People often ask, how can I turn things around in the crypto world with not much money? Instead of just dreaming, it's better to look at real cases to see how it's done.

A fan started trading in August with an initial capital of 3,000 USDT, and after three months, it grew to 52,000 USDT. There’s no black technology involved; the core principle is: first, clearly calculate the worst-case scenario (how much you could lose), then think about how much you can earn. The main reason most people lose money is simple—they never consider how to cut losses and just go all-in.

Talking about stop-loss and take-profit is easy, but actually doing it is where retail traders and professional players differ. I’ve summarized three common strategies that you can use directly.

**Contract Short-term Trading**
With 5x leverage, set a target to earn 6~8%, but limit the maximum stop-loss to 3%. A small capital + high leverage combination means that a 1% move could lead to liquidation. For example, with ETH, using 10,000 USDT as capital, each time the loss hits 3%, cut immediately; when earning 6~8%, close the position. It may seem like each trade earns not much, but with stable operation over two weeks, you can add about 5,000 USDT.

**Spot Mid-term Strategy**
To catch a big wave of 40%, you need to learn to ignore about 5% pullbacks along the way. Set the stop-loss at previous lows or technical levels like the 4-hour MA60. Take-profit in stages: when the gain reaches 35%, take half of the position off the table; for the remaining part, use a trailing stop. Once it retraces 8%, close all positions. Traders who operate this way can sell near the high, which already puts them ahead of 90% of the market.

**Position Size Is the True Life and Death Line**
A light position allows you to calmly withstand an 8% stop-loss; a heavy position makes even a 2% stop-loss unsettling. Remember this: going all-in without a stop-loss is like removing the brakes on a high-speed car.

The underlying logic boils down to: stop-loss is a life-saving measure, take-profit is about cashing out from the market. Every trade should be approached with the same seriousness as the last one—think clearly about how to lose and how to stay alive first, then consider how much you can earn and the maximum profit potential. Bull markets happen every year, but once your capital is gone, no matter how good the next bull market is, it won’t matter to you anymore.