Last night I was scrolling through the news and saw someone complain: “I’ve got 5,000 yuan and want to play crypto—does that only cover tuition?”

Cracked me up. Who told you small capital means you’re out of the game? When I first got into this space, I had 8,000 yuan and counted every transaction fee on my fingers. Looking back now, the experience I gained from all those ups and downs turned out to be the most valuable thing of all.

Today I’m sharing my 10 survival rules from the bottom of my toolkit. I won’t promise you’ll get rich overnight, but I am confident these can help you grab more gains in a bull market and lose less in a bear market. Last year, when the market was all over the place, I managed to keep a 90% win rate—thanks to having these rules ingrained in me.

**1. Truly strong assets—dips are opportunities**
If a coin holds up when the market drops and leads when the market rises, add a bit to your position every 2% it pulls back. Don’t treat hyped-up meme coins as treasures.

**2. Two days of gains? Sell 30% for safety**
Markets never move in your favor forever. After two straight days of gains, cut your position by 30%. Locking in profits is always better than regretting later.

**3. Single-day pump of 7%? Take profits on the next spike**
If it surges 5% more the next day, sell half. Let the rest ride, but don’t turn it into a rollercoaster.

**4. Don’t chase hot coins—wait until they cool by 20%**
Hot means potential bagholder alert. Patience for pullbacks is the discipline small accounts need most.

**5. Sideways for three days? Switch to something moving**
Small capital can’t afford wasted time. If it’s flat for three days, move on to something volatile—don’t fight with yourself.

**6. Didn’t break even next day? Cut your losses immediately**
For small players, survival comes first. If you’re not in profit the day after buying, you probably called it wrong—cut losses fast, no hesitation.

**7. Remember the “3-5-7” rhythm to avoid itchy fingers**
Three days to confirm the trend, five to settle your position, seven to adjust. Stick to the rhythm and you’ll avoid reckless trades.

**8. Volume spike at lows: buy in; volume spike at highs: get out**
A volume spike at the bottom signals money flowing in. At the top, it’s usually whales exiting. Don’t wait until you’re trapped to realize it.

**9. Only trade uptrends—don’t try to catch falling knives**
Even if you buy wrong in an uptrend, you can still make money. In a downtrend, even right picks can get buried. Forget about bottom-fishing.

**10. Don’t dream—compounding is the real king**
If you earn 10% monthly, 5,000 grows to 15,000 in a year. At 15% monthly, that’s 27,000. Small steady gains are a thousand times better than chasing get-rich-quick dreams.

Honestly, there are opportunities every day, but you have to grab what’s yours. These 10 rules aren’t magic bullets, but they’ll help you pay less “tuition” and keep more capital. In the end, it’s those who survive longest who laugh last.