Opened a new position yet again.

I just got liquidated not long ago and swore I'd stay calm this month, but staring at the trading screen, my fingers still couldn't help but tap that button. It's not really being reckless—it's those few hundred USDT in my account screaming for action. With such a small amount, who can afford to just sit and wait it out?

The clock in the crypto market ticks differently. Blocks are minted every few seconds, minute charts jump non-stop, and the whole rhythm is so fast it’s suffocating. That “long-termism” from traditional stocks just doesn’t apply here: if you make a million by age 30, you can buy a house and start over; save up a million by 60? Inflation will have eaten all your buying power long ago, not to mention you might have been wiped out by a few flash crashes along the way.

Honestly, who gets into this space without hoping to turn things around? When a group chat pops up with “we’re mooning tonight,” it’s more effective than any value investing pep talk. With $800 in principal, even with a 15% annual return, you’d make just over a hundred bucks a year—not even enough for a decent pair of headphones. But if you slap on 50x leverage and catch a 10% bounce, your account instantly multiplies by 5—next month’s living expenses, sorted in a flash. That’s the reality: slow means a slow death, fast feels like the only way out.

So watching the charts 24/7 becomes the norm. You panic at every trending topic, afraid to miss a big move; some influencer changes their avatar and you’re ready to ape in. Even after getting liquidated, you jump straight into perpetuals for another round—not out of greed, but because your stack is so thin, you just can’t afford to wait for those “four-year bull cycles.” It’s like being a poker player with just ten chips left—no room for strategy, you just have to go all-in, win to survive, lose and you’re out.

Gas fees, funding rates, slippage, those invisible wicks… every on-chain move quietly bleeds you dry. Pros hedge against these losses with skill, but retail traders can only tough it out and hope for luck. Honestly, frequent trading isn’t shameful, and getting liquidated isn’t shameful either. What’s really a pity is: some people are always yelling “this thing’s going to zero,” but never even held a coin that could actually go to zero.

Next time your finger itches to open a position, ask yourself: “If this gets liquidated, can I still afford instant noodles next month?” If yes, go for it. If not, cut your position size.

There’s never a shortage of opportunities—the real shortage is people who can survive long enough to see the spring.