When I entered the crypto space in 2017, I had only $5,000 in my pocket. Many people around me were so leveraged that they had to sell their houses, while my account remained rock solid, with no more than an 8% maximum drawdown over five years.

I don’t rely on insider information, don’t chase after free money, and don’t believe in K-line mysticism. My core approach is simple: treat yourself as the guaranteed profitable market maker, not a gambler chasing highs and lows. Break it down into these three main strategies:

**Lock-in profits with compound interest as the first line of defense**

Set take-profit and stop-loss orders at the moment of opening a position. Once profits reach 10% of the principal, immediately move half to a cold wallet to lock in gains, and continue to let the remaining "free" profit grow. When the market moves upward, you benefit from compound interest; if it reverses, you only lose at most half of your profits, keeping your principal safe. Over five years, I’ve withdrawn a total of 37 times; during the craziest week, I withdrew $180,000. The exchange’s customer service even verified via video that I wasn’t money laundering.

**Dislocated position building: use market fear to your advantage**

Monitor three timeframes simultaneously—daily, 4-hour, and 15-minute charts: the daily for the big trend, the 4-hour for oscillation ranges, and the 15-minute for precise entries. Open two positions on the same coin: a long at the breakout point with a stop-loss set at the previous low on the daily chart; a limit short in the 4-hour overbought zone, ambushing from both sides. Keep risk per trade within 1.5% of your capital, with take-profit targets of over 5 times. The market spends 80% of its time in consolidation; while others get squeezed out, I profit from both sides. During the Luna crash in 2022, when prices plunged 90% in 24 hours, I closed both long and short positions with profits, and my account grew 42% that day.

**Stop-loss is the real ticket to high profits**

View each stop-loss as a ticket to enter a big move. Use a small 1.5% loss to participate in major market trends. When the market is good, trail your take-profit to ride the profits; when it’s bad, cut your losses decisively. Over the long term, my win rate is only about 38%, but my risk-reward ratio can reach 4.8:1. That means risking $1 to make $4.80 safely. Just catching two trends a year can outperform bank savings by a wide margin.

**Don’t forget these three practical tips**

Divide your capital into 10 parts, use at most 1 part per trade, and keep no more than 3 positions open at once; after two consecutive losses, stop trading and go to the gym—don’t get caught up in revenge trading; whenever your account doubles, withdraw 20% to buy US bonds or gold, so you can sleep soundly even in a bear market.