Having navigated the crypto space for many years, I have seen too many novices enter only to be trapped immediately or to rebound right after stopping out. Behind seemingly random market fluctuations, there is actually a deep strategic game—big players have long scripted their moves, while most retail investors are still trying to figure out the rules. Today, let’s dissect some classic routines in this market.

**First Trick: Accumulate at Low Levels, then FOMO Sparks a Surge**

Have you noticed that some coins tend to rise very suddenly? The logic behind this is as follows: large funds quietly build positions when market sentiment is low, possibly by placing small orders to absorb supply or spreading negative news to create panic, forcing retail investors to sell at a loss. Once they’ve accumulated enough chips, they suddenly send a big bullish candle soaring. At this point, various voices on social media—talking about technical breakthroughs or positive news—quickly flood the market with FOMO.

Ordinary investors see the rally start and fear missing out, rushing to buy at the top. Ironically, this is the perfect moment for big players to quietly offload their holdings. When retail investors are frantically buying, the big funds’ sell orders are already in place. The final outcome is often heartbreaking—those coins that surged a few days ago suddenly crash, even returning to the starting point. This routine is: Pump → Trigger FOMO → Distribute supply, all in one smooth flow.

**Second Trick: Shake the Market and Smash Orders to Clear Weak-Willed Followers**

After pushing the price up, the next step is more brutal. Big funds need to clear out retail traders who followed the trend but lack the conviction to hold. The method is “repeated manipulation”—quickly smashing through key support levels to trigger a cascade of stop-loss orders, causing panic to spread rapidly.

At this point, you’ll see an interesting phenomenon: support levels are broken → retail traders stop-loss → more panic selling → further decline → more stop-loss orders released—a self-reinforcing death spiral. Many traders get “washed out” during this process—either selling at a loss or being forced to close positions. Once retail investors have exited, big funds slowly absorb these cheap chips.

**The Market’s Essence Is Psychological Warfare**

These routines work mainly because retail traders’ psychological patterns are easy to predict and exploit. FOMO drives chasing highs, panic causes selling lows. Big players profit from these emotional swings.

Of course, this is just one side of the market; risk always exists objectively. The purpose of understanding these mechanisms isn’t to say the market is “unfair,” but to help everyone think more clearly about the market, manage expectations, and establish their own trading discipline.

In essence, to beat the market, you must first conquer your own greed and fear.