Back in the 2021 bull run, several friends around me went crazy making money in crypto, with their account balances all breaking a million. But you can probably guess how the story ends—after the 2022 bear market cycle, not only was all their profit gone, but they almost lost all their principal too.

Where did they lose? It wasn’t lack of vision, and their coin picks weren’t bad either. They just got stuck at one fatal point: not knowing when to exit.

Take Bitcoin and Ethereum, for example. A lot of people are obsessed with selling at the very top, dreaming of that “perfectly timed exit.” But what’s the reality? The market never gives advance notice of where the top is, and by the time you realize it, most of your money has already evaporated.

I used a different approach—exiting in batches, like walking down stairs step by step. I entered with 150,000 and ended up walking away with 500,000. The method isn’t complicated; the key is discipline.

**Phase One: Take 30% off the table after doubling**
Around March 2021, my Ethereum went from $1,800 to $3,600—right on the double. I didn’t hesitate and immediately sold 30% of my position, taking out $54,000 in principal. The good thing about this move is the remaining $126,000 is basically free money. Even if it gets cut in half later, I don’t feel bad because my principal is already safe. After this step, my mindset was solid.

**Phase Two: When things get crazy, take another 40%**
By mid-May, the market started to feel off. Friends who didn’t even know how to use a wallet suddenly started asking how to buy crypto. Every time the price dropped 10% in the community, someone would call it a “buy the dip” opportunity. On-chain data showed whales quietly exiting. With all these signals stacking up, I knew it was time to act. The price was around $3,800, and I sold another 40% of my position, locking in $150,000 in profit. Although Ethereum later went up to $4,878, I didn’t feel bad at all—I’d already pocketed what I needed.

**Phase Three: After the bear market confirmed, exit the rest**
By January 2022, the price had dropped more than half from the peak, and the market had been quietly bleeding for three straight months—it was eerily quiet. That’s when I sold my remaining 30% at an average of about $2,800. In the end, my $150,000 principal turned into $380,000, for a net profit of $230,000.

The logic behind this method is actually quite simple, but the real challenge is overcoming human nature.

Too many people think, “Maybe I’ll wait a bit longer? What if there’s another rally?” But all they end up waiting for is their account going to zero.

With the market, it’s too easy to take the wrong turns if you’re figuring it out alone.