The "psychological massage" ritual of crypto traders: Why has the K-line chart become an astrology chart

Astrology, Tarot, and Bazi fortune-telling—once considered fringe cultures—have now become a common psychological need. In the crypto world, this demand has been pushed to the extreme—some directly map their birth charts onto candlestick charts, using the ups and downs of candles to predict life’s fluctuations.

In mid-December, an app called “Life K-Line” sparked a phenomenon-level discussion in the crypto community. Users only need to input their birth information, and AI will generate a K-line chart from age 1 to 100 based on Bazi, outlining the “market trend” of their entire life with red and green candles. The result? Within three days, over 300,000 calls; the initial tweet received over 3.3 million views. Even more surreal, this tool labeled “for entertainment only” spawned a token of the same name within 24 hours of launch.

This is not just a fleeting trend but a collective release of anxiety in the crypto circle. Behind it reflects a deep desire among traders for certainty—what they need isn’t prediction itself but a form of psychological comfort.

The Wall Street secret becomes a public topic in crypto

On Wall Street, traders have long known that astrology isn’t a secret.

Legendary analyst W.D. Gann used astrology to predict markets, and Soros admitted in “Financial Alchemy” that he judged market risk based on back pain severity—more pain, stronger signals of reversal.

But these stories have long remained in the realm of “legend” within traditional finance. No one dares to openly admit using metaphysics to guide trading, as it would be seen as unprofessional by peers. Setting aside personal beliefs, but never publicly.

The crypto world breaks this taboo.

In this inherently mysterious industry, astrology, birth charts, and Tarot have become everyday topics of discussion. Some predict market trends based on BTC’s “birth chart” (created on January 3, 2009, with the genesis block); others decide whether to open positions based on daily fortunes; numerous crypto influencers on Twitter feature astrology analysis.

Metaphysics has shifted from being an underground secret on Wall Street to a mainstream academic subject on crypto social media. Users discuss their “life trends” seriously or jokingly in communities, but no one considers themselves superstitious. They are simply using a more interesting, ritualistic way to resonate with uncertainty.

Why astrology is especially popular in the crypto market

1. A perfect vessel for releasing anxiety

The crypto market is born to generate anxiety.

24/7 trading year-round, no circuit breakers, sudden surges and crashes at any time. A single tweet from a big influencer can instantly wipe out billions in market cap; a project founder can disappear overnight. Traders constantly face “unknown risks,” and the scariest part isn’t the risks themselves but the unquantifiable “unknown.”

Economist Frank Knight pointed this out in 1921: Risk is quantifiable probability; uncertainty is unquantifiable unknown.

Humans are naturally fearful of uncertainty. When risks can’t be quantified, the brain instinctively creates “false certainty” to ease anxiety. Metaphysics is the best vessel for this false certainty.

When direction is unclear, opening the “Today’s Trading Almanac” at least provides a clear signal. Crypto astrologers claim to have successfully predicted the 2017 bull market peak, the 2022 bear market, and the 2024 BTC high point, by linking specific dates with celestial events, providing confused traders with a “waiting signal”—even if it comes from space.

“Mercury retrograde no trading, full moon causes crashes, birth chart shows BTC bull run next year”—these judgments don’t require complex technical analysis or reading obscure whitepapers, just belief in “destiny.” A 2006 study from the University of Michigan found that stock returns during full moons in 48 countries were 6.6% lower than during new moons—not because the moon truly influences markets, but because collective superstition influences trader behavior. When enough people believe “full moons cause crashes,” they sell early, and the crash actually occurs.

In the anxiety-amplified environment of crypto, metaphysical analysis even appears more “reliable” than fundamental analysis. Traders need metaphysics not because it’s accurate but because it offers an explanation—even if false—that’s easier to accept than endless uncertainty. The essence of psychological comfort: not solving problems but soothing the mind.

2. A self-reinforcing cycle of cognitive bias

The reason metaphysics “always seems effective” lies in the self-reinforcing nature of human cognitive biases.

Confirmation bias is the most typical: believers that “full moons cause crashes” remember all cases of crashes after full moons, ignoring days of rallies or sideways movement. Users of “Life K-Line” who see this year’s bull market will attribute every small rise to “birth chart validation” and explain dips as “short-term corrections that don’t affect the big trend.”

And the social media environment in crypto amplifies this bias many times over.

Tweets like “I went long ETH based on Tarot card hints and made 20% in three days!” are widely reposted, liked, and spread. But traders who lose money following Tarot signals won’t post, and their losses go unseen. The entire community’s information flow is filled with cases of metaphysics “working,” while failures are completely filtered out.

More critically, the ambiguity of metaphysics makes it impossible to falsify. Masters say “don’t trade during Mercury retrograde,” and if you lose, it’s because you didn’t listen; if you gain, it’s because of a special birth chart. Tarot shows huge volatility recently—regardless of rise or fall, it counts as validation. This “any explanation fits” trait keeps metaphysics undefeated in crypto.

When BTC crashes, traders desperately need a reason. Technical analysis says “breaks support,” macro analysis says “Japan raises interest rates,” both are too complex or uncertain. Metaphysics offers a simple answer: “Saturn is retrograding, crypto enters a bear cycle.” This explanation requires no understanding of market trends, policies, or data—just belief in celestial influence. It spreads rapidly and becomes consensus.

Traders are not superstitious; their brains process information in the most energy-efficient way: remember what’s useful, ignore what’s not, replace complex analysis with simple explanations. Metaphysics isn’t popular because it’s accurate but because it always appears to be.

3. Social attribute: an accessible resonance

The third reason metaphysics has become popular in crypto is that it serves as a form of social currency.

Discussing technical analysis can lead to disagreements; discussing metaphysics has no right or wrong, only resonance. “Is your life K-line accurate?” can be widely debated—not because everyone truly believes, but because it’s a topic anyone can participate in, with no professional threshold.

Previously, crypto communities kept asking if they could add a fortune-telling feature. As more people asked, platforms actually created a “Today’s Fortune” section. Not necessarily to base decisions on it, but to have a common topic, a daily psychological ritual.

When you say in a group “Mercury is retrograde today, I won’t trade,” no one questions “that’s unscientific”; instead, someone replies “Me too, let’s avoid this wave together.” The essence of this interaction is confirming that mutual anxiety is reasonable.

A Pew Research survey in 2025 shows that 28% of American adults consult astrology, Tarot, or fortune-telling at least once a year. Metaphysics is no longer fringe culture but a widespread psychological need. The crypto community just turns this need from “private use” into “public display.”

What we truly want to predict isn’t life

The explosive popularity of “Life K-Line” reveals what every trader secretly thinks but dares not admit: Our sense of control over the market may be just as fragile as our control over fate.

When your “Life K-Line” shows this year is a bear market, you won’t really liquidate your holdings. But you might blame yourself less for losses, and comfort yourself more when missing opportunities: “This isn’t my fault; it’s just my birth chart cycle.”

In this 24/7, year-round, highly uncertain market, what traders truly want to predict isn’t their life trend but a psychological support that keeps them at the table.

Astrology, birth charts, Tarot—these tools’ value isn’t in their accuracy but in providing a ritual, resonance, and psychological comfort. When all fundamental analysis fails and everything seems without answer, metaphysics gives traders a reason to keep going.

This isn’t superstition; it’s a life raft in the ocean of uncertainty.