Trying to figure out what comes next after some unexpected gains

This cycle has been wild — I started with what I thought was just “extra” savings, and it’s grown into way more than I ever pictured. Honestly, it feels a little unreal to see the numbers now.

But it’s also left me with a big question: what’s the smartest move when things cool down? Do people usually cash out into real-world assets, roll it back into BTC/ETH, or keep going deeper into alts?

I’m not trying to flex — more just surprised at how quickly things escalated and trying to learn from those who’ve been here before. If you’ve had success in past cycles, how did you handle it? Did you protect your gains, or did you double down?

Would love to hear both good and bad experiences — what worked, what didn’t, and what you’d do differently.