Picture this: Sarah, a single mom working two jobs, dreams of a better life for her daughter. She unexpectedly comes across a YouTube video promoting JST as the miracle solution, the shortcut to wealth and prosperity. The potential for 100x returns on investment is just too hard to resist. She starts to invest her savings, believing she will finally get out of that vicious cycle of living paycheck to paycheck. So, is Sarah taking a good approach? Or will she soon learn the ugly truths that lie beneath the irresistible crypto promise of easy wealth?

100x Gains? Really? Let's Be Real

Justin Sun claims JST, the governance token of the Just ecosystem on TRON, is the next 100x token. He cites as proof the explosive growth of the TRON DeFi ecosystem, driven by JustLend and the USDD stablecoin. With JustLend, lending and borrowing of crypto assets becomes mutually beneficial, and USDD is perceived as a widely adopted stablecoin. Sun takes his comparisons a step further, likening JST to AAVE and MakerDAO’s MKR, two titans of the DeFi space.

Let's pump the brakes. 100x gains are rare. Like, winning-the-lottery rare. Yes, TRON boasts low fees and fast transaction speeds, providing JustLend with a comparative advantage. And yes, JustLend has apparently made millions in profit so far. But that doesn't guarantee JST will moonshot. It's like saying because a lemonade stand made $50 in a day, it's going to become the next Coca-Cola.

When I spoke with once retail investor, Mark, who invested a few hundred dollars into JST on the news of Sun’s prediction, …His take? "I know it's a long shot, but even a small gain would help. I'm prepared to lose it all." Mark's honesty is refreshing. He understands the risk. Many others don't. They don’t see the red flags, they just see dollar signs.

FOMO is a Powerful Drug

The crypto market runs on FOMO – the fear of missing out. Sun’s pronouncements serve as an FMO amplifying megaphone. Now, everyone is clamoring for a slice of JST, sending the price soaring… for now. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy, until it isn't.

Think about the dot-com bubble. Internet companies with little to no viable business model were able to watch their stock price rise to the moon, all driven by hype and speculation. When eventually the bubble burst, most investors lost everything. Therefore, are we now witnessing the same development with selected crypto corners? Possibly.

The emotional attraction of easy wealth is very, very strong. It preys on our hope for a brighter future, our impatience with the rigmarole of legacy finance. Remember, greed makes you blind.

Investor Protection? Where Are You?

Sun’s promise should be seen through a lens of extreme caution. To this end, he claims he will use profits to buy back and burn JST, thereby increasing its value. What if those profits don't materialize? What if the TRON ecosystem falters? What if a regulatory shotgun blast takes out the DeFi space?

This is more than an investor protection issue. Consider the broader societal implications. If millions of Americans lose their savings by chasing mirages of crypto fortune, the potential for financial instability increases. This social reality is bound to cause political upheaval and further degrade faith in the financial establishment.

Where are the regulators? Where are the warnings about the risks of investing in obscure cryptocurrencies based on the pronouncements of a single individual? Today we are calling for stronger investor protection measures to keep vulnerable people from being preyed upon by the hype machine.

Justin Sun’s JST prediction could represent a sincere belief, but it is dangerous in its potential to do great harm. In other words, approach it with an open, yet skeptical mind. Specifically, do your homework and have a good sense of the risk that you’re getting into. Don't let FOMO cloud your judgment. Because at the end of the day, nobody is going to look out for your financial health as well as you will. Is JST a dream? Maybe. But for most, without some action soon, it might become fool’s gold just like before. Invest accordingly.

  • Do your own research (DYOR), and I mean really do it. Don't just rely on YouTube videos and Twitter hype.
  • Understand the technology. If you can't explain what JST is and how it works to a five-year-old, you shouldn't be investing in it.
  • Only invest what you can afford to lose. Seriously. Treat it like a lottery ticket.
  • Be skeptical of 100x promises. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
  • Consider your risk tolerance. Are you comfortable watching your investment plummet by 50% overnight?

Justin Sun's JST prediction might be a genuine belief, but it also carries the potential for significant harm. Approach it with a healthy dose of skepticism, a lot of research, and a strong understanding of the risks involved. Don't let FOMO cloud your judgment. Because in the end, the only person responsible for your financial well-being is you. Is JST a dream? Maybe. But for many, it could easily turn into fool's gold. Invest accordingly.