Ethereum cryptocurrency, physical coin close-up, in front of a price chart. Source: Dennis - stock.adobe.com

Key Takeaways:

A 2016 Ethereum trader turned a $87,000 investment into nearly $40 million, holding for over eight years.
The trader began selling ETH on September 16, netting $819,000 from 350 ETH, while still holding $38 million worth of ETH.
In contrast, early ETH investor James Fickel lost $43 million betting on Bitcoin’s rise against Ethereum, driving his debt to $132 million.

A recent Ethereum (ETH) trader exemplified the success of a buy-and-hold strategy by turning an $87,000 investment in 2016 into nearly $40 million.

In February 2016, the investor bought 16,636 ETH at $5.23 per token via ShapeShift.

An #Ether trader who bought 16,636 #ETH for $87,006 in 2016 started selling some of their holdings after eight years, generating nearly $40 million in profits.

The trader sold 350 ETH for $819,000 and still holds over $38 million worth of ETH.

Additionally, another trader… pic.twitter.com/dV8mXPDy46
— TOBTC (@_TOBTC) September 16, 2024

After holding the investment for over eight years, the trader began selling on September 16, starting with 350 ETH at $2,340 per token, earning $819,000—almost 10 times the original investment.

Despite this sale, the trader still holds over $38 million worth of ETH.

Meanwhile, not all crypto investors share this success.

On September 14, blockchain analytics platform Lookonchain reported that James Fickel, an early ETH investor, lost $43 million betting on Bitcoin rising against ETH, driving his total debt to $132 million.