#72 Astekz

May 8, 2023

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Astekz is a 28 year old Financial Market Trader, Investor and Entrepreneur from London.

What attracted you to trading?

I was just going into my first real job as an apprentice in IT, and came across a coin called Stratis that was coded in c# and had “links” to Microsoft. I started buying that at like £0.25-0.50 and fell into the rabbit hole there.

How long have you been trading?

I started in 2017, so I’ve had the first cycle experience where you buy, never sell and ride back to zero. I was working for peanuts so couldn’t invest much, but once the big crash happened, I just kept buying ETH monthly with a couple hundred quid before we got the almighty bull run in 2021. 

How long did it take you to become profitable?

It took me sooo long. I got rekt in 2020 when I started trading leverage for the first time. I lost 24 ETH and around 2 BTC. That’s when it clicked for me; I spent a week in a hole and told myself, ‘if I'm going to do this seriously, I need to learn from all the mistakes I just made’.

I got rekt in 2020 when I started trading leverage for the first time. I lost 24 ETH and around 2 BTC.


What does a typical day look like for you?

During COVID, we all must have lived rough. Wake up, trade shitcoins in our pants, and repeat whilst the market was doing what it did. Since then, I have had a kid, and life’s changed a bit. I’m trying to balance it all better; market addiction is real, it’s essential to try to have a routine. Wake up, go gym, get all the things on your list done early, then try to trade from New York open.

Wake up, trade shitcoins in our pants, and repeat


Who did you look up to when you first started trading?

I always just followed the OGs on Twitter in the early days. Eventually learned the markets and stopped blindly following what people said on Twitter. The people I remember following were Cobie, Bitlord and even RNR, eating that girl's ass to save crypto.

Tell us about your most memorable trade.

Oh, this is easy. I was short the entire market in May 2021. It changed my life forever regarding portfolio size and feeling like I had become a “trader”. However, it was a double-edged sword because everyone got rekt. Being openly happy about my success was hard because I didn’t want to rub salt in their wounds. There were only a handful of people I remember bearish at the time.

Being openly happy about my success was hard because I didn’t want to rub salt in their wounds.


What was the short thesis?

I like to use a price vs demand model, and there was a triple 3D bearish divergence, which was a great sign of confluence. Euphoria was through the roof, the Coinbase IPO, memes going parabolic. Even that Facebook WAGMI song.

What’s the best trading advice you’ve been given?

I’m not sure about specific advice, but reading “Wolong: The Game Of Deception”, and “Trading in the Zone " made a massive difference in my thought process. 

What drives you to keep trading?

Mostly addiction. I don’t need to trade anywhere near the amount I do, but there is no second-best job. I love the game, and I want to improve. I’d like to be regarded as a top trader.

Addiction. I don’t need to trade anywhere near the amount I do, but there is no second-best job.


Would you say you’ve ‘made it’?

Nah, I haven’t made it. I can live comfortably, but I don’t think you’ve made it until you are in a position to help all your close family and friends escape the rat race. 

Trading

What's the most important quality in a trader and why?

Risk management and learning to understand your personality. We all have different traits/tendencies, some will be positive for trading, and some will be negative. Once you learn to accept what yours are and build a set of rules around them to keep you disciplined, you’ll have a much easier time. Don’t be stubborn, and don’t blame others ever!

Learn to accept your personality traits and build a set of rules around them to keep you disciplined


What did you discover about yourself from trading?

I always had an addictive personality and enjoyed gambling, so it was always about filtering that for a positive. Knowing when to double down on the big plays and when to protect myself from myself after losses. 

How would you describe the way you trade?

I’m such a simple trader. I don’t use anything fancy. I would love to learn orderflow, but I’m dyslexic, making it hard to learn. Slowly but surely, I'll get there. I tend to trade ranges with no bias whilst inside. Then, I flip bias once the range breaks and chase the trend.

Has the way you trade changed over time?

I still trade the same way but am learning to extract more from the market in other ways. Speculating on what price could do based on news, piling into alts on news or tweets from people that impact the market. 

Why do you think you have success trading?

Getting rekt killed my emotions in the market. No matter the outcome, I feel absolutely nothing when I’m in a trade. My dopamine receptors are fried; there’s a coldness required to become good at trading. 

No matter the outcome, I feel absolutely nothing when I’m in a trade. My dopamine receptors are fried

What's the worst thing about trading and why?

The amount of time you find yourself having to be invested in crypto because it’s a 24/7 market. You could walk away for 2 minutes and miss Elon putting Doge as the Twitter icon.
For that reason, I have been dabbling more into tradfi recently, especially with the tax-free spread betting markets. Once I have enough data, I will probably size up. 

What have you learned in the last six months that has made you a better trader?

Mainly branching into other markets currently, spread bet stock markets etc. It’s another avenue of income that I’m looking to capitalise on. It seems easier but slower. Slower tests your patience, so long-term swings would suit me more regarding traditional markets. 

Slower tests your patience, so long-term swings would suit me more regarding traditional markets. 

What's the mistake you find hardest to avoid when trading?

Over trading, I’m always trying to find a play somewhere. The grind doesn’t stop.  Honestly, the best thing someone could do who spends time getting chopped up is to remove the apps from their phone and stick to the PC. You’ll find yourself piling into impulsive decisions.

the best thing someone could do who spends time getting chopped up is to remove the apps from their phone and stick to the PC


If you could give someone starting trading tomorrow one piece of advice what would it be and why?

Trade with a small amount, not paper. Even a dollar per position, do it for at least three months. LEARN the game first. People's biggest mistake is not learning until they’ve lost all their money. This gives you a huge mountain to climb because you’ve rinsed all your money which takes an enormous toll psychologically. 

No matter how hard life is, there’s always a bounce back. I get sent a lot of stories every single day about people losing money and being desperate. I literally come from a shit hole. I spent all my childhood getting evicted. My dad went to prison and my mum committed suicide. You’re in control of your own path, do what needs to be done, and don’t rely on anyone else to get there. 

People's biggest mistake is not learning until they’ve lost all their money.

How would you describe your relationship with risk?

I’m a pretty risk-on guy at the right times. Learning when to size up is important. There will be certain plays in the market where you need to capitalise on the opportunity. They’re the ones I’m looking for to pile in on. If all the stars align, I’m going heavy and will risk as much as 10% or more. That’s only if my expected return is 50-100% minimum.  These are rare opportunities, and you simply have to put your money where your mouth is. 

What goals do you set for your trading?

It used to be standard profit goals, such as $300-500 daily. Now I don’t have those types of targets. My current goal is constant improvement and build a reputation as a respected trader.

Fill in the blanks

  • Most traders would be better off not using leverage and having multiple income streams.
  • What separates the pros from the rest is the ability to know when to bet BIG with conviction.
  • A good trader should never chase losses
  • The biggest misconception about trading is you’ll have more free time