Having been involved in crypto trading for over seven years, my deepest insight can be summed up in one sentence — the market is always teaching us how to survive more rationally.

I still remember the awkwardness when I first entered the space. I threw in over 30,000 yuan of capital and dove right in, filled with daydreams of getting rich overnight. During that period, I watched the charts but couldn’t understand the trends, frequently stopped out and got trapped repeatedly. The tuition fees paid in those days were astronomical.

Over the years, I’ve seen too many extreme stories — some people doubled their assets overnight, while others lost everything. The crypto world is indeed a place where time accelerates; a single day’s volatility is equivalent to a year in real life. But what truly helped me grow from that initial 30,000 yuan to my current amount weren’t insider information or luck falling from the sky, but rather a few rules I summarized after repeatedly hitting walls in practice. Today, I’ll share these insights, and understanding each one can help you avoid pitfalls for half a year.

**1. Don’t rush to sell after a rapid rise and subsequent slow decline**

Beginners are most likely to break down here — assets suddenly double, then start to gradually decline. Watching unrealized gains shrink on the screen, anyone would become restless. But based on my many years of observation, a gentle correction after a sharp increase often doesn’t mean the trend is over; rather, it’s the market makers quietly accumulating.

What you should really be cautious of is a pattern where a volume surge is followed by a large bearish candle. I’ve seen this candlestick pattern too many times, especially with coins that lack solid fundamentals. They pump a wave and then run away, leaving retail investors holding a bunch of numbers at a high level.

**2. Distinguish between a big drop and continuous declines; be patient when bottom-fishing**

When the market crashes, someone always shouts “Time to buy the dip.” But the problem is, a market that keeps falling after a big bearish candle is often a trap, not good news.

Anyone who has been in crypto knows that the idea “it’s fallen so much, it must be the bottom” is the most dangerous. The market doesn’t rebound according to your expectations; it has its own rhythm. I’ve fallen for this myself on SOL, tricked by the “it’s already fallen so much” curse.