In 2017, Bitcoin was still not so popular because I learned about Bitcoin from some of my friends and most of my friends didn't know about it. Because of my high curiosity, I did some research and asked some of my friends who had been involved since 2010 to provide direction and also evidence of the benefits that had been obtained and all of that motivated me who finally got involved after a few weeks I continued to do research and study well. And it is very unfortunate because OP does not have the curiosity to try to do his own research or try to ask for more information from one of his friends who are pro Bitcoin because it seems like he jumped in after doing research and also studying well because after that he would definitely be motivated and involved, but that is over and that time will only be a sweet but painful memory because of the indifference when one of your friends is pro Bitcoin and you have to start it now so as not to repeat the best opportunity that you have missed because Bitcoin will continue to grow and experience an increase in price that you will enjoy in the future and you can learn everything in this forum according to what you need or want because the forum will make you more insightful, more confident and also have good knowledge related to Bitcoin and others.

Sometimes we do mistake in the past but what matters is when we realized our mistake and do the needful things. However, I would advise don't worry yourself about the past because Bitcoin still have a way to go, all you have to do now is to setup a good investment plan for future purposes. so that Incase if any emergency comes out along the line you can be able to settle it without touching your Bitcoin investment.

Op your story  isn't  much different form many of us who had the opportunity  to get into bitcoin earlier but refused because of insufficient knowledge. There are times where I regret not buying bitcoin when I had the opportunity earlier, it's  indeed painful to estimate  how much of profit would have been made if you had ignored procrastinating and put in much effort  to understand and believing in bitcoin. The only thing that keeps my going is the hope that bitcoin will definitely  do more ATH in the future even if the percentage increment  wouldn't  be as significant  as it has already done, I believe there is still a tendency for bitcoin to profit the late investors.

Mistakes do happen on which these causes up that missing out that golden opportunity to make yourself rich if you have just that made out such decision to buy.
Same goes for me on which on the moment that i have known Bitcoin and do know about this forum, then i had made out some good amounts of Bitcoin wayback on which even having to
accumulate 1 Bitcoin wayback via tasks rewards and bounty hunting was easy into those good old years on which on that time on where ICO was still a big thing and bounty hunting
was just that too easy on which just simply input your email and wallet address on google form them you are already that eligible.

We do make out bad decisions in life and since we dont know on whats the future of Bitcoin and since its our first time on seeing or encountering it then doubts and hesitance would be there
or even not paying any attention at all. On the moment that we've seen that we had already seen the value shoot up to the roof then this is the moment that we do try to deal up with it.
Yes, its true that its never been too late but we cant be able to avoid on having those huge regrets.

You're not alone having that regret of listening to the negative people that have said the same thing about Bitcoin. But it's not late to correct that mistake that you've done and to the person that have told you that. You're right, we're still early compared to what and where it can go in the next coming years to come. Don't let the other institutions fill their bags first before you because if that happens, you might say that it's too late when the price becomes more expensive and we're sitting at all times with a 6 digits price of Bitcoin and much better for us if we'll be on that time and then crosses the 7 digit figure.

Yeah, there were those people in the past that they've thought of going into our crowd now after being so against to Bitcoin and have been attacking it before. But they have come to realize that they are not going to stay in that old crowd they have that has been skeptic about BTC. Because while they've been doing that, it is also making them miss more opportunity while watching the price goes higher.

They will not look at it but the times that it's been called dead will continue to increase but in a slower manner this time.

That is tough OP, I also came across some of those folks back in 2017. We call them the "no coiners" and of course they are full of FUD. They are the bitcoin fud busters and they are still even more so sour seeing as they are now wrong on the subject, although many of them wont own up to it or admit it in public that they were wrong about bitcoin. I'm sure most of these folks who thought that back then are still thinking in the same way apart from the other group who did buy in. Keep accumulating my friend, we do have time on our side and the ability to make more money and hence, more bitcoin!

I also learned about Bitcoin around 2016-2017, and I knew nothing about it at the time. I saw an advertisement for it by chance on some advertising websites and didn't realize its value at first. But then I learned more about it and have loved it ever since.

Unfortunately, I didn't have enough money to invest at the time, and I honestly didn't expect its value to reach this high one day. Had I known, I would have borrowed a large sum of money, purchased a large amount of Bitcoin, and held it to this day.

Never you think it is too late for you to comeback to bitcoin no matter the level you may see bitcoin into, you can see what those your friends that embraced bitcoin since 2017 have achieved which you too can also achieve more than that if you can take a positive strategy to start buying bitcoin and hold, Bitcoin will continue increasing because bitcoin developers are not resting, and they don't want other coins to take over bitcoin position in the cryptocurrency market.