How Much Do You Need to Earn in Crypto to "Change Your Fate"? Lessons from Vitalik Buterin's Decision to Quit Teaching

Author: 2Lambroz

Translation: Saoirse, Foresight News

Original Title: How Much Do You Need to Earn in Crypto to Truly "Change Your Fate"?

A friend asked me a few days ago: "Do you think $200,000 can change your life?"

For some people, the answer is yes; for others, it’s not even close. This gap in perception is exactly what leaves most of us confused—because we’ve never clearly defined what “life-changing money” or “financial freedom money” actually means to us personally.

Let me tell a story: about a friend who unexpectedly gained a windfall, and a poker player who, thanks to clear goals and self-discipline, voluntarily folded “Pocket Aces” (one of the strongest starting hands in poker).

At first, I didn’t think much of it and casually said, “$200,000 is a nice sum, but it’s not really life-changing.”

My friend immediately interrupted me, saying, “You’ve been too influenced by the crypto circle—it’s made you unrealistic.”

He was right. In the crypto world, people talk about million-dollar gains and losses as if they’re pocket change. This environment distorts your perception, making you feel like “any amount less than seven figures isn’t even worth mentioning.”

But step outside this circle and you’ll realize: $200,000 can help someone pay off debts, cover part of a mortgage, or buy several years of “breathing room” (time without worrying about making ends meet). Money like this can indeed change a life.

To understand this, you need to answer three questions:

• How much do you “need”? — The amount that covers your actual living expenses, debts, and emergency savings.

• How much do you “want”? — The amount that improves your quality of life, lets you buy nice things, or means you “never have to worry about bills again.”

• How much can you “actually earn”? — Judged by your job income, savings rate, and your real advantages in the crypto space.

For a teacher with an annual salary of $80,000, a one-time gain of $200,000 is a huge deal;

For a banker earning $200,000 a year, it’s great, but not enough to fundamentally change their life;

For someone with a seven-figure annual income, $200,000 might just be another routine trade’s profit.

“Life-changing money” is never an absolute number—it’s always tied to your baseline and personal perception.

The Psychology of “Enough”

Here’s a cognitive trap: human desires constantly escalate.

When you make $200,000, your goal suddenly becomes $500,000; when you reach $500,000, you feel like $2 million is what you really need. Crypto amplifies this mindset because gains can come so rapidly: you might wake up in the morning feeling like “your life has changed,” only to return to square one by nightfall.

It’s like playing poker: sometimes folding “Pocket Aces” (a great hand) seems absurd, but stubbornly chasing the next big win can leave you with nothing.

The real risk isn’t “losing”—it’s “never realizing you’ve already won.”

Think in Ranges, Not Absolutes

Instead of seeing “life-changing money” as a black-and-white concept, view it as a spectrum:

1. Life Improvement Level: Money that brings small joys and improves daily comfort.

2. Life-Changing Level: Money that resets your baseline and fundamentally improves your situation.

3. Financial Freedom Level: Money that lets you take full control of your life, with no need to compromise.

Which level do you truly want to reach? Which level are you capable of reaching? If you don’t clarify this in advance, you’ll always be playing by someone else’s rules, blindly chasing after more.

The Trade-Off Between Time and Money

Let’s look at it from a clearer perspective: don’t just focus on the “amount”—focus on how much “time” this money can buy you.

• $200,000 now might buy you 3-5 years of “buffer time” (time free from the grind, time you can plan freely);

• But you might also choose to take risks, hoping to turn that $200,000 into $2 million, and end up with nothing.

In crypto, “overnight riches” are common, but the real key is: turning these short-term gains into sustainable life security. Measure success by “how much free time you’ve won,” not “how many digits are in your account”—that’s how you stay clear-headed and grounded.

Lessons from Poker

There’s a poker tournament video that really drove this point home for me.

David Fishman was a teacher who entered a high-stakes poker tournament. He was dealt “Pocket Aces”—one of the strongest starting hands in poker—but before the flop, he chose to fold (you can see this at 19:00 in the video).

Everyone thought he was crazy, until after the flop, when it was revealed that another player had “four sixes” (a hand that easily beats Pocket Aces). If Fishman had called, he would have lost badly. On the surface, folding Pocket Aces seemed ridiculous, but this decision helped him keep his previous winnings.

Why did he fold? Because he had already set a clear “target amount.” At that point, his winnings were already three times his annual salary. For him, that money was “life-changing.” He didn’t want to risk losing it just to “prove he could play poker.” He knew exactly what he wanted: take the winnings, go home, and reunite with his family, with the money safely in hand.

This kind of “clarity of purpose” was his greatest advantage.

Conclusion

The crypto world is like an ongoing poker game: everyone wants to “play the next hand,” hoping for bigger gains. But true “winning” is knowing when to stop—this “stop” doesn’t have to be permanent, but you must have a clear strategy.

Life improvement, life-changing, financial freedom—figure out which level you’re chasing, then set your “target amount.”

If you’re not clear about it yourself, the market will decide for you—and that outcome is rarely friendly.