Why do some people with a net worth of tens of millions still feel anxious? Because net worth is just a number on paper; what truly determines freedom is cash flow. Freedom isn't owning a mountain of gold, but a river that flows every month.

So the question is: what principal amount is needed to achieve financial freedom (covering living expenses and interest expenses)?

💰 Cost comparison of two paths

Traditional finance route (annualized 3%): saving in banks and government bonds requires 5 million to sustain basic living. The capital efficiency is shockingly low.

Crypto ecosystem route (annualized 10%-15%): stablecoin mining, lending arbitrage, and similar products, only 1 million is enough. This is the most overlooked dividend in the crypto world—using a steeper learning curve to achieve lower costs of financial freedom.

⚠️ Common pitfalls people have fallen into

The first misconception is confusing luck with ability. Profiting from market cycles through bull runs is called capital gains, but that depends on market timing. What is true cash flow? Earnings that are stable and consistent every month, regardless of bear or bull markets. This is replicable and controllable.

The second misconception is ignoring principal erosion. Seeing products with annualized returns over 50% makes you rush in, but you're actually letting others extract your principal. High returns often imply high risk; you need to calculate this carefully yourself.

💡 Small exercises to change your mindset

Next time you face a 100-dollar meal, don’t just look at the price. Ask yourself in your mind: "If my assets were mining/arbitraging 24/7, and the total daily earnings were equal to this meal, how much assets would I need?"

Assuming an annualized return of 12%, 100 dollars would require supporting 300,000 in assets. With this calculation, your consumption psychology will change completely. Extreme restraint is precisely the starting point of financial freedom.

So how many U's are you away from "redeeming yourself"?