I'm 36 this year, from Guizhou, and I've been in the crypto space for almost eight years.

From the initial 300,000 to the tens of millions in my account now, there's nothing mythical about this journey. It's not about insider tips or dumb luck; it's just a few hard-and-fast rules I earned through trial and error and losing money over and over.

After more than 2,880 days, I haven't mastered any advanced techniques, but I've figured out a few ironclad rules. I'm sharing them today—if you can truly take even one to heart, you'll save enough tuition to buy a car; master three, and you're already ahead of 90% of people.

**First phenomenon: Sudden surges followed by slow declines are mostly accumulation phases**

When the market suddenly spikes and then slowly grinds down, a lot of people start to panic. Don't rush to sell—this pattern is often a shakeout; a true top is never this gentle. But if there's a surge on high volume followed by an immediate crash? That's a classic distribution move—get out fast.

**Second rule: Slow climbs after a crash are actually the last bait**

When prices suddenly plunge and then start to climb slowly, it looks like a "prime bottom-picking opportunity." Don't get carried away, thinking it can't drop any further. Quite the opposite—this is the perfect setup to trap the last batch of FOMO buyers. The big players are just waiting for you to think "this must be the bottom" before they hit you with one last blow.

**Third point, very counterintuitive: High-volume at the top isn't always fatal, no volume is deadly**

If prices are high and volume is still coming in, it means the market is still active—there might be one last push. But if there's suddenly no volume at the top, and it's eerily quiet with no one willing to buy, that's the real danger sign—if no one's playing, why are you still in?

**Fourth rule about bottoms: Don't get excited over one day of high volume, only sustained volume matters**

If you see a sudden spike in volume at the bottom, a lot of people think opportunity has arrived. Not really—the real sign of accumulation is several days of sustained high volume, especially after a period of low-volume sideways movement, followed by consistent volume increase—that's the real start.

**Fifth insight: You're not trading coins, you're trading sentiment**

When you're watching the candlesticks, you're really watching human emotions. Trading volume is the thermometer of market consensus; price is just the result. If you can read volume changes, you can sense emotional turning points early. Technical indicators are always lagging; only volume is a real-time vote of market sentiment.

**Last rule, and the hardest: Non-action is the highest skill**

No attachment, so you can stay in cash with peace of mind;
No greed, so you don't chase tops;
No fear, so you're bold when others panic.

This isn't some Zen cliché—it's a mindset forged with real money.

The market never lacks opportunities; what’s lacking is your ability to control your hands and not get dragged around by FOMO (fear of missing out). What really separates traders is never IQ or luck; it's whether you can restrain your impulses at key moments.

These words may sound simple, but the simplest things are the most effective. Eight years in, and these few rules are all I've really figured out—and they're enough.