Losing Money for Many Years to Understand: Making Money in Crypto Is Not About Complexity, but About Simplicity and Discipline

In the crypto market, many people believe that to make money, you need a very complicated trading system, read a lot of news, follow numerous KOLs, and use all kinds of technical indicators. But in reality, the opposite is true: the more you try to “complicate,” the more your account is likely to diminish.\nAfter years of market experience, the takeaway is not “need more knowledge,” but “need to cut back on unnecessary things,” and most importantly, discipline in execution.\nComplexity Is the Sweet Trap of Traders\nWhen first entering the market, most people go through a “research addiction” phase. Charts filled with MA, MACD, RSI, Bollinger Bands, Funding Rate, sentiment indices… Each indicator is like a secret piece leading to profits.\nBut the problem is, indicators often conflict with each other. When MA signals an uptrend, RSI might be overbought. When the funding rate is high, indicating a hot market, prices can still continue to rise sharply. As a result, instead of simplifying decisions, traders fall into paralysis due to too many signals.\nThe biggest mistake is not lack of knowledge, but using diligent research to hide indecisiveness. Every loss makes many think “I haven’t researched enough,” then they add new indicators, new strategies, new systems. This cycle causes accounts to gradually thin out.\nThe crypto market is driven by liquidity, psychology, and macro events. Short-term volatility is highly random. Trying to catch every small move is like trying to catch a slippery fish with your bare hands — the more you try, the more you slip.\nSimplicity Is the Starting Point of Profitability\nThe real turning point is realizing: what you are trading is not the “coin,” but probability and risk.\nAn effective system doesn’t need to be complicated, just clear and repeatable. A simple yet consistent mindset framework can include:\nFocus on Core Assets\nInstead of chasing hot coins, meme coins, or emerging projects, focusing on Bitcoin and Ethereum helps minimize information risk. Large assets have high liquidity, more transparent data, and are less manipulated compared to small-cap coins.\nIn a market where you lack informational advantage, choosing the “right battlefield” is already a big advantage.\nFollow the Trend\nDon’t try to catch the top or bottom. That’s more of a game of luck than skill. Once a trend is established, the probability of continuation is usually higher than the probability of an immediate reversal.\nThe right mindset is not “predict the market,” but “respond correctly to the market.” When prices confirm an uptrend, prioritize long positions. When the market weakens clearly, limit participation or prioritize capital preservation.\nCapital Management Is Survival\nNever go all-in just because an opportunity looks “sure to win.” The market always has the potential to make you wrong.\nProper capital allocation, scaling into positions, and cutting losses when the scenario no longer fits — these are ways to protect your account. A good trader is not someone who is always right, but someone who suffers small losses when wrong.\nIt sounds simple, but that very simplicity is the hardest to maintain. Because it requires patience and emotional control — two things that the crypto market constantly tests.\nDiscipline Is the Bridge Between Strategy and Results\nA good plan is meaningless if not executed seriously. In a highly volatile environment like crypto, emotions can cause you to break rules in just a few minutes.\nTo improve execution, you can apply some principles:\nPlan before entering a trade: clearly define entry points, stop-loss, and profit targets. When the market moves, just follow the plan instead of making decisions in panic.\nMaintain health and mental stability: trading when tired or stressed easily leads to impulsive decisions.\nRegularly review your trading journal: focus on evaluating whether you adhered to your plan, rather than just looking at profits and losses.\nSome accounts grow rapidly not because of “insider information,” but because the trader is disciplined enough not to chase market noise. In crypto, sometimes the biggest advantage is the ability to do nothing until the right moment.\nThe Survival Rule in Crypto: Simple and Autonomous\nAfter enough time, you will realize that the market doesn’t eliminate the unsmart, but the undisciplined. Those who cannot control greed and fear will eliminate themselves from the game.\nSimplifying systems reduces noise. Discipline helps you survive long enough to seize real opportunities. When you let the market keep its complexity and keep yourself clear, you begin to move toward sustainability.\nIf you are still struggling, consider stopping and asking yourself:\nIs my system too complicated?Am I chasing every emerging trend?Am I truly sticking to my principles?\nIn crypto, profits rarely come from complicated tricks. They usually come from doing simple things correctly, repeatedly, with patience and discipline.\nMarkets are always volatile, but principles are not. Stay alert, simplify your strategy, and manage risks tightly — that is the foundation for long-term survival and growth.