If your principal is less than six figures, don’t rush into opening trades yet. Let me share a few words that could literally save you.

The crypto market isn’t a casino—the ones who survive use a systematic approach. Not long ago, I brought a friend into the space. He started with $800, grew it to $18,000 in two months, and now his account is close to $30,000, with zero liquidation records throughout. You might think it’s luck? Actually, it all comes down to three core principles—these are also the core methods I used to grow my own $5,000 principal to where I am now.

**Divide your capital into three layers—random all-ins will kill you**
Let’s use $1,000 as an example:
- $300 for intraday trades: Only focus on mainstream assets like BTC and ETH, target small price moves, take profit at 3-5% and never overstay;
- $300 for swing trades: Wait for major events ( like ETF approvals or Fed meetings ), hold positions for 3-5 days to catch the trend;
- Lock the remaining $400: No matter if the market is pumping like crazy or crashing to make you question life, this portion of your capital never moves—this is your comeback seed.

I’ve seen too many people go all-in with a few hundred dollars—if it goes up, they’re over the moon; if it drops, they want to jump off a building. Remember this: as long as you have spare capital in your account, you’ll never panic.

**Only go for big moves—don’t chase scraps**
The market is range-bound and boring 90% of the time. Frequent trading just lines the platform’s pockets with your fees. If there’s no clear trend, just stay on the sidelines—you’re better off scrolling short videos than blindly opening trades. When a trend appears ( like BTC breaking a key resistance, or ETH surging on volume ), that’s when you strike decisively.

Profits hit 15% of your principal? Withdraw half and put it in your wallet—only what you cash out is real profit. The numbers in your account can disappear at any moment. Real winners know: “Play dead most of the time, take a bite when the opportunity comes, and get out fast.”

**Follow rules—don’t rely on gut feeling**
- Set a hard stop-loss at 1.5%. Cut the loss instantly when it hits, no exceptions;
- When profits exceed 3%, halve your position and let the remaining profit run;
- Never average down on a loss. The more you add, the deeper you get stuck.

You don’t need to predict the market right every time, but you must execute your strategy every time. The essence of making money is simple: let your rules make decisions, don’t let emotions destroy your account.

Honestly, having a small principal isn’t scary. What’s scary is always thinking about “making it all back in one trade.” Growing $800 to $30,000 doesn’t come from some magic move—it comes from not being greedy, not panicking, and sticking to discipline. If you’re still losing sleep over $10 swings, don’t know how to split your capital, wait for the right timing, or set stop-losses, master these three principles first.