From $100 to $15,000: The BNB $35 Missed Opportunity of 2020

During the early months of 2020, the world was grappling with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The economy was uncertain, and many sectors, including the cryptocurrency market, were volatile. It was during this time that Binance Coin (BNB), the native token of the Binance cryptocurrency exchange, was trading at around $35. Little did investors know that this relatively modestly priced asset would experience a growth trajectory so steep that it would turn a $100 investment into an astonishing $15,000 in just over a year.

Binance Coin started as an ERC-20 token on the Ethereum blockchain before transitioning to Binance’s own blockchain, the Binance Chain. Described by many as the utility token, BNB’s functions included trading fee discounts for users on the Binance exchange, token burns, and its role in Binance’s decentralized finance (DeFi) ecosystem and other functionalities on the Binance Smart Chain.

The journey from $35 to the peak BNB saw in 2021 was fueled by a combination of unprecedented interest in the cryptocurrency space, spurred on by the bull market run, and specific strategic moves by Binance and its ambitious CEO, Changpeng Zhao (CZ). As the world turned digital due to lockdowns and movement restrictions, more people began exploring alternative investment avenues, and Binance’s easy-to-use platform facilitated this surge in demand.

The explosive growth of the DeFi space also played a significant role. Binance Smart Chain emerged as a cost-effective and efficient alternative to Ethereum’s network, which was suffering from high gas fees and congestion due to the increased activity. The Smart Chain hosted various successful projects, which required BNB for transaction fees, again increasing demand and value for the token.

Binance’s aggressive quarterly token burns – a process where a certain number of BNB tokens are permanently removed from circulation – decreased the supply and helped appreciate the token price. This deflationary mechanism was a sign that the exchange was invested in the long-term value of the coin.

The burgeoning NFT trend, which took the world by storm in late 2020 and throughout 2021, also found a home on the Binance platform. The rise of NFTs added another layer of utility for BNB, as they were often used to pay for gas fees and transactions within the Binance ecosystem.

Investors who recognized these value propositions and foresaw the potential of Binance Coin early on were positioned to reap substantial rewards. Suppose someone invested $100 in BNB when it was trading at $35. If they held onto their investment through the peaks and troughs of the market, by the time BNB reached its historic highs of approximately $675 (according to data from CoinMarketCap) in May 2021, that $100 investment would have ballooned to roughly $15,000. This eye-watering return of about 15,000% in a little over a year is a testament to the unexpected opportunities presented in the cryptocurrency markets.

Such dramatic rises often come with warnings. The volatile nature of cryptocurrencies means that for every success story, countless investors have faced significant losses. The market is subject to rapid changes, influenced by regulatory news, technological advancements, and shifts in investor sentiment. Thus, investment in cryptocurrencies should always be approached cautiously, with due diligence and risk management in the forefront of any strategy.

As of my knowledge cutoff date in 2023, cryptocurrency markets have experienced another cycle, with Binance Coin retracting from its all-time high alongside other cryptocurrencies. The story of BNB’s rapid appreciation serves as a powerful example of how innovation, timing, and market dynamics can converge to create life-changing investment outcomes. But it also highlights the speculative nature of crypto-assets and the importance of understanding the underlying factors that drive their value.

For those who missed the opportunity to invest in BNB at the lower price point, the crypto market continues to evolve with new projects and tokens emerging regularly. While past performance can never guarantee future results, the lessons from BNB’s meteoric rise are clear: stay informed, be strategic, and recognize that timing can be everything in the fast-moving world of digital assets. Whether such extraordinary gains can be replicated in the future is a matter of speculation and depends on a multitude of factors, including technological developments, regulatory environments, and global economic conditions.