Aussie Uber Driver Now Full-Time Trader Turned $300 into $150,000

Taking $300 and turning it into $150,000 is a dream of anyone investing or trading, no matter if it’s crypto, stocks, commodities or betting on the underfrog in the annual Port Douglas cane toad race.

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Yet, for Aussie Mathew Ceddia, a former Uber driver turned crypto trading guru and Director at Empire Crypto Trading, this dream became a reality. Ceddia turned AU$300 into AU$145,900 in just 19 months, showcasing his unique journey in the crypto realm.

Keys to Success: Fundamental and Technical Analysis and a Ton of Research

Starting in September 2022 with just $300, Mathew embarked on a challenge. His success wasn’t due to luck but stemmed from diligent fundamental and technical analysis, especially focusing on the US economy and Bitcoin ETF developments.

I used a combination of Fundamental Analysis as well as technical. I’m very heavy with research into US economy/macro news as well as keeping a close eye on BTC fundamentals such as the ETF news.

Mathew Ceddia

Ceddia says he followed the Bitcoin ETF development for a long time adding that he “entered BTC positions on Coin-M futures.”

Coin-M Futures are settled in Bitcoin, contrasting with USDT Margin Futures, which settle in Tether (USDT). This means your trading gains and losses are directly measured in Bitcoin.

Mathew explained that using a 30x leverage with an initial investment of 0.1 BTC allowed him to significantly increase his profits. Specifically, if the price of Bitcoin increased by 10%, he would earn a profit of 0.3 BTC.

The crucial point:

Key here is that I was able to make more BTC and the BTC price was effectively worth more.

Mathew Ceddia

And when it came to the saga that was the Spot Bitcoin ETF approval in the United States, Ceddia monitored the developments around that very closely. Despite the ETF being rejected multiple times, Mathew believed its chances improved significantly when Grayscale sued the SEC.

Mathew also followed leading industry insights such as Bloomberg’s ETF analyst James Seyffart.

Additionally, he looked for specific “signals” indicating the ETF approval was imminent, such as warnings on the SEC website and details about whether the ETF would settle in cash or in kind. Based on these signals, he decided to take a long position on Bitcoin, leveraging both USDT and Coin-M Futures to position himself advantageously for the expected market movements.

Maximising Profits with Halving Cycle Strategy

Other tools used by Ceddia were a custom halving chart and RSI bullish divergences to navigate Bitcoin cycles, pinpointing optimal entry points around ETF approvals.

His strategy, based on the chart’s Green, Red, and Yellow zones – representing post-halving price increase, subsequent decline, and accumulation phases, respectively – yielded a substantial profit of 0.378 BTC and $10,124 from one market swing.

Which significantly increased his account size, enabling further investment opportunities.

Interestingly, Mathew’s trading journey began in 2016, initially focusing on fundamentals over technicals, which led to substantial earnings before suffering a significant loss due to the BitGrail exchange hack.

Mathew reflects on this period:

I thought I was going to be a multimillionaire only to find myself broke.

Mathew Ceddia

After the hack, Ceddia juggled Uber driving with crypto studies. During 2020’s bull run, he leaned on technical analysis but missed larger profits, leading him back to fundamentals and briefly to coaching. In 2023, faced with financial strain, he co-founded a crypto education venture with a former colleague.

He said:

I am a strong believer that you have to focus on one thing at a time to get really good at it… my focus was crypto trading not sales.

Mathew Ceddia

And that initiative, named Empire Crypto Trading, became a platform for shared learning and support among traders, demonstrating the power of community and focused learning in navigating the volatile crypto market.