Trading Lord: 'I made thousands of mistakes in crypto'

Scott Kirsch, better known online as Trading Lord, doesn’t fit the typical crypto influencer mould. He’s open about the emotional chaos, the public mistakes, and the moral uncertainty that often come with trading digital assets.

“I made many, many thousands of mistakes,” he told The Crypto Radio – a rare admission in a space that often rewards bravado over reflection.

Now in his twenties, Kirsch has gone from teenage investor to a known voice in the crypto space. His journey, shaped by early wins, total losses, and public scrutiny, offers an unfiltered view of what long-term survival in crypto really takes.

A €450 beginning and a lesson in timing

Kirsch’s first investment came at just 16 years old, funded by a small gift. “I started with 450 euros that my grandmother gave me,” he said. His father, an investment banker, played a key role in shaping his early strategy. “My father told me, ‘Take profits, take profits.’”

The small portfolio grew into thousands – not just because of the bull market, but because he acted on that advice. That early success taught him that timing out of a position can be just as important as knowing when to buy in.

It also set the tone for how he would approach crypto more broadly – not chasing every high, but learning to manage the psychology behind the trade.

Mistakes, losses and learning the hard way

Kirsch’s growth didn’t come without setbacks. He has spoken candidly about the emotional toll of trading and the pressure of making mistakes in public.

“At one point I feel like the pendulum on social media has kind of gotten out of hand in terms of how much power you give others to try to tear you down,” he said.

He warns newcomers about emotional decision-making. “Over-leveraging and emotional responses can devastate trading decisions.” He also urges beginners not to rely on trading as a main income source. “Have a steady income,” he said, noting that financial stress can make markets even harder to navigate.

These weren’t lessons from books or forums – they were learned the hard way, through real losses.

The chaos of crypto Twitter

Scott Kirsch says Crypto Twitter is nearly impossible to navigate, with hidden incentives behind most posts. Photo: Unsplash / Joshua Hoehne

Kirsch is blunt about the challenges of navigating Crypto Twitter, or X, where genuine insight is hard to separate from promotion.

“Understanding the complexity of the incentives on Crypto Twitter is borderline impossible,” he said. “I think it's very tough to detect through Twitter, for example, who's doing good and who's not.”

“Everything you see, there is an ulterior motive.”

That includes prominent voices in the space. “Very, very, very, very, very, very few people, and even, like huge, successful guys that are then angels in certain projects, and that doesn't specifically mean they're evil.”

He rejects the idea that token promotion always implies bad intent. “Just because you mentioned something, you cannot just be like 'Oh, [he] must be evil. [He] must be evil.’ Some of these tokens went to billions and billions and billions of dollars – because they're doing a good job.”

At the same time, he acknowledges the ethical grey zones many fall into. “Shilling garbage, shilling memecoins, getting paid a percent of the supply. And it is, I must say, easier said than done.”

Despite that, he keeps a clear distance from certain parts of the market. “I have very little to do with meme coins – it’s just not my world.”

Resilience and advice for new traders

Kirsch hit rock bottom after losing everything – but instead of walking away, he started again. Drawing from hard-earned lessons, he launched a community-powered crypto company built on structure, purpose, and long-term thinking.

“I think I'm a good person – everyone thinks they're a good person, right? Let's be very clear,” he said, reflecting on the responsibility that comes with influence. That awareness now shapes how he builds and communicates within the space.

He cautions against spreading yourself too thin in an industry where attention is constantly being pulled in every direction. “Focus on being good at one thing rather than trying to be everything in this competitive crypto industry.”

“This is something I think everyone should focus on: don’t try to be an influencer, a trader, a meme coin guy,” he said. “I try to be decent.”

One resource that helped him shift perspective is Being the Best Loser – a book that reframed how he approached setbacks, risk, and recovery. For Kirsch, long-term success comes not just from planning, but from knowing how you’ll respond when that plan breaks down.

“The biggest differentiator between a poor and a rich investor is the capability of understanding yourself and understanding your emotional responses to these things.”

Kirsch’s story isn’t about getting in early or making one perfect call. It’s about knowing when to step back, how to reset, and why personal resilience might be the most undervalued asset in all of crypto.

Listen to the whole interview on The Crypto Radio's live player or in My Crypto Journey podcast: Part one and Part two.