NVDA Trading Regrets: Reddit's "What If" Moments vs. Historical Reality

The WallStreetBets post asking for “biggest what if moments” generated significant discussion around missed NVDA opportunities[citation:0]. Key Reddit insights include:

• Original poster’s claim
  : Regretted not buying more NVDA at $13 in May 2021 due to crypto concerns, calling it potentially “life-changing”[citation:0]
• Community missed opportunities
  :
  • User sold NVDA in 2019/20 at $20s thinking crypto mining had peaked[citation:0]
  • Another trader held NVDA 0DTE 185c calls that would have been worth ~$345k but closed for $2k loss[citation:0]
  • Multiple users shared stories of missed gains across various stocks and crypto

: The $13 NVDA price claim for May 2021 is factually incorrect. Historical data shows:

• NVDA executed a 4-for-1 stock split on July 20, 2021[citation:1]
• Pre-split prices in May 2021 were $208-$220 per share[citation:2]
• Split-adjusted prices were approximately $52-$55 in May 2021[citation:2]
• The $13 price point would have been from much earlier in NVDA’s history

: NVDA faced significant volatility due to:

• Crypto mining boom
  : Unprecedented GPU demand from Ethereum miners created severe shortages and price inflation for consumers[citation:4]
• Supply chain constraints
  : Compounded shortage issues across multiple industries[citation:5]
• Regulatory scrutiny
  : NVDA was later fined $5.5 million for inadequate disclosure of crypto mining revenue impact[citation:3]
• Investor concerns
  : Questions about sustainability of crypto-driven revenue growth

The Reddit discussion reflects a common retail investor pattern:

. While the original poster’s $13 price point is incorrect, the underlying sentiment about missing NVDA’s massive run is valid - the stock gained 125.29% in 2021 alone[citation:2].

The community’s shared experiences reveal several important themes:

• Timing challenges
  : Multiple users sold NVDA prematurely during the crypto boom
• Options trading risks
  : Significant losses from mis-timed options plays
• Psychological impact
  : “What if” scenarios continue to haunt traders who missed major moves

:

• Memory distortion
  : Retail investors often misremember exact price points, leading to inaccurate risk assessments
• Hindsight bias
  : May cause overconfidence in future timing attempts
• Volatility trauma
  : Previous losses may lead to overly conservative positioning

:

• Historical perspective
  : Understanding actual price action vs. perceived opportunities
• Pattern recognition
  : Crypto cycles continue to impact semiconductor stocks
• Long-term positioning
  : NVDA’s fundamentals strengthened despite crypto volatility concerns

The discrepancy between Reddit’s $13 claim and the actual $52-55 price point highlights the importance of

when evaluating missed opportunities and making future investment decisions.