bitcoin's early cycle. The crypto market is quietly changing before our eyes. Over the past four years, most new token issuances have adopted a model of low Circulating Supply and high Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV). In July of this year, Polychain Capital sold $240 million worth of $TIA, which may be just the tip of the iceberg for this model. But should they really be blamed? If you think about it, they are simply following their investment strategy. In reality, anyone holding unlocked tokens might make similar choices. Current State of the Crypto Market Remember that 'golden age'? Back then, a token going online on a Centralized Exchange meant a big pump in price. However, those days are long gone. Nowadays, everyone in the market is facing frustrations: traders are adapting to new game rules; Memecoin players are fighting among themselves; project founders complain that users are not utilizing their protocols; retail investors claim the market is saturated; venture capitalists (VCs) have missed the 'easy money' days (the tough times have started since 2023). Traditional finance (TradFi) has entered the crypto space, but they have not been buying our altcoins. By 2025, we are facing: too many tokens; technologies with no actual demand; projects that cannot find Product-Market Fit (PMF); unreasonable tokenomics; airdrops being directly dumped by users for stablecoins; significantly increased trading difficulty, as any valuable and liquid asset becomes more competitive. Yes, now basically no one has confidence in anything. Since 'Black Friday,' about half of crypto traders have lost all their assets, many of whom may never return to the trading market. While a successful trade means failure for another, in this event, funds flowed into exchanges, which also means that both retail and professional traders have become poorer. A New Phase for the Altcoin Market The altcoin market is entering a new phase. The problem is that too many new projects are launching at high valuations, which not only dilutes liquidity but also weakens those originally high-quality, foundational projects, leading to an overall weaker market. In recent years, altcoin issuances have shown a trend: high Fully Diluted Valuation (FDV), massive airdrops, low Circulating Supply, and later bulk unlocks by venture capitalists (VCs). This model seems to have become the industry 'standard.' We often hear a saying: as long as conditions are right, all tokens can experience a big pump. But is this true? It is important to note that the market is now flooded with many more 'functional' tokens than in 2021. Every week, there are 3-5 so-called 'quality' tokens entering the market, and Total3 (referring to the total market cap of altcoins) is gradually rising, seemingly making everyone happy. But upon closer inspection, who is actually going to buy these tokens? Without institutional funds or massive retail entry, the market is destined to be a 'player versus player' (PvP) battleground. Now, new 'quality' projects are launched every week, but they often come with extremely high FDV. This means the market will face an influx of countless tokens, and without new buyers coming in, the prices of these tokens are doomed to fall in the long term. By October 2025, the selectivity of capital flowing into altcoins becomes more evident, but this inflow is clearly insufficient to offset the massive token unlock pressure. The market is experiencing an endless internal strife, and the true way out still seems hard to find. How to Break Through in Difficulties Despite the market downturn, there are still optimistic aspects: whether you believe the market will hit new highs or that we have entered a Bear Market, you should start accumulating 'exclusive knowledge' to safeguard yourself. 'Exclusive knowledge' refers to skills that only you possess or things you do slightly better than others. Everyone has their own inherent strengths; focusing on these advantages and turning them into your weapons is key. For example, I excel in writing, so I prefer to write long tweets rather than making YouTube videos or starting a podcast. For you, it might be trading, networking, sales, or other fields. The key is that once you start honing your skills, you can find a place in this industry. Compared to traditional finance (TradFi), the entry threshold for finding work in the crypto industry is much lower. Whether it is content creation, CEX trading, research analysis, meme coin trading, NFT, airdrop, YouTube, newsletters, Telegram groups, podcasts, etc., this industry offers various possibilities. The best way to connect with top talents in this industry is to make yourself 'visible' on Twitter. Write about topics you are interested in, share what you want to learn, occasionally post interesting content, and interact with those you admire. Tweet every day, even if it's just a 'gm' (Good Morning). Proactively DM others, offer advice, and don’t expect anything in return. This is how friendships are built; who knows? Perhaps you will collaborate in some way in the future. Just be helpful, friendly, and consistently engage every day. Twitter is the 'resume' of the crypto industry. You don’t need LinkedIn; your best resume is the content you create on Twitter. If one day you need to apply for a job interview, your tweets will be the best proof. "Related Reports The market is complaining about CZ, and people even begin to miss SBF's measures to prevent 'long wick candles' in cryptocurrency; the market may need this 'treasure.' “1011” After the epic liquidation in the crypto market, how are the stocks of DAT companies doing? <Coin price regression, market internal strife, crypto in 2025 is too hard to play.> This article was originally published…