I too jumped in recently - the end of Feb 2017. I’m a data geek and began charting daily activity. I was very excited to learn of an ETF possibly being approved by the SEC. When the approval failed I decided to form my own pool of coins to spread the risk. I was glad I did. I’m up about a 1000%. Initially testing the systems, I saw my original $200 turn into $600. I transferred funds into Coinbase initially and then back out to make sure I could exit. Next, I moved BTC and ETH to Poloniex to trade other coins. I became interested and learned all I could. As of late I have noticed that a rise in BTC price is almost always followed by the other coins and as that happens I’ve seen the BTC drop in price. I am assuming this happens as people need BTC often to trade to the other ALT coins. Some of the trades I made a month ago required me to move into USDT then into the coin I wanted, but in the last few weeks I have seen a rise in the number of coins I can trade directly from BTC.
I find the 24/7 nature of the market place super exciting – to watch your account go up or down 5 -10% in any given day is a thrill ride not for everyone. I personally limit my investments to anywhere from $50 - $200. Yes, it is sooooooo tempting to bet more, but this way I can sleep and not have to worry if it all evaporates, gets hacked, or the latest fork goes into effect.
It has taken me a while to think in terms of BTC as the value these coins are measured against. It’s sort of like the US Dollar being the standard other currencies are measured against (or at least for time being…)
Overall, most coins are rising at an unbelievable rate. I think this is just the beginning - a tipping point has been reached. Even more exciting is the blockchain technology and the many new uses being found every day for it.