In 2018, my brother at the neighboring desk poured his entire wedding down payment into the crypto world. Three months later, he was crouched in the office stairwell, with an ashtray piled high like a mountain. The money was gone. His fiancée was gone. He looked completely defeated.

As for me, I rushed into the same bear market with only 5,000 stablecoins. Five years have passed, and my account has grown from four digits to seven digits, without a single liquidation.

Today, I won’t beat around the bush—let’s talk about some real stuff: In the crypto market, surviving longer is a thousand times more important than making quick profits. This isn’t just motivational talk; it’s lessons learned the hard way with money.

**Level One: Capital is the only chip for a comeback**

I’ve seen too many people get cocky after making quick money, risking all their principal and gains, only to be wiped out by a single big bearish candle.

My strict rule is simple: when profits exceed 10%, withdraw half immediately and lock it in a cold wallet. It sounds troublesome, but that’s the price of survival.

Every trade must have a stop-loss set; otherwise, I’d rather miss the trade.

During the market surge in 2020, I made 150,000 yuan in a single week. I transferred 75,000 yuan out that same day. Not long after, the market plunged, and people around me were wailing, but my “safety cushion” in the account was thick enough to withstand a level 9 earthquake. Those who didn’t withdraw are still trying to recover.

Don’t be afraid of trouble—your principal is your only chip to rise again. Once your account truly blows up, it’s too late to regret.

**Level Two: Three-cycle trading, profit while lying down in volatile markets**

Beginners often stare at the screen until their eyes bleed, only to get chopped up by the 15-minute chart. That’s the least efficient way to trade.

My approach is straightforward:

- Look at the daily chart for direction (is this rally going up or down?)
- Find a range on the 4-hour chart (where are the support and resistance levels?)
- Use the 15-minute chart to pinpoint entry points (place orders and wait for signals, never chase high or sell low)

Take Bitcoin as an example. When the price hits the 30,000 resistance level, I’ll place two orders to hedge risk:

- One long position in the trend (set stop-loss at the previous low on the daily chart, so even if it breaks through, there’s a line of defense)
- One short position against the trend (strictly limit stop-loss to within 1.5% of principal, so no money is lost)

Last year, when a certain coin was halved in a single day, I used this dual-stop-loss method and profited from both sides. Someone asked if I was lucky; actually, I just calculated the risks in advance.

The core of this method is: never bet on the direction, always profit from volatility. There’s money to be made in both up and down markets, but only if you survive long enough.

Many think this is an aggressive approach, but in fact, it’s the most conservative and stable way I’ve seen to live in this market.