The London Stock Exchange has implemented blockchain settlement, with the entire network exclaiming the return of the ‘bull market.’ Predictive markets see daily trading volumes surpassing $700 million, with Wall Street scrambling to hire traders at salaries of $200,000 per year. In Vietnam, USDT payment success rates reach 97%, and the application of stablecoins appears to be on the verge of explosive growth—this new wave of crypto enthusiasm brings both allure and risk, enticing many retail investors to jump in. Sister Qinglan often reminds everyone in her Qinglan Crypto Classroom that the more vibrant the crypto scene appears, the more vigilant one must be against the ‘scythe’ lurking behind it. These three layers of harvesting traps can potentially wipe out your principal at every step.
Important Disclaimer: The content of this article reflects Sister Qinglan’s personal observations and analysis and does not constitute any form of investment advice. Risks in the cryptocurrency market far exceed those in traditional finance, with gains and losses borne by the investor alone. Irrational herd behavior will only result in becoming a sacrificial offering to the market—a principle I repeatedly emphasize as the bottom line in my Qinglan Crypto Classroom.
Trap One: The ‘Co-optation-style Takeover’ by the London Stock Exchange leaves retail investors as mere rule-following appendages.
The announcement by the London Stock Exchange regarding its digital asset settlement platform has been interpreted by the market as a ‘milestone in the legitimization of the crypto industry,’ triggering a surge in various ‘institutional concept coins’ and prompting a frenzy among retail investors. However, Sister Qinglan would like to offer a reality check: this is far from being a ‘co-optation’ of the crypto sector by traditional giants; rather, it represents a cross-border power grab amid waning competition for existing market share. Essentially, it is a dimensional reduction harvest of the crypto space by traditional finance—a prediction that was thoroughly analyzed in my earlier discussions within the Qinglan Crypto Classroom.
The core objective of traditional financial institutions is to break through their stagnating growth—slowing business expansion and shrinking profit margins have made the incremental opportunities in the crypto market an indispensable battleground. The blockchain settlement strategy deployed by the London Stock Exchange focuses on converting bank deposits and traditional assets into on-chain tokens, enabling direct integration of traditional capital into blockchain-based flows. The ultimate goal is to bypass existing crypto exchanges entirely, thereby controlling the pricing and circulation rules for on-chain funds.
From the progression of their strategic moves, the London Stock Exchange initiated its technical groundwork as early as September 2024, embedding blockchain technology into its core settlement system and gradually squeezing out space for retail investors. Their calculations are meticulously crafted. In the future, they will dictate the industry’s rules, relegating retail investors to mere friction costs, free to be harvested at their discretion. This is precisely why I continually warn about institutional hegemony in the Qinglan Crypto Classroom.
Sister Qinglan’s Lifesaving Strategy: Stick to long-term spot investments and avoid short-term speculation in ‘institutional concept coins’ at all costs. Macroeconomic tailwinds determine long-term trends but should never serve as justification for short-term speculation. Only consider re-entering the market after expectations are digested and there is a volume contraction leading to a pullback. Remember, institutions are here to set the rules, not to carry you to profits—an essential logic for avoiding pitfalls emphasized in the Qinglan Crypto Classroom.
Trap Two: The ‘Professional Scythe Game’ of predictive markets crushes retail investors with information asymmetry.
With daily trading volumes in predictive markets exceeding $700 million and Wall Street aggressively recruiting traders with $200,000 annual salaries, it sounds tempting, doesn’t it? Many retail investors see this as a new trend worth jumping into, hoping to claim a share. But Sister Qinglan must caution you—this is the sharpest scythe of information asymmetry, specifically targeting retail investors. In my Qinglan Crypto Classroom, I’ve dissected the mechanisms behind such high-adversarial sectors designed to harvest unsuspecting participants.
In the past, when markets were chaotic, retail investors might occasionally strike gold through sheer luck. Now, however, Wall Street’s professional armies have entered the fray, fundamentally altering the game’s rules. While you rely on subjective intuition and fragmented information, they leverage quantitative models, millisecond-level data streams, and cross-platform arbitrage strategies to ensure consistent profits. You gamble on single events, while they use predictive market data to hedge risks across traditional markets, securing profits from both directions.
Even more severe are insider trading and odds manipulation, where institutions can preemptively obtain core information on policies and elections to strategize, leaving retail investors with no choice but to passively take over. As institutional capital floods in, the odds of profit quickly flatten, completely sealing off any prior loopholes for gains. Retail investors are left with nothing but bare bets on market fluctuations, utterly powerless.
Sister Qinglan’s Ghost-Evading Maxim: Such sectors should only be approached with small amounts of idle funds for some casual fun, strictly prohibiting heavy positions! Treat it as entertainment money and don’t rely on it as a lifeline. It is better to use market data as a reference to assist in rational decision-making, an approach advocated by Sister Qinglan’s Crypto Classroom as part of its rational investment philosophy.
Trap Three: The ‘Illusory Celebration’ of Vietnam’s Stablecoin Payments, Three Major Challenges Remain Unresolved
The news that ‘Vietnam achieved a 97% USDT payment success rate over 30 days’ has led many to believe that stablecoins are poised to conquer the world. While Sister Qinglan acknowledges there is genuine demand, she warns against being deceived by appearances. The underlying issues have been thoroughly dissected in Sister Qinglan’s Crypto Classroom, revealing three major flaws that make widespread adoption unlikely.
Vietnam’s situation is unique: USDT is not a mainstream payment tool but rather a safe-haven currency. Locals use it to hedge against exchange rate volatility and preserve asset value. Moreover, Vietnam skipped the credit card era, and with the prevalence of mobile payments, wallet protocols enabling seamless conversion between USDT and the Vietnamese dong have contributed to impressive data figures. This phenomenon emerged in the second half of last year, forming a localized ‘second financial system.’
Behind the 97% success rate lie three insurmountable challenges: trust crises (successful deductions where merchants did not receive funds, with indecipherable blockchain records), slow transactions (20-30 seconds for confirmation, resulting in a poor user experience), and limited applicability (chain stores do not support it, with minimum thresholds), significantly reducing its practicality.
Sister Qinglan’s Reassurance: The real-world application of stablecoins demonstrates that the industry is materializing, not remaining a pie-in-the-sky concept. BTC, ETH, and other mainstream cryptocurrencies serve as cornerstones, and their long-term value proposition remains unchanged. There is no need to panic over short-term volatility; adhering to a strategy of phased position building while maintaining composure is key. This is also the long-term advice offered by Sister Qinglan’s Crypto Classroom.
Core Conclusion: Adhering to Three Principles is Essential to Navigating the Cryptocurrency Maze
Sister Qinglan helps clarify: The London Stock Exchange is a ‘Power-Grabbing Ghost,’ seizing pricing power and rule-setting authority; prediction markets are ‘Soul-Sucking Ghosts,’ reaping profits through professional barriers; stablecoin payments act as a ‘Lifeline Amulet,’ supported by genuine demand sustaining the industry.
The core survival strategies for retail investors boil down to three points, which must be remembered: Do not chase high-profile institutional concept coins, avoid heavily investing in highly competitive sectors, and stick to long-term positioning in mainstream cryptocurrencies. Separating entertainment funds from investment funds and abandoning侥幸心理 (wishful thinking) is the only way to survive amid institutional dominance.
To learn more about the underlying logic of institutional harvesting, follow Qinglan’s Crypto Classroom. With Qinglan, gain insights into the strategies and avoid common pitfalls. Opportunities and risks coexist in the crypto market; protecting your wallet is key to surviving until the real bull market arrives!