On second thoughts, I am going to ignore the BS in this thread and focus on the OP and other questions asked to this point, because I really do believe that this thread could be very useful to everyone on SS interested in Crypto, and because I enjoy my time on SS and want to be able to participate in productive discussions about topics that I am interested in, even if it means having to put up with the constant BS of others. I know this is a silver site, and I can talk crypto on many different sites but I enjoy talking crypto with the people we have here
I'm sure Southerncross would tell you all that 6 months ago when I approached him with some questions I was an absolute noob, completely clueless, but fast forward to today and I would now consider myself fairly knowledgeable, and that's why I hope to see more positivity and healthy discussion on this forum because there's so much to learn, and the more knowledge we share the better we can become and that means $$$. I've learnt a lot from several people on this forum which is why I hope this thread can turn into something good because it's great hearing from people here in the know
As some have already said I too think Protocol/Platforms are going to be the biggest coins in 2018. As for which ones to pick, as boring as it sounds you really do need to DYOR, but how do you do that? Personally, I have 3-4 people on YouTube that I watch religiously because they all bring something different to the table and being someone who prefers visual aids to learn watching these guys has really assisted in fast tracking my development. With that being said I would say that 90% of crypto channels on YouTube are absolute junk, so you need to be able to identify the good and what to take with a grain of salt
Watching YT has been where I have been able to hear about so many coins, and then if any of them do interest me I do my own research through looking for videos, checking the coins website and reading it thoroughly and then seeing what's being said about it on reddit/twitter etc - looking for what people are saying, what upcoming news is coming if any, prices, charts, tutorials etc
TL;DR Stay on top of what's happening in the market via social media, and read read read
Here are some of my resources:
YOUTUBE:
1. Carter Thomas (Coin Mastery TV) Without doubt the most balanced and informative show
2. Crypto Bobby (I feel like I relate to him, seems like a good guy and isn't over the top - simple viewing)
3. Doug Polk Crypto (Just because he's videos are hilarious and he calls out all the scumbags)
4, Crypto Investor (I like this guy because he's just blunt and to the point, and isn't afraid to go against the hype)
4. Data Dash (Although I'm slowly getting bored of him, and his format)
REDDIT:
Just check the subreddit of the coin you're interested in, get a feel for what's being said about it, any announcements etc
OTHER:
I like to scan through coinmonsta.io a few times a day. It's a site that basically provides twitter feeds from heaps of people/coins and is a good way to see what is being spoken about in real time. It also has a section for each Alt which provides handy information - kind of a one stop shop for info
With all of that being said, it's always important to know what is actual good information and what should be taken with a grain of salt, but making that distinction can only really be done over time as your knowledge base increases
Now in regards to what I like for 2018, as others have mentioned I too believe that Protocol/Platforms will be the biggest (and safest) investments, but there is plenty of competition and they won't all be standing when it's said and done so picking the right ones is going to be hard. Personally, I've got a good chunk in EOS. I've spent plenty of time researching them and really do think that they have massive growth and adoption. Having 1.1B in the bank doesn't hurt either
Decentralised Exchanges are going to be a big thing in 2018 too, and again it's just my personal opinion but I like AirSwap (Novagratz is tied to them amongst many other positive things I like) and although I don't hold any, 0x seems to be positioned very well for this space too
As of now I don't have a "set rule" in place in terms of how I am spreading myself Eg/ Platforms, currencies, privacy coins, apps etc, I'm just getting in products that I believe have real world adoption and a bright future, and most of all my gut feel sways me too
I think I am quite similar to Shiney in the sense that I have 2 camps - X amount for long term solid investments and X amount to essentially gamble with and try and just run it up as quick as I can. I will be entering a few ICO's too, just to really try and spin it up
I know Shiney previously mentioned in another thread the he also had certain targets in mind in terms of cashing out and I too am the same there as well. I have set myself 3 tiers that I am hoping to achieve, and as I hit each target I will execute my withdrawals, but I will always leave a good chunk in no matter what and even it did go to zero one day, who cares
In regards to what determines success there is no right or wrong answer, because success is measured differently by all of us. I have my 3 goals in place, and if I can achieve all of them, even 2 of them than I would consider myself to have been extremely successful and that's what I'm personally in this for, and I'm sure many people are different, which is why success is what you think it is, not what others think
On the topic of what's looking good at the moment, I think you can't go wrong investing in any of the Top 15 coins for steady long term growth, although there's a few in there that I don't think should be - Tron and BTG. I don't like several things I've seen from Tron, but I could be completely wrong
ICON, QTUM, OMG and LISK are just outside the Top 15, but I would consider them safe LT too
Personally, I'm comfortable with my long term holdings - I want to know where the next 5x, 10x etc is coming, because I want to gambooool, and I can't see too much active coins with that potential short term which is why I think I might barrel a few ICO's soon