A fisherman comes to a coastal town and says:
“I’ll pay $1,000 for every golden fish you catch.”
The villagers throw their nets into the sea, and to their surprise, they actually catch a few shiny golden fish. They sell them happily.
Soon, the fish get harder to find. The fisherman raises his price: $2,000… then $5,000… then $10,000.
The villagers are hooked. They buy new nets, bigger boats, and spend day and night hunting the golden fish.
Eventually, almost none are left. One morning the fisherman says:
“I must return to the city, but my friend will continue buying. When I return, I’ll pay $20,000 each. Until then, you can buy the golden fish I already have — only $15,000 apiece. You’ll make easy money!”
Greedy for profit, the villagers sell their homes, jewelry, and pool everything into buying the caged golden fish.
But the “friend” vanishes. The fisherman never comes back.
And the villagers are left with ordinary fish painted gold.
💡 I once bought $PERL after a sudden 200% spike, thinking I had caught a golden fish. In reality, I was just holding painted scales. Lesson learned: stick to discipline, not FOMO.
