Faces of Crypto: Maarten Carlier
The cryptocurrency world has sparked large online and offline communities of early adopters fascinated by the potential of blockchain technology. Many investors come from non-traditional backgrounds and have reinvented themselves, found friends, and even become household names within certain circles. Crypto enthusiasts come from all corners of the globe, from all walks of life.
Over the next few weeks, Stayawhile will give members of the community the opportunity to share their stories in their own words.
Today, we spoke with Maarten Carlier (name has been changed to protect identity), a 25 year old Belgian accountant turned full-time crypto investor who found sobriety, happiness, and satisfaction in the crypto economy. In his teen years, he struggled with depression and drug addiction. He heard about Bitcoin for the first time buying drugs on Silk Road. Today, he’s sitting on a small fortune, and he made it all trading crypto.
How long have you been speculating in crypto?
One and a half years.
Is this your day job or your side hustle? If you have another job, what is it?
I did this on the side for about six months. I hated my 9-to-5 job, and I was already earning a lot more trading crypto than I did from my day job. I figured that if I spent three times as much time trading, it would probably earn me even more, so I took the plunge, left my job, and started trading full time. I’ve never looked back since making that choice, and I’m hoping to never have to work at a traditional job again.
What makes your story interesting?
My mom died of alcoholism. I went on an extended drug and alcohol binge (buying mostly through Silk Road, where I encountered Bitcoin for the first time) to escape my own thoughts and troubles, which caused even more. I crashed two cars in six months, nearly getting myself killed. And I piled on $50,000 of debt. At my bottom, I had a bit more than $1200 in my bank account, and went all in on Bitcoin and then on Ethereum. It could have gone so wrong, but luckily it didn’t. I learned a lot about charting, mass psychology, and influencers and kept on trading.
What is your favorite cryptocurrency?
BTC and ETH will always be my favourites, since they’re where my journey started. But, there are a lot of others. NEO (previously Antshares) and BQX have also generated huge returns for me.
However, I never “fall in love” with a coin, since that’s usually when the problems start.
When did you buy your first Bitcoin?
22 months ago.
Whom do you respect most in the crypto world?
The legends who built the first building blocks: Nakamoto & team, Vitalik Buterin, guys like that.
I don’t respect many of the traders, since 99% of them are only motivated by self interest.
Do you think cryptocurrencies are overhyped?
Not at all! They are still in the shadows. Everyone always talks about hype and bubbles, but this story reminds me of the internet bubble. Internet stocks represented $9 trillion in total value at their peak, which is still more than 50 times more than the total market cap of all crypto. We have a long way to go.
However, if you asked me, “Do you think a lot of cryptocurrencies are overhyped?” then my answer would be “95% of them absolutely are.” At least 95% of the coins are widely known in the cryptosphere among traders as “sh*tcoins.” But, that doesn’t mean you can’t profit from them in the short-term.
What do your friends think of your crypto investments?
I’ve helped some of my closest friends and family to invest, but always with a clear understanding that that they could lose it all. A lot of wealth has come into my closest circle of friends from crypto. The only problem is, once you gain a lot of money, you become paranoid about losing it.
Have you made friends through crypto?
Yes, I’ve built an international network of friends and professionals. I’m doing a US tour in February to meet up with a lot of the guys, some of whom I’ve known for nearly a year.
On average, how much do you buy of any one crypto?
That depends from trade to trade. But at least 1 BTC per trade.
How big is your portfolio?
3 digit bitcoin-count. And still counting.
Do you trade with a bot/program? Do you read technical charts?
I don’t use bots. I have a dozen tools which I combine, and a network of other traders who keep me updated on things that matter to us at all times. Nothing goes by unnoticed by us on the coins worth talking about.
How do you do your due diligence on ICOs?
We work as a team, reviewing the history of team members, reviewing how the crowdsale is set up, reading white papers, reviewing the short term roadmap, the possibility of realization and adoption, etc etc. It’s most important to look for red flags, things that don’t add up, ridiculous numbers, team members with shady backgrounds (affiliation with previous scams, for example.)
What do you do when you’re not trading crypto?
I have a girlfriend, so we hop around between European cities on the weekends. I’m a foodie, and I love cars. And actually, making money has been the most fun I’ve ever had. And I’m completely clean of my hard drug addiction.
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