By the end of 2018, I witnessed accounts go from a high to the brink of bankruptcy in just three days. That feeling of cold sweat sliding down the spine is unforgettable.

Money in the crypto world comes quickly, but losses are even fiercer. Many people fall during waves of volatility.

Later, I summarized three principles to hold onto, gradually recovering the principal.

**First Rule: Leverage Must Be Controlled**

Once relied on 20x leverage to earn 500,000 in a single day, but when regulatory warnings appeared, the account was wiped out in two hours. The price of greed is like that. Now I strictly limit leverage to 3x, with no more than 5% of total funds in a single coin—living is much more important than making quick money. When the next market rally comes, having the principal still intact is the key to a comeback.

**Second Rule: Bet on Mainstream Coins, Stay Away from Concept Coins**

Once invested 1.8 million in a "hundredfold coin" dream, only to have the project team disappear. That lesson was too deep. Now, over 85% of my funds are tightly held in BTC and ETH. Although the gains aren’t as crazy, these coins have enough market depth, liquidity, and manageable risk.

**Third Rule: 8% Stop-Loss, Exit Immediately When Hit**

In the past, whenever a decline appeared, I thought about adding to my position, but the more I added, the deeper I went. Now I’ve changed—if the price drops to 8%, I cut losses and exit immediately. Preserving the principal is the only way to qualify for the next opportunity. This isn’t giving up; it’s the wisdom of staying alive to earn the next profit.

Accounts worth tens of millions rely never on luck but on repeatedly sticking to bottom lines and accumulating interest. The storm in the crypto world never ends, but those who know how to protect themselves can always survive until the bull market arrives.