Simon L. is not an expert in cryptocurrencies. An accountant in Lyon, he discovered Bitcoin three years ago, without ever daring to take the plunge. “ I heard about it, but it was still too risky. I followed the variations from afar, but investing in them was another world for me “, he admits.
Everything changed last July. Donald Trump, then in the middle of the presidential campaign, announced during the Bitcoin conference in Nashville that he wanted to make the United States the “ world capital of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies “. Simon remembers: “ I saw the ad on social media. And that's when I told myself it was now or never. » A few days later, Simon decides to open an account on an exchange platform. “ On August 8, I put 3,000 euros for 0.057 BTC, that was all I wanted to afford to lose. »
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Musk, the decisive blow
If Trump's words convinced Simon to take the first step, it was Elon Musk who pushed him to go further.
In the summer, the billionaire crypto guru announced his support for Trump's campaign and injected millions of dollars into his super PAC (political action committee). Then comes the appearance of the businessman alongside Trump during a meeting in Pennsylvania. We are at the beginning of October.
« I remembered the period Dodge Coin and the impact that Elon Musk had had on the crypto market. This kind of thing is not trivial: I told myself that there was necessarily something to be done », remembers Simon. After a restless night weighing the pros and cons, he decides to… quadruple his investment. On October 15, Bitcoin reached 60,000 euros. He injects 12,000 euros, for 0.2 BTC.
« I knew it was risky, and I don't recommend it to anyone! I even thought I was crazy for having bet 15,000 euros the second I validated the transaction… But I told myself that this kind of opportunity was not going to come back for a long time . I might as well tell you that I didn't say anything to my family…», he admits, looking embarrassed.
Long moments of doubt followed, with the possible election of Kamala Harris. and the feeling of going crazy at times, with the anticipation that I would stupidly lose everything the second the swing states switched to the Democratic camp “, confides the thirty-year-old, who is nevertheless ” not a fan of Trump or politics at all ».
With the re-election of the real estate magnate at the beginning of November, Simon sees the price exceed 86,000 euros, and reach new records. In a few weeks, its added value is around 30%. “ At first I was excited to see the numbers climb! And finally, by measuring the risk I took in relation to my savings, I was far from being exhilarated. »
« What convinced me was the timing »
Today, Simon observes the market with caution. The accountant also knows that volatility is a major risk. “ I'm waiting for some signs of decline before selling, for several reasons: firstly because I don't want to experience the upside down roller coaster. And then because I don't know if Bitcoin will be able to rise much higher after the euphoria, I'm not knowledgeable enough on the subject. »
Even with Trump in the White House? “ What convinced me was the timing. I was lucky enough to hear the signals at the right time and go for it. But I'm not the type to experience this every day! » Still, according to him, the Trump-Musk alliance could change the perception of cryptos on a global scale. “ We can see that something is going to happen. And with a clearly pro-crypto president, I doubt we'll go back. As for starting investing today? I think it's already too late. »
While Bitcoin could continue to surprise analysts, Simon has already made his choice: he will keep one foot in this universe, but with much less risk taking.
