If you ask me what the biggest takeaway from years of navigating the crypto market is, it's one sentence: Playing by the rules is more valuable than being clever.

Having gone through three liquidation events and countless stop-losses, I’ve discovered a pattern—surviving longer means earning more steadily. The market isn’t short of myth stories; what’s missing are traders who can sustain profits. Today, I want to share three ironclad rules that I’ve traded with real money.

**Don’t always chase perfect entry points**

In the early years, I was obsessed with finding the "golden trading point." When a mainstream coin was floating with a 23% unrealized profit, I didn’t sell, stubbornly waiting for another 5% gain. And what happened? The trend reversed, and I ended up cutting my position with only 8% profit.

That’s when I realized: market opportunities are always there, but few can actually take the profits. So I set a strict rule for myself: when unrealized gains reach 10%, move the stop-loss to break-even—like insuring the profits; at 20%, cut half of the position to lock in some gains; and at over 30%, only exit after securing at least 15% net profit.

Sounds unexciting? Exactly. It’s this "boring" discipline that has helped me capture stable returns amid recent Bitcoin and altcoin volatility. The market rewards not gambler’s instincts but disciplined actions time and again.

**Stop-loss is your lifesaver**

This is the most important rule. Two years ago, I chased hot coins, bought in, and immediately saw prices drop. When I was down 12%, I still convinced myself "the fundamentals are fine." Within three days, the loss expanded to 27%, and I was forced to cut my position—this loss was brutal.

Since then, stop-loss has become a habitual action. Once set, I never change it. No matter how optimistic I am, I stick to it. Sometimes the market bounces back at the stop-loss level, and I feel regret. But most of the time, the stop-loss saved my ass and prevented further losses.

**Trust the system, not feelings**

The most common way for traders to lose control in crypto is through sudden emotional swings. When prices rise, they’re reluctant to sell; when prices fall, they’re afraid to buy the dip. The only reliable thing at such times is a pre-designed trading system.

Entry conditions, position size, risk management, exit timing—all predetermined. When executing, don’t overthink—just follow the process. The benefit is that emotions won’t influence decisions, and randomness is greatly reduced.

Honestly, my trading isn’t as exciting as it used to be. But my account curve is becoming more and more stable. Those "boring" disciplines have now turned into real profits.