Back in 2013, my friend Jake was obsessed with a little-known cryptocurrency called Bitcoin. At the time, it was worth around $100 per coin, and he convinced me to buy some. I was skeptical but threw in $500, acquiring five Bitcoins. Fast forward to December 2017, and Bitcoin's value skyrocketed to nearly $20,000 per coin. I distinctly remember sitting in a café, sipping my coffee, and casually checking the prices on my phone. My jaw dropped. The $500 investment had ballooned to almost $100,000! I quickly called Jake, who, unsurprisingly, had cashed out and bought a new car. While I didn’t buy a car, I did take a much-needed vacation. It was exhilarating, but it also taught me the volatile nature of cryptocurrencies; fortunes can be made and lost in the blink of an eye.