Over the years of trading cryptocurrencies, I’ve come to a surprising conclusion: in the crypto market, the ones who survive the longest are never the smartest traders, but those who can truly discipline themselves.

In the early days, I also took some wrong turns. I was obsessed with all kinds of complex indicators, studying MACD, Bollinger Bands, volume analysis every day, hoping to find the perfect trading formula. As a result, my account kept losing money, until I was left with only 30,000 yuan. That’s when I finally woke up — overcomplicating trading is essentially giving money away to others.

**The turning point came**

I started implementing a minimalist strategy. It sounds profound, but it’s really just four words: Only do what you understand.

The first critical phase was from 30,000 to 1.2 million, which took two years. At first, it was really tough. Every time I saw a coin surge, I’d hear a voice in my head screaming "Buy, buy, buy." But I stubbornly stuck to only trading N-shaped patterns — the simplest and most classic chart pattern. Over a month or two, my funds gradually grew. Not explosive profits, but very stable. After two years, I had multiplied my capital forty times.

When I hit the 1.2 million mark, I made a key decision: withdraw all the principal. This step was very important. The remaining funds were just unrealized gains, and my mindset immediately relaxed. Over the next year, still using the N-pattern strategy with strict stop-losses, my capital grew to 6 million.

The third phase was even more interesting. When I reached 6 million, I withdrew half to invest in more conservative assets, leaving only profits in the market. By then, my trading mindset had completely changed — without the pressure of "my assets," I could judge each trade more calmly. In the last five months, I went from 6 million to 10 million.

**What does a minimalist trading system look like?**

It boils down to three dimensions:

First, recognize only one pattern. The N-shape pattern is basically like this — after a strong coin surges, it must pull back with decreasing volume, like a runner catching their breath mid-race. My trick is to watch volume: when volume shrinks to about half of the initial surge and the price pulls back to a key support level, that’s the signal.

Second, execution discipline. Once rules are set, only do this — no matter how tempting other opportunities seem. This is the toughest part. I write down my trading rules and review them weekly.

Finally, stop-loss and take-profit must be mechanically executed. I set stop-loss at 3-5%, and take-profit usually between 8-15%, depending on the trend. Sounds like low returns? But the power of compound interest lies in frequency. Consistent small gains, accumulated over a year or two, really add up.

**Why do simple strategies last the longest?**

There’s never a shortage of complex theories and so-called "secret systems" in the market. The real money-makers tend to use simple methods. The reason is straightforward — complex systems have many parameters, and any deviation in data can cause a collapse. Simple systems are more resilient; they can withstand market changes.

Moreover, simplicity means genuine understanding. Traders who constantly tweak indicators, in reality, haven’t figured out what they’re really doing. When they lose money, they start to deny their system, constantly switching methods.

Trading, at its core, is a psychological game. The biggest enemy of the mind is complexity. The more complicated, the easier it is to deceive yourself and make excuses to change rules. An absurdly simple system forces you to face the most authentic question — can you stick to it?

Looking back now, I’m most grateful not for a big surge, but for the days when my account was down to 30,000 yuan. At that time, I had nothing to lose, and I understood more clearly what I wanted. No matter how turbulent the crypto market gets, sticking to discipline is enough.