Changpeng Zhao, also known as CZ, recently shared some thoughts on the challenges altcoin investors are facing. He gave some straightforward advice for those feeling stuck in the current crypto market. As the former CEO of Binance, CZ's insights are often highly regarded, especially by those trying to make sense of the ups and downs in the world of digital assets.

He is not one to sugarcoat it, though. He admitted that Bitcoin and Binance Coin (BNB) have usually been good for investors who can hold on for at least four years. He did mention that this is not a sure thing, but in general, it is better to be patient with these big-name coins. 

He also talked about how Ethereum has been a game-changer in the crypto space, saying that BNB probably would not exist without Ethereum since it started as an ERC20 token.

Altcoins out?

Altcoin investors, on the other hand, have been vocal about their struggles. A lot of them have seen their investments shrink year after year, with no sign of recovery. There, CZ offered some practical suggestions: shrink your altcoin portfolio, maybe by half or even more, stop putting more money into them, or pivot to bigger names like Bitcoin. 

For those who cannot bring themselves to make a change, he suggests holding on for the long term — but only if they can stomach the uncertainty.

The truth is, most altcoins have been underperforming compared to Bitcoin. While Bitcoin has hit new all-time highs multiple times, many altcoins are still far from their previous peaks. This has led to a lot of frustration and disillusionment among altcoin investors.

It is worth reminding that Zhao has talked about the bigger market cycles before and had said that there are four-year trends that show recovery years before major upticks. With 2024 possibly following this pattern, there is some hope for a bigger recovery. The hard truth there is this still does not mean that altcoins will follow Bitcoin's lead.