A couple of nights ago, one of my buddies who’s been following me for the better part of six months sent over a dozen voice messages in the middle of the night. I could feel his panic through the screen: he had just withdrawn 800,000 USDT from a platform to his bank account, and before he could even get comfortable with it, less than two hours later, the bank froze everything—"Non-counter transactions have been frozen." The money is sitting in the account, the numbers are there but out of reach, and even making a transfer or checking the transaction history is a hassle.

He stared at the mobile banking screen for a full half hour—the balance was there, but he was numb. This is money earned from countless all-nighters monitoring the market. He didn’t lose it to market swings, only to get stuck at the "last mile." That’s a feeling ten times worse than just losing money outright.

A lot of people in crypto only focus on price fluctuations, thinking that as long as they ride out the volatility, they’re in the clear. But here’s the real kicker—you finally get your hands on the money, but you can’t withdraw it. The issue comes down to "fund contamination": for example, someone uses dirty money to buy USDT, and after a few transfers, it ends up in your account. The transactions might look normal on the surface, but if something goes wrong upstream, every account in that chain gets affected.

But don’t scare yourself too much. Frozen doesn’t mean you’ve committed a crime. As long as you can provide OTC transaction records, chat screenshots, transfer proof, and other such evidence, ninety percent of accounts can be unfrozen. But the process involves going to the bank, cooperating with police investigations, and can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months—time-consuming, tedious, and stressful. That’s why it’s a thousand times better to prevent problems than to fix them after the fact.

Here are a few practical tips:

First, get a "dedicated card." Use it only for OTC transactions, and keep it completely separate from your salary and daily spending accounts. That way, if it gets frozen, you won’t be unable to pay your rent or utilities.

Second, choose your trading partners wisely. Don’t just look at the exchange rates—prioritize reliable traders with high credibility scores who’ve been registered for over a year. Saving a few bucks by going with a new account? The risk just isn’t worth it.

Third, details matter. Break up large amounts into batches, try to operate during the day (bank risk controls respond faster in daylight), leave the funds untouched for three days after they arrive, and use acceptable notes like "payment for goods" or "consulting fee."

Making money in crypto takes skill, but actually getting that money safely into your pocket is the real skill. Don’t wait until your account is frozen to think about solutions—do these things in advance and nothing will serve you better.

Some people ask if I take on newcomers. My answer: this light has always been on—those who are willing to walk toward it and learn diligently will naturally see it.