From Software Engineer to $13 Million in a Month: The Wild Story of Cooker Flips — The King of Solana Trenches

The Legend of the Trenches

In the fast-paced chaos of Solana’s meme-coin ecosystem — where fortunes are made and lost before breakfast — few names command as much respect as Cooker Flips.

Once a regular software engineer from New York City, Cooker turned a few thousand dollars of ETH into eight-figure gains, making $13 million in a single month during September 2025.

He’s known in the Solana trenches as a disciplined degen, an alpha group founder (Pastel), and a trader with nerves of steel who treats markets like a tactical video game.

How This 9-5 Worker became a Crypto Millionaire

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Humble Beginnings: From Code to Coins

Growing up in New York, Cooker’s family didn’t have much. Money — and how to make it — was always on his mind. After earning a software engineering degree, he landed a stable job and started experimenting with crypto in 2016–2017, buying ETH at $50 and dabbling in ICOs.

“I threw 60–70% of every paycheck into crypto,” Cooker recalls. “I was living cheap, taking risks, and learning fast.”

He played the ICO bubble, rode it to a few hundred thousand, and then watched it all evaporate in the 2018 crash. Like many early crypto believers, he went back to work — but never lost conviction.

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The Reawakening: NFTs and Alpha Groups

In 2021, Cooker re-entered the market just as NFTs exploded. He flipped blue chips like Pudgy Penguins, Cool Cats, and Azuki, and started Pastel, a private Discord where traders shared insights and strategies.

Pastel grew from a tight crew of sneaker resellers and airdrop farmers into a full-scale alpha collective with thousands of members — a breeding ground for high-conviction plays and early-stage memecoin snipes.

“We were doing everything: DeFi farming, NFT PvP mints, airdrop hunting — anything that made money. Pastel became a place for serious builders and traders.”

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The Memecoin Renaissance: Solana, Pump.fun, and Beyond

When the memecoin renaissance hit Solana in 2023–2024, Cooker was ready.

He adapted fast to Photon, Pump.fun, and new sniping bots. Gone were the Ethereum gas wars — Solana was faster, cheaper, and perfectly suited for high-frequency memecoin speculation.

He caught early plays like Slurf, Boom, and Pepe derivatives, stacking millions during the pre-sale meta and celebrity token boom that followed (yes, he even nailed Iggy Azalea’s token before it was announced).

By the end of 2024, he had turned his portfolio from $1 million to $5 million, all while still working his remote tech job.

“The idea of buying my own health insurance scared me,” Cooker laughs. “So I kept my job even with eight figures in the market.”

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The Trump Coin Trade: A $13 Million Masterstroke

Then came the trade that changed everything.

January 2025. Donald Trump’s election victory ignited a frenzy of politically-themed memecoins. A friend tipped Cooker off to an on-chain Trump token launch — and he trusted his instincts.

He sold all his other bags, deployed over $1 million in liquidity, and held firm while others took early profits.

“I told everyone: this is not a coin you sell on day one.”

He was right. The token exploded, shattering every previous on-chain record. Cooker walked away with:

• $10 million in raw P&L

• $3 million in liquidity-pool fees

• A new net worth in eight figures

To celebrate? He took his best friend to the mall and spent $20,000 — not on Lambos or watches, but simply to mark the milestone.

“It wasn’t about flexing,” he says. “I just wanted to enjoy a normal moment with a friend after years of grind.”

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Libra, Leverage, and Lessons Learned

Even legends get burned.

When Argentina’s “official president coin,” LIBRA, launched, Cooker saw another Trump-sized opportunity. He went in big — $1 million position, believing the fundamentals were solid.

He lost most of it on price action but still made $600,000 in liquidity-pool fees, a testament to his understanding of DeFi mechanics.

But the real pain came later: a $2 million liquidation while trying to long Solana on leverage.

“I thought I could do anything with seven figures,” he admits. “That was a humbling lesson.”

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Redemption: The Aster & Plasma Trades

Fast-forward to September 2025.

Cooker was up early — 8 a.m., scrolling through DMs — when his private group started buzzing. A new coin called Aster was trending on BNB. A friend had done the research: ties to CZ, huge potential.

He sold Solana, aped in at $0.08–$0.17, and within hours the coin exploded.

“I told everyone: throw at least a million in. I knew this one was different.”

By the time CZ tweeted, it was over. Aster hit $2+. Cooker had $2.2 million realized and over $10 million unrealized. Days later, he hit again with Plasma, adding another $2 million unrealized.

That month alone: $13 million in profits.

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How to Start from $1,000

Asked what he’d do if he had just $1,000 today, Cooker’s answer was surprisingly practical:

“Get a job first. Stack capital. Then learn. With $1,000, it’s hard — maybe flip collectibles or grind side hustles. But with 20 SOL and the right mindset, you can still make it.”

He emphasizes that community is key — joining alpha groups, learning from experienced traders, and grinding through the small wins that build skill and instinct.

“It’s like gaming. You level up by dying a thousand times.”

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Gaming, Grit, and the Degen Mindset

Cooker grew up playing Runescape, MapleStory, and Warcraft, always chasing loot and wealth in virtual worlds. That same mindset carried into crypto — a mix of discipline, obsession, and calculated risk.

“I treat trading like an RPG. You grind XP, you level up, you lose, you respawn, you win.”

Today, he’s expanding beyond trading: angel investing, real estate, and exploring prediction markets like Kawoshi, a decentralized betting platform backed by leading traders and builders.

“Prediction markets are early,” he says. “Once they integrate on-chain liquidity, it’ll explode. The best traders will find insane edges.”

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Looking Ahead: From Degenerate to Investor

Despite nine-figure dreams, Cooker insists he’s still grounded.

He doesn’t buy flashy cars. He loves traveling, learning, and connecting with people at crypto and business events.

“I’m not calling it quits anytime soon,” he says. “I love the space too much. It’s just getting started.”

From free Bitcoin faucets in 2016 to $13 million in a month, Cooker’s journey is the blueprint for the modern crypto trader — part gambler, part builder, part philosopher.

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Takeaways from Cooker’s $13 Million Journey

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