Money Confessions: I Stored 100% Of My Crypto In FTX. Here’s How I’m Coping.

Kendra Tan

Kendra Tan

Last updated 21 November, 2022

All my crypto gone, just like that.

I’m in my 30s. Singaporean male. Single.

Four years ago, I started investing. My portfolio was made out of:

As I wanted to diversify my portfolio, I decided to go into crypto as well. 


In 2020, my portfolio saw some changes. I sold 20% of my stocks and transferred them to crypto. 

My portfolio became:

  • 50% stocks
  • 20% crypto
  • 30% savings and business

Moomoo S$130 Cash S$140 Grab Sony LinkBuds S (1 Sep - 30 Sep)_IN ARTICLE BLOG BANNER_SIZE_800x250

SingSaver Exclusive Offer: Open a Moomoo account and fund a minimum of S$2,000 to get S$130 Cash, S$140 Grab Vouchers, an Apple iPad 9 Wifi 64GB ( worth S$479), or Sony LinkBuds S (WF-LS900N) (worth S$309). Valid till 30 October 2025.  T&Cs apply.

STK iPhone Campaign (TBC)_IN ARTICLE BLOG BANNER_800x250

Plus, top up from just S$69 and take home a premium reward for your ideal workspace when you open and fund with moomoo. Valid until 16 October 2025. T&Cs apply.

Moomoo Welcome Offer: Get S$450 Tesla Share + S$350 Trading cash coupons when you deposit S$100k and maintain the funds for 90 days. Valid till 10 October 2025. T&Cs apply.

I used to trade crypto via Binance, until the Singapore government banned the platform in 2021

I shifted to FTX, because it was also known to be one of the world’s top crypto exchange platforms

While I could’ve traded on other platforms as well, they didn’t have the coins I wanted and their trading fees were higher compared to FTX.  

Had a bad feeling, but ignored it

The moment I ventured into FTX, I mysteriously had a nagging feeling that I was probably going lose this cash.

On FTX, I traded Optimism (OP), Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Cardano (ADA) and more. 

However, the worst was Shiba Inu (SHIB). That was a true gamble. But that’s another story for another day. 

Luckily, I didn’t buy and hold FTT, FTX’s token. 

I only did scalp trading with crypto, so I cashed out (albeit in my FTX wallet) once my coins increased by 5% to 10%. 

I didn’t want to be too greedy, as crypto can be very unstable

As my main job requires me to work irregular hours (and I can’t use my phone), I did not dare to trade as much because I can’t immediately sell my coins if anything goes wrong.

All was going well with the scalping, and I thought that as long as I knew when to cut my losses, I should be safe. I was profiting quite a bit… until FTX crashed. 

When it all went down 

When I first heard the news that FTX was on the verge of crashing, my initial thoughts were “well, s***”.  

I panicked, and immediately tried to withdraw my cash. 

The group chat with my friends — some with five figure investments — who used FTX as well was buzzing; no one was able to withdraw their money. 

Only have ourselves to blame 

As crypto investors, we were very aware of the risks from the beginning. As of right now, we have no choice but to just suck it up. 

Yes, the entire ordeal might’ve hurt, but I’m glad it was only 20% — others (if you search up anecdotes on Reddit) have it worse.

If I were to put it bluntly, trading crypto is like having a casino on your phone/laptop. The nature of crypto and these platforms are really volatile. 

The moral of the story? Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. And maybe also listen to your gut feeling.

Webull $120 Cash, S$280 Cash, Dyson TP10 Top-Up S$50, AirPods Pro 3 Top-Up S$75, $270 Grab (1 Oct - 30 Oct)_IN ARTICLE BLOG BANNER_SIZE_800x250

SingSaver Exclusive Offer: Open a Webull account and fund a minimum of SGD3,000 to receive S$120 Cash. Fund SGD10,000 to get S$250 cash, S$270 Grab Vouchers, or an Apple iPad 9 Wifi 64GB (worth S$479). Or, top up as low as S$50 to get an Apple AirPods Pro (Gen 3) (worth S$349) or a Dyson TP10 (worth S$599). Valid till 30 October 2025. T&Cs apply.

Plus, get up to USD600 worth of rewards when you deposit at least USD2,000 & maintain the net deposit of min. USD2,000 for at least 30 days. Valid till 30 October 2025. T&Cs apply.

💡 Pro-tip: Complement your income channels with a diverse and robust investment portfolio. 



As told to Kendra Tan.

Read these next:
5 Habits of Super Frugal People You Should Follow If You Want To Save Money
Money Confessions: I Bought More Than S$700,000 In Critical Illness Coverage While In My 30s—Here’s Why
Money Confessions: The Best Of Dads’ Money Hacks Since The 1970s (and Dad Jokes)
I Am An Artist/e — Here’s How I Make Money From The Arts: Chen Yixi
I Was Retrenched At 26 Years Old And I Have No Savings

Avid promo code hunter and haggler. Kendra doesn’t like paying full price for anything. She’s the best person to bring along if you’re travelling on a budget. Have an interesting story to tell? E-mail her at kendra.tan@singsaver.com.sg

FINANCIAL TIP:

Use a personal loan to consolidate your outstanding debt at a lower interest rate!

Sign up for our newsletter for financial tips, tricks and exclusive information that can be personalised to your preferences!