A Survivor's Confession in the Crypto Market

The crypto market always operates according to a repeating pattern: Opportunities are born in despair, grow in skepticism, explode in hope, and end in frenzy. Eight years ago, I entered the crypto market with about $1,400 in capital. Like most newcomers, I traded constantly every day, staying up late and waking up early to watch charts, believing that as long as I was diligent enough, profits would come naturally. But the reality was brutal: in less than half a year, my account was down to about $430. That period made me realize an important truth: Crypto is not an ATM, but a battlefield. Most participants become prey due to impatience; only those who know how to wait and act at the right moment can survive. What truly helped me go from $1,400 to over $140,000 was not some “secret to wealth,” but three key decisions: Early 2019: Boldly buy Bitcoin at the bottom 2021: Take profits in stages during the bull market 2022: When the market enters winter, proactively stay on the sidelines In all three instances, the common factor was not luck, but patience and decisive action at the right time.

1. Surviving Is the Key Condition When I first joined the market, I also experienced the feeling of doubling my account overnight. The sensation of “one day in crypto equals one year in real life” is truly exhilarating. But the market quickly poured cold water on me: good news often signals the start of risk. I once held a project with extremely good news. That night, I didn’t take profits because I thought the price would go higher. The next morning, the opening price was high, I hesitated for a few seconds — just a few seconds — and then the price plummeted. All profits vanished in an instant. Since then, I set discipline for myself: Before major holidays, always reduce my position When news is unclear, prioritize staying out Don’t try to catch every small wave Many people think I am too cautious. But that caution has helped me avoid countless sudden crashes. 👉 The truth about crypto: you don’t need to make money every day. You just need to keep capital and be present when the big wave appears.
2. The Only Path for Small Capital to Grow With a small capital of around $1,000–2,000, continuous trading is almost a guaranteed failure. Instead, I focus on a major trend in each phase. My strategy revolves around two factors: Position management through “profit rolling” Choosing the right altcoin with strong growth potential How to roll profits? Enter an initial position up to 10% of capital When the price increases by an additional 5–10% and the trend hasn’t broken, use profits to increase the position by 30–50% Simultaneously, move the stop-loss to break-even This way, if the market reverses, I still retain my principal. For altcoins, I focus on two groups: New coins with clear stories Coins that have accumulated and been “shaken out” long enough I once bought an altcoin after it had been sideways for nearly three months. When the price broke through a key resistance level, I didn’t buy at the bottom but caught the safest part of the rally.
3. Limited Opportunities to Change Your Account About 90% of the market time is noise. Only a few phases can truly change the game. My principles: Use weekly charts to identify major trends Use daily charts to find entry points Only participate when the weekly trend is clearly upward. Once in a position, hold patiently and don’t panic over short-term fluctuations. The tool I trust most is the moving average. When the moving averages shift from choppy to diverging upward, it’s often a sign of a new major trend beginning. At the end of 2023, I caught such a move. The coin had been accumulating for months and then exploded. I entered decisively and increased my position during corrections. This wave helped my account enter a completely different phase.
4. Psychology Is the Last Line of Defense The biggest enemy in crypto isn’t sharks, but your own greed and fear. Many people: Make profits in a few days and think they are geniuses Lose a few trades and panic Good traders see price as just a number. When their mindset is stable, their account will be stable too. How I maintain my mental stability: Periodic profit-taking: when gains exceed 30%, I withdraw some profits into stable assets Keep a trading journal: record reasons for entering trades, results, and lessons learned This helps me recognize recurring mistakes like overtrading or not adhering to stop-loss rules.
5. Practical Advice for Beginners If you’re entering crypto with small capital: Don’t trade too much: mastering one major trend per year is enough Cut losses without hesitation; it’s not optional Use few indicators but understand them deeply Avoid trading right before holidays Trade with the trend, not trying to catch the bottom or top Conclusion Crypto is full of opportunities. What’s lacking is patience to wait and courage to act at the right moment. The path from a few thousand USD to hundreds of thousands USD is real, but it’s never a quick fix. The most trusted formula: Major trend + right position + capital management + patience Among these, only one factor is technical; the other three are psychological. 👉 In this market, survival always comes before making money. When you are no longer driven by emotions over each candle, you will see that big goals are not out of reach.