Many people enter the crypto world, attracted by a beautiful illusion—losing no money. But traders who have truly experienced the market know that this idea is flawed from the start.

The most seasoned traders are never those who never lose money. Instead, the real difference between experts and beginners lies in whether they can keep losses within a reasonable range. How long an account can survive and how much it can earn often depends on how you handle the inevitable losses.

**Risk control is always more important than technical indicators**

Many newcomers dive into studying various technical indicators, drawing support and resistance lines, memorizing formulas, and learning indicators... None of these are wrong, but the order is reversed. What should be prioritized is implementing risk control in every trade.

An extreme example: your win rate is 90%, but without risk management. One out-of-control trade could wipe out your entire account. No matter how high your win rate is, it won't save you. Conversely, if risk management is strict, even with a 50% win rate, you can gradually accumulate wealth through proper position sizing and stop-loss rules. That’s why veteran traders always say: Risk control is life, and technical skills are the icing on the cake.

**Only alive can make money**

This may sound like a motivational quote, but it’s the truth. The market is long-term; the advantage of a strategy isn’t realized in a day or two, but gradually over time. Your job is to ensure you can survive through this process.

A trader with proper money management might perform mediocre in a month or even a quarter, but over years, the power of compound interest becomes evident. On the other hand, those eager for overnight riches often get wiped out during a risk event, never getting the chance to see what comes next.

**Build your own trading system**

This might be the most crucial step. It’s not about blindly copying others’ signals, nor simply betting on a certain direction, but about having a complete, verified, and personalized trading system.

This system includes several core components:

First is backtesting. Use historical data to verify whether your strategy truly has a positive expectation. Many traders rely on intuition, unaware if their strategy would have made money or lost in the past. Backtesting isn’t 100% accurate, but it can at least filter out obviously unreliable ideas.

Next are rules. Clear, strict trading rules. When to enter, when to stop-loss, how large the position should be, what the risk-reward ratio is—all should be written down in advance. During market volatility, emotions can easily get out of control; rules are your defense.

Finally, discipline in execution. Having rules but not following them is the same as having none. True traders aren’t those who always seek innovation or want to gamble every time, but those who can execute their rules day after day.

**The essence of trading is rules and risk control**

If you remember only one thing, it’s this: without clear rules and controllable risk, you have no right to participate in the market.

Trading isn’t about bravery, luck, or even just technical skills. It’s about who can last longer. Those who start off aggressively often fall the fastest. Those who seem unremarkable, who operate cautiously and stick to discipline, are the true winners in the end.

Patience and discipline—these two words may sound boring, but they are the rarest qualities in the market and the only path to success.