Most people won’t like this, but it’s the honest truth from my own experience.
Holding altcoins taught me patience.
Trading meme coins taught me skill.
Back in 2021 - 2022, I did what most people do. I researched narratives, held “strong projects” and waited. Sometimes it worked, most of the time, capital just sat there doing nothing while volatility passed me by. I wasn’t actually improving as a trader - I was just exposed to some random beta.
Fast forward to 2023 - 2024, meme trading on Solana forced a different mindset. You don’t get rewarded for beliefs, you get punished for hesitation, you learn quickly how to size properly, cut losers without emotion and respect liquidity and momentum. There’s no hiding behind fundamentals when price moves fast.
That environment accelerates learning. It builds execution, discipline and emotional control in ways slow altcoin holding never did for me.
The key part most people miss: the goal isn’t memes forever. The goal is capital and competence. Once you have both, you rotate profits into longer term vehicles like ETFs, higher timeframe trades, assets that compound quietly.
Memes aren’t the destination, they’re the training ground.