Max invented the 4 Investor Personalities Test for “South-East Asia’s Favorite Exchange.”It gathers 40 questions around four variables:
- (-A+) ACTIVITY(Passive/Active): How often you’re willing to update your strategy, how much time you want to dedicate, and how quickly you want to see results.
- (-E+) EMOTION(Emotional/Logical)(Indecisive/Decisive): How you make decisions, specially when things go against your plan, how you feel during uncertainty (e.g., overwhelmed? calmed?)
- (-R+) RISK TOLERANCE (Riskless/Risky): How much risk you can handle, how much you’re ok with losing, and your preference to reward over risk.
- (-M+) MINDSET (Reactive/Proactive)(Methodical/Intuitive): How you think. Do you do your own research or follow other investors? Is your strategy based on fundamentals, or do you profit from speculation? Do you rely on a step-by-step checklist, or do you trade based on intuition/knowledge/experience?
About the Questionnaire
- For every question both polarized answers make sense. So it’s not limited to one “correct” way of thinking.
- Many questions have a parenthesis at the end (for the scoring system later)
- Underlined questions weigh twice as much
- These questions don’t follow any particular order
- Questions should have 4 to 6 answers (from Disagree to Agree) with no neutrals. Neutral answers don’t lead to any result.
- Most questions affect more than one variable
- Assuming only 4 investor types exist, these are the models:
The 4 Investors Test
👁️🗨️ ACTIVITY 👁️🗨️
- You usually avoid selling for as long as possible. (-E)
- You often feel overwhelmed. (-, -E)
- You prefer to invest and relax rather than keep up with the daily excitement of the market. (-,-E)
- You rarely try to find new projects and mostly invest in the ones you already know. Even when those perform way better. (-, -R)
- You spend a lot of your free time exploring various projects in crypto.
- You believe you constantly need to adapt your strategy to the market. If you want the best gains.
- You don’t mind losing money for months if you profit in the end. (-)
- Your first feeling about SELL is negative, while BUY has a positive connotation. (-)
- You like to invest with a simple strategy that barely needs any revision. (-, -M)
🎭 EMOTION 🎭
- You trade methodically without skipping over any steps.
- You are still bothered by mistakes that you made a long time ago. (-, -R)
- You like to follow a checklist for each trade. (-M)
- You rarely second-guess the choices that you have made. (R, M)
- You become bored or lose interest when the analysis gets highly theoretical. (-)
- You often change your strategy at the last possible moment. (-)
- You lose patience with coins that aren’t as profitable as your top performers. (-, A)
- Your investment decision can change very quickly. (-, A)
- You usually prefer just buying whatever looks good on any given day instead of planning a particular strategy. (-, A)
- You usually stay calm, even under a lot of buying pressure. (R)
- You check the coin price many times the same day you buy it. Often with no intention to sell or buy anything. (-)
🚧 RISK TOLERANCE 🚧
- You take advantage of quick trade opportunities. Even if those projects have zero long-term potential.
- You think investors would be more successful if they cared more about risk management and less about potential gains.
- You are prone to worrying that things will take a turn for the worse. (-, -E)
- Even a small loss can cause you to doubt your strategy. (-, -E)
- You often make a backup plan for a backup plan. (-, -M)
- You don’t mind risking 50%+ of your portfolio if it has the chance to 10X later.
- You feel uninterested in large blockchains. You prefer coins with a tiny market size and a high chance to explode. (A)
- You don’t mind buying coins that are moving up. You’re okay risking to buy at the top as long as the project has long-term potential. (-E)
- You lose interest in good projects when the price plateaus near the all-time low for weeks. You’d rather sell and trade more volatile coins. (E, A)
- You’d rather lose money on being early than being late.
♟️ MINDSET ♟️
- You would pass along a good opportunity if you were expecting a better one. (E)
- You know at first glance where markets are moving. (E)
- Your investing style is closer to spontaneous quick trades than organized, consistent efforts. (R)
- You find it easy to understand investors with a different (if not opposite) strategy than yours. (-A)
- You are interested in so many things that you find it difficult to choose what to try next. (-, -E)
- You are not too interested in discussing various interpretations and analyses of price potential.
- You like to use organizing tools like schedules and lists. (E)
- Seeing other investors sell can easily make you feel like you want to sell too. (-)
- You research most of the coins you own: technology, tokenomics, whitepapers, interviews, competitors. (E, -R)
- You’re confident in your analysis skills. You’d rather be wrong yourself than follow the wrong advice.
- You like to take advantage of mass psychology for easy money. Even when the project has potential and you could just hold and wait.
1st Type: The Crypto Holder
Holders. Investors who (almost) never lose a trade. Out of the four personalities, this one has the highest success rate.
It’s surprising how holding is so simple, predictable, and yet effective. Because only holders can buy “at the top” and still make big money. Their secret to time the market is to always be in the game, so they cannot miss out.
“I could either watch it happen or be part of it.” — Elon Musk, Spacex Founder
Holders don’t look to trade for a living, but rather be part of projects with 100x potential. And while holding isn’t the most profitable strategy, they can still multiply their portfolio without ever worrying about the market.
In the end, it will go their way.
Faithful Till The End
Holders believe in the project’s vision. It may take a while before they choose that one project. But when they do, they will hold, at least, until it becomes more successful.
Even if it takes a long time, they’d rather keep the coin than miss out on potential growth. It’s a matter of time.
Dare To Differ
When most traders react to market trends, holders stay resolved on their strategy. They hold even if the price moves far from their goals. It’s not an easy decision.
But it’s the same mindset that often makes investors successful. Those who dare to differ popular belief are always ready for the next cycle.
Recommended Coins
The whole crypto market favors the holder. There’s no wrong choice, whether you like DeFi coins or game tokens, micro or macro caps.
Within the Top 50 list holders should not ignore Ethereum, Solana, Cardano, PolkaDot, Avalanche, Fantom, Mana, FileCoin, even Bitcoin.
And if you’re comfortable buying at their current price, consider the coins within their ecosystems, as they offer better upside. To name a few big ones: MoonRiver (in DOT), Raydium (in SOL), Joe (in AVAX), Enjin (in ETH).
When a coin like Bitcoin goes up, most of the top 25 tokens also do. So if you don’t know which one to pick, it’s safe to buy multiple. At least most of them will sell high.
Holder Pros
✅ Effective Long Term
✅ Low-Risk Approach
✅ Time-Efficient
Holder Cons
❌ Impulsive
❌ Indecisive
❌ Money over time
Holder Strengths
👊 Early Investing
👊 Entry Strategies
👊 Discipline
Holder Weaknesses
⚠️ Low Variety
⚠️ Shallow Strategy
⚠️ Opportunity Cost
Putting It All together
Holders can get high returns for doing nothing. But the risk of losing money is also real, no matter how small. To make sure it’s worth the wait, hedge your bets.
Don’t just buy one project. Plan your entry/exit strategy. And don’t let the FOMO lock you away from better buying opportunities. With patience and discipline, your time to shine will come.
So far this is 30% of the analysis. If you want to see the full-breakdown of the Holder crypto investor personality, click the button below:
2nd Type: The Crypto DCA
Dollar-Cost Averagers (DCAs) take smart risks. They rarely miss out on opportunities. And unlike holders, they’re not left out holding at the peak.
When dollar-cost averaging, you distribute risk on all buying points. Instead of buying $10K of Bitcoin, you buy $1K every month. It takes out the emotional investing, so you can profit from actual growth, rather than speculation.
“Successful investing takes time, discipline, and patience. No matter how great the talent or effort, some things just take time.” — Warren Buffet, Berkshire Hathaway Founder
DCAs may not be the smartest traders. But they don’t have to, because they’re not competing the same way. While reactive traders try to profit from hype, DCA traders buy regularly regardless of the market situation.
To avoid buying high, DCAs buy at the lowest point of the day, week, and month. A good time could be, say, September 15th on a Sunday after business hours. However, the “best time” is only temporary until more traders start to use it too.
Never Missing Out
DCA Traders (DCAs) don’t miss out on opportunities because they buy in all of them. Whether they miss out or not depends on whether they buy monthly, weekly, or daily.
Maybe they don’t catch as many details as day traders. But DCAs get better value for their time. Once they plan how to buy, they can set and forget it.
Investing Without Emotion
DCAs wouldn’t follow their plan if they didn’t have proof that it works. They know the best strategy is the one that you actually execute. So after they set it up, whatever it is, they don’t overthink it.
DCAs are used to buy low. They probably won’t fall for bear traps since they don’t respond to selling pressure. Which doesn’t mean it’s easy.
In essence, DCAs choose in advance how they want to trade. And the discipline of buying as planned also gives them the confidence to sell at the top (rather than hold).
Recommended Coins
Dollar-cost averaging is the most effective during long-term growth. So instead of looking at market size, DCAs instead invest in whatever projects have the most activity, both in the fundamentals and marketing.
Think of Ethereum, EOS, TheSandbox, Avalanche, Ripple, PolkaDot, HarmonyOne, Enjin. Most of these bring major updates every few months. It’s an opportunity to dollar-cost average and exit before the price tops.
DCA Pros
✅ Profitable Mid-Term
✅ Minimized Mistakes
✅ High Clarity
DCA Cons
❌ Bad Timing Risk
❌ Lower Returns
❌ Delayed Risk
DCA Strengths
👊 Investment Planning
👊 Fundamental & Market Analysis
👊 Strategy Execution
DCA Weaknesses
⚠️ Exit Strategy
⚠️ Cash Drag
⚠️ Too Rigid
Putting It All together
Dollar-cost averaging is effective when based on independent research. Whether you’re a beginner or a big trader, it’s the most recommended for volatile cryptocurrencies. So if you want to DCA for months, take your time defining the strategy (so you don’t regret it later).
DCAs should NOT keep the remaining funds in fiat. Ideally, DCA purchases will come from profits taken on other investments. But if you choose to hold idle money, consider bigger amounts (e.g., $1000 split into four payments instead of eight).
Once you have enough accumulated (~50%), you can be more flexible with your plan. If the coin falls way below your average, consider spending $150 instead of $100. And if it goes parabolic, it’s okay to take the sale opportunity.
You don’t need to hold until you buy the last coin.
So far this is 30% of the analysis. If you want to see the full-breakdown of this investor personality, click the button below:
3rd Type: The Crypto Interest Earner
Interest earners are one of a kind in crypto. You don’t find many of them, and many traders don’t even know they exist. So what if you could earn more than all of them by lending money the right way?
It happens all the time.
“Cryptocurrency will survive regardless of any one country. Most countries that try to ban bitcoin cause their citizens to want cryptocurrency more.” — Chanpeng Zhao, Binance Founder
Interest earning refers to yield farmers, stakeholders, and liquidity providers. These are different names given to crypto lenders based on the method used. They lend money to trading platforms (AKA liquidity) in exchange for interest and rewards.
What makes interest earners effective is their unpopular approach to investing. They’re both systematic and intuitive. Cautious and risk-tolerant.
They can profit in almost any environment, whether they’re active or passive.
Selling Shovels In The Gold Rush
Interest earners are no fools. Why chase crypto gains when you can make just as much (if not more) by helping other traders? If you see the crypto bull run like a gold rush, interest earners are the entrepreneurs selling the shovels.
Think of all the coins that can only launch on platforms like Uniswap, dYdX, or PancakeSwap. Traders can’t get them without decentralized exchanges. The liquidity providers who joined early must be swimming in money by now, yielding at times four-digit APRs.
Get Paid To Manage Risk
Whether it’s a 1% interest rate or 100%, interest earners know they will make money. They don’t need to worry about it. All they have to do is manage risk.
Because they don’t have to think about profits, they have more time to think of potential losses. So they can avoid them on time. And if they lose, they still get interest % to help break even.
Recommended Coins
If day traders make profits from price changes, interest earners make it from price stability. Either (a) the price has to move sideways or (b) both currencies move the same as a pair. The smaller the difference (and higher the volume), the higher the interest rates.
Stablecoin-crypto pairs make a conservative choice: Binance Coin, Cardano, ChainLink, LiteCoin, and Cosmos mainly.
For better gains, look for correlated pairs like ETH-BTC, LTC-ETH, ADA-NEO, ETH-EOS, or XRM-BCH. If you compare their price history, they’re at least 80% proportional.
Example: BTC costs $10 and ETH costs $1. If BTC goes up to $20, ETH may go between $1.60 and $2.40.
Warning: Correlation rates will change during project updates (e.g., Ethereum 2.0. launch). Only lend to these coins after prices stabilize.
Interest Earner Pros
✅ Many Ways to Profit
✅ Guaranteed Returns
✅ Semi-Passive
Interest Earner Cons
❌ Variable Interest
❌ Diminishing Returns
❌ Situational
Interest Earner Strengths
👊 Liquidity Strategy
👊 Decision Making
👊 Pattern Recognition
Interest Earner Weaknesses
⚠️ New Projects
⚠️ Market Analysis
⚠️ Complexity
Putting It All together
Interest earners should take advantage of their skills (decision making and pattern recognition) when looking for lending choices. As long as they keep a simple strategy and don’t lose sight of the market trends, it’s a matter of time they profit.
When you play on your strengths and plan for weaknesses, you give yourself the best possible chance for success.
So far this is 30% of the analysis. If you want to see the full-breakdown of this investor personality, click the button below:
4th Type: The Crypto Day Trader
Day traders are, by popular opinion, the market pros. They’re masterful analysts who can both work fast and tolerate high risk. And while it’s not easy to become one, the rewards are well worth it.
“Markets are constantly in a state of uncertainty and flux, and money is made by discounting the obvious and betting on the unexpected.” — George Soros, Open Society Foundations Founder
While you’re holding a devaluing coin, day traders sold it near the top. While you consider buying a new token, day traders have already done it ten times. They trade fast and with confidence because they have a system they trust.
You may wonder: why is day trading so attractive when so many of them fail? Because day traders can make big bucks overnight, BUT they think very differently from what beginners expect.
Decisive and Persistent
Day traders don’t second-guess themselves. They’re confident in their decisions and make them fast. And while it sounds risky, they get it right more often than not.
They don’t follow their intuition without a plan. It helps to have experience and practice. But ultimately, high-precision trades require technical knowledge and structure.
They write down the signals they need and how to respond, so when they find them, they don’t have to think. They’re persistent because they follow their method even when it doesn’t right.
Tolerant to Risk
Making money day trading is easy. Knowing when to sell is hard. Especially in crypto where everything seems to grow.
Day traders make money by managing risk. They know when they’re wrong, how to stop losses, and when to let go. Which sometimes means to step back and close the trade in the red.
So they’re early for the next opportunity, ready both emotionally and financially.
Recommended Coins
Day traders make money from fast price changes. Thus, the right coins need to be volatile and big enough, ideally moving sideways.
In the top 30 list, that’s Stellar, Ripple, Ethereum, Bitcoin Gold, and Litecoin (all of which allow leverage).
For higher volatility, day traders can check microcap coins under the main ecosystems. Such as PolkaBridge (on DOT), GameSwap (on AVAX), or Enjin (on ETH).
If you want even more risk-reward, consider the DOGEs and SHIBs.
Day Trader Pros
✅ Instant Results
✅ Intuitive
✅ Small Error Margin
Day Trader Cons
❌ Mentally Draining
❌ Unpredictable Trend Changes
❌ Entry Barrier
Day Trader Strengths
👊 Technical Analysis
👊 Investment Focus
👊 Structured Trading
Day Trader Weaknesses
⚠️ Long-Term Trend Review
⚠️ Profit Consistency
⚠️ Pacing
Putting It All together
With so many choices, how do you find the best crypto strategy? Whatever it is, it only works if you apply it. To do so, it has to match with how you think:
Day traders don’t need strategic advice, as it’s what they do well naturally: technical analysis, project focus, step-by-step planning. But they do need to watch out for uncertainty.
Sometimes it takes 2 minutes to make $500, sometimes it’s two hours. Sometimes you have a long losing streak with a working strategy. As long as they keep calm and adapt for the long-term, day traders can potentially become the highest earners in crypto.
When you play on your strengths and plan for weaknesses, you give yourself the best possible chance for success.
So far this is 30% of the analysis. If you want to see the full-breakdown of this investor personality, click the button below: