Many traders tend to make a common mistake in the futures market: applying stock market thinking to futures trading. The differences between the two are actually quite significant.

A quick look at the market can reveal the clues. Recently, the Dow Jones Index and gold futures have both been trending upward unilaterally, but the Nasdaq seems to be following the rhythm of the Dow. Silver's movement often closely follows gold, and the crypto market is similar—Ethereum is often dominated by Bitcoin's price movements.

What does this indicate? Leading assets determine the overall direction of the sector. If you don't focus on the top-performing assets, your trading direction is likely to be influenced by the main capital flow.

Gold is a typical example. Its upward momentum appears fierce on the surface, but once it pulls back (for example, a 100 USD drop in a single day), it becomes a disaster for traders accustomed to stock trading rhythms. Most people get liquidated during such sudden fluctuations, with their principal evaporating as a result.

Crypto traders often encounter this trap: being greedy when making profits, feeling confused when losing. The final outcome is usually—small gains when winning, full losses when losing, or even losing more than invested.

To succeed in trading, you either need to identify the true leading assets to follow or learn to operate in both directions. Otherwise, you're just paying tuition in the market.