In the summer of 2021, I first encountered Binance. At that time, I only knew that 'if you have a graphics card, you can mine.' The ETH that popped out of the mining pool was sold at the exchange immediately. It wasn't that I was bearish; I just didn't dare to believe: whose money was I really making? Is the value of mining merely consuming electricity for numbers?
1. From 'Coin Selling Machine' to 'Problem Youth': Trust is dug out
At that time, I was like a marionette. Every day I would turn on the machine, check the hash rate, sell coins, and repeat. Until one day, the mining pool revenue suddenly plummeted by 30%, and I stared blankly at the shrinking numbers in my wallet—not because I was losing money, but because I suddenly realized: if I don't even understand the rules I'm participating in, what I'm earning is merely coins in a bubble.
I began to "nibble" on the underlying logic of the crypto world: from the PoW consensus mechanism to incentive distribution models, from the risk constraints of smart contracts to this new set of coordinates of "ownership, identity, verifiability." I watched the long videos from Binance Academy five times, chased technical influencers in forums to ask questions, and even shamelessly joined a few developer communities. Once I asked, "How does mining create real value?" A senior replied, "What you mine is not coins, but security proof for the network. Just like the people who dug canals, they might not have taken a boat themselves, but the navigation of the boat is meaningful."
This sentence was like a key. I suddenly understood: the trust in the crypto world does not fall from the sky; it is "mined" by each participant through learning and practice. Just like what a sister said, "Knowing shame and then being brave," I began to feel ashamed of my past "blindness" and proud of my renewed self.
2. Resignation to pursue graduate studies: Changing tracks to become my own builder
At that time, I still had a stable job. In the gaps of my nine-to-five, I played zombie games to learn Solidity and explored everything about Web3 on X. My friends said I was "obsessed," but I became clearer: rather than waiting for Web3 to change the world, it was better to become a builder in it.
This summer, I submitted my resignation. During the exit interview, HR regretted: "You are one of our key trained backbones." I smiled: "I want to train myself." Now I am studying for a master's in information technology, spending my spare time in the Binance community, helping newcomers answer some basic questions—those questions that once trapped me have now become a bridge connecting me to the world.
At the same time, I am also applying to be a Binance Angel. When filling out the form, I wrote in the "Why do you want to become an angel" section: "I want to pass the consensus of Web3 to more people."
3. Taking root in daily life: Every step of being a builder is very specific.
Now, I no longer struggle with "what big thing I want to accomplish." I have begun to enjoy those small yet solid connections:
When replying to newcomers' questions in the community, I write a few more lines: "When I first started, I also often fell into pitfalls; this is my own list of pitfalls to avoid. If you need it, I’ll send it to you."
On weekends, I gathered with my college roommates, who laughed at me for "using technical terms all the time," but I found that when I talked about "on-chain identity" and "decentralized storage," their curiosity outweighed their confusion—turns out that popularization is not about indoctrination, but about planting a seed with language that the other party can understand.
A few days ago in the group, a new person just entering the circle said: "I always feel that Web3 is very far from me." I replied: "I thought the same when I was mining. But later I found that when you start learning the rules, helping others, even if it’s just replying to someone in the community, you become part of Web3—this is your ‘Binance life,’ a footnote of all builders.
From "selling coins machine" to "problem youth," from employee to restarting life, my "Binance life" does not have a myth of getting rich quickly; it is only a process of constantly overturning cognition and rebuilding trust. But it is real and passionate, like the computing power in a mining machine, silently yet forcefully driving something.
After all, the "Binance life" is not a badge of honor for a few; it is a future written together by everyone who participates seriously and builds silently.
