From initially losing everything in a complete mess to now being able to make steady profits, these seven years of crawling and fighting in the crypto circle have taught me a hard truth— the biggest enemy in the market is never the rise and fall of the K-line, but the person in the mirror. Today, I want to share the experience accumulated over these years with real money, hoping to help those still exploring on this path.

**Small Capital, Don’t Be Greedy**
I’ve seen many people with only a few ten thousand yuan, insisting on full-position trading, making themselves look like gamblers. The way to play with small funds is actually simple—wait. During a whole year of market movements, only one or two major upward waves are truly worth heavy investment; the rest of the time, you should honestly stay on the sidelines. Divide your funds into 5 parts, and only use one part each time to operate. Even if you get the direction wrong, you won’t hurt the core. Patience sounds vague and intangible, but at the small capital stage, it is your hardest armor.

**The Ceiling of Cognition Is the Ceiling of Returns**
Some may have heard this phrase, but few truly believe it. Every penny you earn in the market will not exceed the scope of your knowledge reserve. This includes understanding of technical analysis, fundamentals, and the most overlooked part—mindset management. Before risking real money, you must root yourself in a demo account. The advantage of a demo account is that you can fail a thousand times, but a single big mistake in real trading might end your game. After each trade, ask yourself: Did I make a profit or a loss? Was I really right about the market, or was it just a fluke? Record it, and over time, you’ll see where your thinking flaws are.

**When Good News Peaks, The Bell to Sell Rings**
There’s an iron law in the market: the moment good news lands is actually the beginning of danger. Many wait for the good news to be announced, but the next day, they can’t resist the high opening and get caught. Remember— the market has already reacted to expectations in advance. When most people know the news, smart money has already run away. When you see the right trend, don’t be greedy for the last limit-up; take profits in time. That’s the secret to long-term survival.

**When Holidays Come, Tighten Your Nerves**
This is a common pitfall for many beginners. Before and after holidays, trading volume shrinks, liquidity worsens, and it’s easy for strange market moves or sudden plunges to happen. A week before a long holiday, I usually cut my positions in half, and wait until after the holiday when the market warms up again before considering adding. Many big drops happen during holidays—not by coincidence, but because liquidity is playing tricks.

**Set Stop-Losses to Protect Yourself**
This sounds like nonsense, but few can actually execute it properly. Setting a stop-loss isn’t admitting failure; it’s acknowledging that you might have been wrong. No one in the market is right every time. Those who survive are those who keep losses within acceptable limits. My principle is that a single loss should not exceed 2% of the total capital. Even if you’re wrong ten times in a row, it won’t damage your main funds.

**Watch More, Think More, Act Less**
It sounds contradictory, but the logic is simple. When the market moves, everyone wants to rush in, but those who wait often catch the bottom. Spend more time understanding the market’s logic, studying the stories behind the data, rather than trading frequently. Which makes more money—trading ten times a day or once a month? Usually the latter. Trading fees, slippage, emotional toll—these are invisible costs.

**Build Positions in Batches, Exit in Batches**
Don’t think you can buy exactly at the bottom and sell at the top in one go—that’s a lie. My approach is to be optimistic about a coin, and build positions in three or four installments. This not only averages out the cost but also reduces emotional swings. Exiting is similar: after reaching your profit target, sell 1/3 first to lock in gains, then decide whether to hold or reduce further based on the market. The benefit is that even if the market reverses later, you won’t feel too bad.

**New Coins, New Projects—Be Cautious When Entering**
There are new stories in the crypto world every month, but most of them end up just stories. The allure of new coins is strong; early gains can be tempting, but risks multiply. If you really want to participate, only allocate about 5% of your total funds. Even if you lose it all, it won’t affect your overall plan. When a project becomes relatively mature and has a certain community size, then entering might be more secure.

**Emotions Are the Biggest Enemy**
Technical analysis and fundamentals can be learned, but controlling emotions is very difficult. Watching the numbers in your account jump, especially during 24-hour rollercoaster markets, can easily lead to impulsiveness. My method is: after completing a trade, set take-profit and stop-loss, then close the software. Don’t stare at the screen. When emotions are high, rational decision-making is hard. The more excited you are, the more you need to calm down.

**Review Is Not Optional, It’s a Must**
Set aside time each week to review your trading records. Which trades made money? Which lost? What were the reasons for entering and exiting? What can be improved? This process may seem time-consuming, but it’s actually using others’ failures to perfect your system. The longer you do it, the more refined your system becomes, and the higher your chances of making money.

There are opportunities in the crypto world, but they are always reserved for those who are prepared. The most important thing I’ve learned in these seven years is not how to make quick profits, but how to survive steadily and live long. I hope these experiences are helpful to you.