I now own my bitcoins and it's thanks to you r/bitcoin !

As of a few minutes ago, as my "earn" lock just expired, I am now fully non custodial on an secure wallet !

When I first got into "crypto", a couple years ago, I started by registering on a couple exchange: trading felt fun, the earn benefit seemed great, the credit card cashback was attractive, it seemed much more simple.

Beside the whole messaging of these exchange was that non-custodial was too complicated and I know feel like there is a deliberate marketing tactic of making non-custodial appear confusing.

I'm a slow learner, I've been following this sub the whole time and only got out now. First reading you guys made me understand the difference between BTC and b-tiers cryptos, and I eventually dumped everything but BTC. Then you guys made me understand how simple the bitcoin network is conceptually, and how unnecessary custodial wallet were if you follow good security practice. And finally I've taken the "Not your key not your coin" advice to its logical conclusion and hold everything myself.

It has not been smooth. I was long delusional enough to believe that my exchange of choice was sound, after all I'm not an idiot like those people who trusted Mt Gox, Celcius, Voyager, FTX... right ? Right ? Surely I was wise enough to pick a serious exchange, and this would never happen to me.

Even as FTX was going under, I "bought the dip" and locked it onto a 3 month earn at my favourite exchange.

Which promptly got under suspicion of insolvency with the value of its own proprietary coin divided by 2 nearly overnight. Shit, what happen to these other cretins was about to happen to me ! Maybe I'm no so different after all and it was just a matter of random luck that my exchange hadn't gone belly up yet ? Well I dodged the bullet eventually but felt the heat.

Anyhow, I kept reading this sub because of the meme, because overall it's good spirited and because you guys are helpful and, for the most part, a friendly bunch. (this is in contrast with the cynical, nasty people of anti-crypto subs, makes one wonder who are the sociopaths) As a consequence, I learned a lot, and I'm glad I did. If it wasn't for you I'd probably eventually would have lost it all "chasing pennies in front of a steamroller", and quit this whole crypto thingy altogether.

So thank you guys.