I. Mindset: Your Perception Determines How Far You Can Go

1. Respect the market, let go of get-rich-quick fantasies
· Treat “one day in crypto is like a year in the real world” as a risk warning, not a wealth myth. The market is extremely volatile; you could get rich in an instant, or lose everything just as quickly.
· Don’t invest all your savings, borrow money, or use leverage to enter the market. Only use “completely disposable funds you can afford to lose” for investing. This way, you can stay calm and make rational decisions.
2. Learn independently, refuse to “FOMO”
· FOMO is one of your biggest enemies. Don’t blindly chase a skyrocketing coin just because you’re afraid of missing out; you’re likely to be the last one holding the bag.
· Don’t trust any “gurus” or “teachers” offering signals or insider info. If they could really make guaranteed profits, they’d be quietly making a fortune themselves, not leading you.
3. Long-term thinking, ignore short-term noise
· Crypto trades 24/7, and prices fluctuate every second. Don’t let short-term ups and downs control you—frequent trading is a main cause of losses.
· Focus on the long-term value and fundamentals of projects, not the daily candlestick charts.

II. Knowledge: Never Fight an Unprepared Battle

1. Learn the basics
· What are blockchain, Bitcoin, and Ethereum? What problems do they solve?
· What are public chains, DeFi (decentralized finance), NFTs, Gas fees?
· Understand concepts like market cap, circulating supply, and trading volume—these matter more than just the price.
2. Understand bull and bear cycles
· Crypto markets have very obvious bull and bear cycles. In a bull market, everything surges; in a bear market, almost everything goes to zero. Knowing which stage of the cycle you are in helps you plan your strategy.
· Accumulate and learn during bear markets, consider selling in bull markets. Don’t rush in and buy at the peak of a bull market.

III. Security: Survival Comes First (Most Important!)

These are hard-earned lessons—engrave them in your mind!

1. Self-custody of assets is key
· “Not your keys, not your coins.” If your coins are on an exchange, you don’t technically own them. Exchanges can be hacked, disappear, or have your assets frozen by regulators.
2. Use a hardware wallet
· For large amounts or assets you plan to hold long-term, be sure to get a hardware wallet. It’s the safest way to store crypto.
· Common brands include Ledger, Trezor, etc.
3. Use software wallets correctly
· For small amounts and frequent trading, you can use decentralized software wallets like MetaMask, Trust Wallet, etc.
· Never sync or disclose your seed phrase/private key! This is the ultimate control over your assets. Anyone asking for your seed phrase is a scammer! Any website, app, or customer service asking you to enter your seed phrase is a phishing site!
· Write your seed phrase down on paper and store it securely. Never take screenshots or upload it online.
4. Exchange security
· Choose mainstream, reputable exchanges like Binance, OKX, Coinbase, etc.
· Enable two-factor authentication (2FA), and use dynamic authenticators like Google Authenticator, not SMS.
· Regularly check your API keys—don’t create them unless needed.

IV. Practical: How to Start Investing

1. Start with mainstream coins
· Beginners should not chase “100x altcoins” right away. Start with Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH). They are the most solid and widely recognized cryptocurrencies, making up the majority of the market cap. Allocate to these first before considering others.
· Treat investing in mainstream coins as the “index funds” of crypto; the risks are relatively more manageable.
2. Be cautious with altcoins and meme coins
· Altcoins are extremely risky; 99% of projects will eventually fail.
· Meme coins are pure gambling and emotion-driven, with no real value support. You can “play” with a tiny amount, but be prepared to lose it all.
3. Stay away from leveraged contracts
· For beginners, leverage is financial suicide! Even normal market volatility can wipe you out (liquidation). Unless you’re an experienced trader, never touch them.
4. Learn basic research
· Before investing in any project, ask yourself: What real problem does this project solve? Who is the team? What’s innovative about the technology? How active is the community? What’s the tokenomics?
· Check the project’s official website, whitepaper, GitHub repo, and social media.

V. Scam Prevention: Protect Yourself from Harm

Crypto scams are everywhere—stay vigilant:

1. Pig-butchering scams: Approaching you via social apps, building a relationship, then guiding you to invest in fake platforms.
2. Fake exchanges/wallets: Creating apps or sites nearly identical to official ones, luring you to deposit funds and then disappearing.
3. Impersonator customer service: Pretending to be official support on social media, DMing you and asking for your seed phrase to “solve problems.”
4. Fake airdrops: Asking you to connect your wallet to claim “free” airdrops, but actually authorizing malicious contracts to drain your assets.

Golden rule: Don’t be greedy, don’t trust others easily, always double-check everything.

Summary: Beginner’s Roadmap

1. Register: Sign up at a mainstream exchange, complete KYC, and enable 2FA.
2. Deposit: Use fiat to buy a small amount of BTC and ETH.
3. Learn: Withdraw your coins to your own hardware or decentralized wallet; perform a deposit and withdrawal yourself to understand seed phrases and gas fees deeply.
4. Practice: Use a small amount to trade on the exchange and experience market volatility.
5. Go deeper: Keep learning and build your own investment logic and risk tolerance.

Remember, in crypto, surviving longer is more important than getting rich quickly. Wishing you a safe and smooth start!