Chapter 50
Chapter 50
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 50
Chapter Title: Government, Fucking Bastards
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With the help of the two women, I'd plunged into post-nut clarity and planted myself in front of the computer, starting to sort through the brutal chill that had swept the market during our two-week break.
'Ah, fuck... what the hell is this shitshow.'
The monitor was crammed with glaring red numbers and news headlines that stabbed right into my eyes.
1. Travel Rule (effectively blocking futures trading)
The government rolled out a new regulation under the banner of "investor protection." In reality, it made leverage trading damn near impossible.
Overnight, countless retail investors got force-liquidated and booted from the market.
Government statement: "To foster a healthy investment culture..."
Translation: "Stop your damn gambling."
2. National Assembly's crypto tax law negotiations (starting next year)
There'd been no taxes until now, but a bill passed mandating them from next year.
It started at a 22% rate, climbed to 28% during talks, and somehow ended up at 35%.
Politicians spouting "for blockchain tech advancement" while jacking up taxes in the same breath—a total double standard.
One lawmaker even brazenly declared, "I don't even know what Bitcoin is, but they gotta pay taxes."
3. Israel-Iran war
Middle East tensions kept the "risk-off" mood dragging on.
Investors fled to safe havens, slapping crypto with the "risk asset" label and dumping it en masse.
Ironically, the more war heated up, the more "decentralized currency" Bitcoin got sold off.
War drives gold up and Bitcoin down in this bizarre twist.
4. Prolonged Russia-Ukraine war
The conflict, dragging over two years already, had maxed out market fatigue.
Energy price volatility was just the start, with global supply chain snags fueling nonstop inflation pressure.
Central banks' tightening policies were hitting crypto like a sledgehammer.
5. Miscellaneous disasters
China's real estate bubble collapse fears.
U.S. regional bank failures chaining together.
Japan's yen carry trade unwind.
'And I spent two weeks screwing around in the middle of this...'
My cold, post-nut clarity brain dissected the situation.
The market was straight-up "Hellgate." But chaos like this bred opportunity.
The bottom was exactly when everyone despaired.
The problem? It wasn't as simple as picking a "moon coin" anymore.
Now, I had to fight the government.
In post-nut clarity mode, I began reviewing ways to bypass the Travel Rule one by one.
First attempt: Overseas exchanges
Checked platforms like Binance and BitMEX... but Korean IPs were blocked by default, VPNs got snagged in KYC, and even if you broke through, banks stonewalled deposits and withdrawals.
Second attempt: P2P trading
Thought about peer-to-peer to skirt it, but volume limits and scam risks made it impractical for big trades like ours.
Third attempt: Set up a corporation
Tried qualifying as an institutional investor, but the hurdles were insane—capital requirements, licenses, permits... would've taken months.
Fourth attempt: Switch to spot trading
Ditch leverage, trade spot only. But with our seed capital, big gains were off the table. No more explosive returns like before.
'Conclusion: No answer.'
No matter how I racked my brain, there was no clean way around the Travel Rule.
The government had plugged the holes tighter than I thought.
'Has the game really changed for good...'
The era of blindly leveraging up and one-shotting pumps seemed over.
I reviewed ways to dodge the 35% tax kicking in next year.
First attempt: Emigrate overseas
Considered tax haven moves like Singapore or Dubai for avoidance... but residency rules were strict, and worst of all, schooling for Chaewon. She'd never go for it.
Second attempt: Convert to corporate
Trade under a corp name to pay corporate tax instead. But corp rates weren't a joke, and tax audit risks loomed huge.
Third attempt: Political fix
'Bribe lawmakers to kill the bill?'
Ran the numbers in my head.
Hell Joseon special...
Possible, but not with our assets.
Bribing one lawmaker would cost billions, and flipping a bill needed a majority.
Minimum hundreds of billions. Our 4.2 billion might snag a lawmaker's secretary at best.
Fourth attempt: Just pay up quietly
Swallow the 35% like a good boy. But losing a third of profits? No way.
'Conclusion: No answer here either.'
No perfect tax dodge in sight.
Unless we became whales big enough to rewrite the rules, we had to play by the government's game.
'Money really is the key to freedom...'
But that wasn't the end of it.
Middle East "risk-off" from tensions... what the hell could I do about that?
Couldn't call up Israel's PM or Iran's Supreme Leader and yell, "Cut the shit, my coins are tanking."
4.2 billion was peanuts for mediating Middle East peace.
Global jitters from the two-year-plus Russia-Ukraine slog? Same story.
Bribe Putin to stop? The guy's worth trillions—our cash might buy a local Russian clerk.
International woes didn't stop there.
China property bubble? Send Xi a petition?
U.S. regional bank meltdowns? Letter to Powell?
Japan yen carry unwind? Coffee with the BOJ chief?
'Conclusion: Zilch on all fronts.'
For small fry like us, macro issues were untouchable.
That was whale territory—trillions, quadrillions in capital.
'We're just shrimp swept up in the waves.'
Whale fights bursting shrimp shells.
All we could do was read the market flow and adapt.
Post-nut analysis of all data? Grim.
Mini-bull aftermath left corpses everywhere.
Retail topside bagholders HODLing without cutting losses, leveraged players wiped and gone.
Travel Rule and tax bombs crushed volume.
Current market state:
Daily volume: 70% down from peak
New investor inflow: Near zero
Existing investors: 90% bagholding
Sentiment: "Crypto's gambling," "Gov's right"
Old strategies capped:
PR war? Gov owned media already.
Pump? No volume to push.
Leverage? Travel Rule blocked.
Go overseas? Capital shortage.
'Gotta grow the seed somehow...'
But money had to be made, especially now—real skill shone in the trenches.
No flashy one-shots anymore.
Needed precision, subtlety.
'Market's dead? Revive it.'
Then an idea hit.
Crisis is opportunity, right?
The spark:
'Target micro-cap coins.'
3.7 billion seed was huge, but useless in this frozen market.
Flip it: Low volume meant small capital could swing big.
Core idea: "Zombie Coin Revival" strategy
1. Target micro-caps under 100 million market cap
Daily volume in the low millions
Our capital could manipulate scales easily
2. Phased accumulation and sudden pump
Quiet buys over 1-2 weeks
Concentrated buy at D-day for spike
Trigger FOMO, reel in retail
3. Storytelling for legitimacy
"Real tech surviving regs"
"Innovates aligning with gov policy"
Social media viral push
'No volume means small bets make big waves.'
Frozen market handed mid-tier players like us the reins.
Whales too big, ants fled.
Post-nut math crunched cold.
Conservative: 100 million in, 3x out = 200 million profit.
50 million cap zombie + our 100 million = 20% control.
Low volume? Perfect for rigging.
Aggressive: 200 million in, 5x = 800 million chase.
But success odds under 50%—big players might sniff it.
Gambler: All-in 300 million for 10x.
2.7 billion win, but 85% fail chance, plus dump risks on thin volume.
Risks galore: Sudden regs tank 50%+, whales crash plans.
'100 million to 200 million's the play.'
Stake 100 mil from 3.7 billion seed, preserve rest.
Lame vs. old explosions, but solid now.
First post-move task, and post-nut clarity ended with zero trades.
Just analysis, problem-spotting, vague plans.
No cash made.
Morning session, afternoon session.
10 hours of clarity wasted.
Old me would've printed hundreds, thousands of millions.
Now? Just spun wheels.
'Ah, fuck... what bullshit.'
Post-clarity void hit harder.
First gig in new pad ends like this.
Yura and Chaewon seemed expectant—delivered squat.
Brain churned all day, zero bucks, day gone.
'Not like old times anymore...'
Reality bit deep.
No more easy money era.
Precision and caution from here.
First day flop had me fretting ahead.
'These fucking gov bastards...'
Travel Rule makers, tax-hiking lawmakers,
Financial hacks spewing "investor protection" crap.
They stole our bowl.
Middle East warring millennia,
Russia-Ukraine endless,
China property imploding,
U.S. banks folding...
'Planet's gone mad.'
Little folks like us? Just flail in the madness waves.
4.2 billion? Big shrimp to world events.
'Least the house is pretty.'
Bitter smile at Heyri village peace outside.
Escaped 6-pyeong hellhole at least.
Tomorrow, make real money.
To survive this shit world.