The call at 3 a.m. kept me awake all night—Brother Zhang in the circle was so panicked he was incoherent: "My wallet was emptied overnight, I didn't do anything, and it's just gone!"

After hearing him describe the whole process, my reaction was one word: not surprised.

**This isn't some advanced hacking technique**

He used a self-hosted wallet, no liquidation, no platform issues, just pure asset transfer. The police's response was a joke—"It might be a family member's misoperation." Rights protection? Don't even think about it.

I've seen too many such cases in the crypto space over the past eight years. It's always the same pattern, different victims. Those who chase gains and panic sell on exchanges, going all-in— their risk management skills are top-notch. But when it comes to basic asset protection? They all become amateurs.

**The details hide your hard-earned money**

Brother Zhang's case looks bizarre, but in reality, it's full of loopholes. The system hasn't been updated in three years—it's like a security door missing half a panel. The home WiFi password has never been changed—equivalent to leaving the key out in the open. His phone is loaded with pop-up apps, and who knows what hidden surveillance programs are lurking in them.

The most outrageous? He stored his seed phrase in a memo.

This operation is truly suicidal. It's like hanging the house key on the doorknob with a note saying "Welcome." Anyone wanting in can do so effortlessly.

**The real fatal damage often comes from daily habits**

An ignored system update, a weak password never changed, lax app permissions, plus that sense of overconfidence—these seemingly insignificant details all become the hacker's entry points.

I've seen too many people with assets worth tens of millions in their accounts, yet store private keys in Word documents. I've seen many pay hefty sums to teachers for trading, but write their wallet passwords on paper and leave them around. The disparity is heartbreaking.

**All I want to say is this**

In the crypto market, learn to "save your life" first, then talk about making money. Those stories of hundredfold returns are tempting, but the premise is that you survive to claim that money. Without a complete asset protection system, no matter how much you earn, in the end, you're just working for hackers.

Asset security isn't some advanced skill or an option—it's the basic qualification for entry. Start with small steps like regularly updating your system, changing passwords, isolating devices, offline storage of seed phrases, and gradually build your defenses. Because in this circle, what you lose is often more than just money.