8 Years of Crypto Trading, I Realized a Priceless Truth: Surviving Is More Important Than Making Money Fast

The early days of entering the cryptocurrency market, I was just like most investors: living with K-line, breathing with candles. Just a 1–2% price increase, my heart would race, hands trembling as I took profits, afraid that “the gains would disappear.” But ironically, many times after I sold, the price continued to rise another 20–30%. At that moment, I could only sit and look at the chart, asking myself: “Why am I so weak-handed?” Conversely, when my account turned red, I became a true gambler. Holding onto positions with vague hope that “it will turn around,” only to face the usual outcome: small losses that I didn’t cut, leading to large losses, even losing most of my capital. Profits are like sesame seeds, losses are like watermelons. When Technical Analysis Cannot Save the Account There was a phase when I believed that just learning enough indicators, understanding enough price patterns, and reading enough trading books would help me win the market. RSI, MACD, Bollinger Bands, Elliott Wave… I studied them all very thoroughly. However, five years passed, my skills improved but my account balance didn’t grow much. Until one day, I seriously compiled all my trading history over the years. And the truth stunned me: Almost 70% of my trades predicted the trend correctly, but because I couldn’t hold onto the positions, profits were very smallMost of the heavy losses came from trades where I guessed wrong but refused to cut That moment, I finally understood: My problem wasn’t analysis, but discipline. From Emotional Trading to Systematic Trading I started building a set of principles—not to make more money, but to prevent myself from destroying my account. Three Principles for Survival First: Always determine exit points for profits and stop-loss before entering a trade Before entering a position, know where you will exit. If the target isn’t reached, don’t sell; if the stop-loss is hit, cut without hesitation. Second: Never allocate more than 15% of your capital to a single trade No matter how confident you are, don’t go all-in. One mistake should not destroy the entire game. Third: Market Sideways – Stay Out If there’s no trend, don’t trade. Better to miss opportunities than to make mistakes. In the early days of following this system, it was extremely difficult. Once, my trade was up 18% then turned back to 8%. My hand hovered over the “sell” button for half an hour. One side said: “Take profits to be safe,” the other reminded: “Rules are rules.” In the end, I chose to follow the system. A few days later, that trade gained over 40%, and I closed it according to plan. From then on, I understood: the market doesn’t reward the smartest, but the most disciplined. Crypto is Not a Race to Make Money, It’s a Survival Game Over the past seven years, I’ve seen too many “masters” appear and disappear. In 2017, many used leverage to make profits dozens or hundreds of times, flaunting their achievements everywhere. But when the 2018 bear season hit, they vanished completely. The true winners in crypto are not those who make the most in the short term, but those who still have capital to play after multiple cycles. Crypto trades 24/7, with no rest, and no mercy. It exposes all human weaknesses: greed, fear, impatience, illusions. Gradually, I developed my own unbreakable investment principles: Only use idle money for investmentAt least survive through two bull-bear cycles to be considered a true investorOpportunities are never lacking in the market. What’s always lacking is the capital of traders who cannot control themselves. Trading System Must Evolve Over time, my system has been continuously refined. It’s not just entry and exit points, but a complete structure. Capital Management Is the Heart 50% for main assets (BTC, ETH)30% for quality projects with a solid foundation20% for short-term opportunities, hot trends This allocation ensures that even if the “hot” part fails completely, I still have enough strength to bounce back. Decisive Stop-Loss, Take Profit to Run I cut losses very strictly, but with profits, it’s the opposite: if the trend hasn’t broken, I let the market decide the profit level. The hardest part isn’t cutting losses, but not taking profits too early. Always Summarize Every weekend, I review all my trades: Was it according to plan?Where did I go wrong?Was it the market or did I break my own rules? This helps me avoid repeating old mistakes—something many traders fail to do. Conclusion: Carry a Lantern Now, I no longer chase every wave. I only trade what I understand, within the limits of my system. Looking back at my past self—driven by emotions, led by greed—I no longer blame, only feel grateful. Those painful times helped me realize: In trading, there’s no quick money. Only those who live long enough to make money. I used to stumble in the dark. Now, I have a lantern. That lantern doesn’t illuminate the entire market, but enough for me to walk confidently in this tempting crypto world. The market is still there. Opportunities always appear. The issue isn’t how many trades you catch, but whether you’re still standing at the table. The light is still on. Do you dare to continue?