At 35, I suddenly realized I had been navigating the cryptocurrency market for a full decade. From my initial investment of 300,000 to the string of numbers in my account now that almost feel unreal, this path had no shortcuts—just a relentless adherence to six seemingly foolish principles.

**Rapid surge followed by a slow pullback? Don’t rush to sell.** In most cases, this pattern means major players are accumulating positions. A real crash is never this gentle—the real danger sign is a sharp spike followed immediately by a nosedive. I’ve seen too many people panic-sell during these slow declines, only for the price to bounce back within days.

**Be extra cautious of slow rebounds after sharp drops.** These are usually bull traps. Many see the price crawling up from the bottom and think they’ve bought the dip, but in reality, big players might just be offloading their last holdings during this minor rebound. The market never reverses simply because it’s “fallen enough.”

**Heavy volume at the top isn’t necessarily the peak; it’s actually low volume that’s truly dangerous.** When prices hit new highs and trading volume is still active, it means bulls and bears are still battling—it could keep going. But if prices rise while volume dries up, there’s no consensus among buyers, and the price could turn down at any moment.

**Don’t read too much into those sudden volume spikes at the bottom.** A single day of heavy volume is usually fleeting. Only after a long period of low, sideways trading, when you see several consecutive days of increasing volume and rising prices, can you confirm that real money is moving in. I’ve lost out here a few times before learning to wait for continuous signals.

**To put it simply, trading crypto is trading emotions.** Every candlestick on the chart is a battle between human greed and fear. Trading volume is like a thermometer for market sentiment—it can signal turning points even earlier than price. Learn to watch shifts in volume and you’ll be able to react half a step ahead of most people.

**The hardest part is actually achieving a “selfless” state.** Being able to wait patiently in cash for opportunities, not jumping in out of envy when others are making money; having the guts to buy when everyone else is panicking, not missing entry points out of fear. This mindset isn’t built by reading a few articles—it takes hundreds of disciplined trades to engrain it.

After ten years, I’ve found that the most profitable methods in crypto are often the most inconspicuous and require the most stubborn persistence. The market changes every day, but human nature never does. Stick to these principles, and you’ll be able to protect your real profits.