My relentless 8 months in crypto: how I stopped being afraid and learned to love diversification

Having survived almost a year in the crypto jungle, I want to share my hard-earned survival strategy. Without any embellishments — this market has not spared me, but I have understood a thing or two.

1. Diversification: my salvation from madness

You know, when I kept everything in one coin, every drop felt like the end of the world. Now I've spread it across 45 different cryptos. Yes, I chose some just because they were talked about, and others simply because I liked the logos ( although in the article I certainly wrote about the "technological potential" ).

Why does this work? When a certain coin plummets, others usually compensate for the drop. Not always, of course, but the chances of survival are higher.

One trick: I noticed that some coins move in pairs — BTC drops and ETH follows. But there are projects that don't care about the market at all — they live their own lives. It's worth mixing them into the portfolio.

2. My daily ritual: cash out profit before it's too late

I take the cream off profitable positions every day. I don't wait for the "moon" — I see +5% and immediately secure those 5 bucks. No, seriously, even if it's just $5 in profit — I take it.

Then, when everything collapses ( and it always collapses ), I return this money back to the market in parts. DCA is when you buy a little bit during dips, rather than throwing everything in at once, only to regret it later.

A little secret: I always keep 10% in stablecoins. When the bloodbath starts — I have something to buy with. While everyone is crying, I'm rubbing my hands.

3. Leverage: my dangerous toy

This is my most controversial tactic. I use part of my spot portfolio as collateral and open leveraged positions. But I do this gradually:

• Initially modest ×2 with a stop at 1.5%
• If I lost, I try again with ×3 and a stop at 1%
• If it fails again, I'm going all in with ×5 and a stop of 0.5%

Madness? Perhaps. But each subsequent level of leverage provides a chance to recover from previous losses. By limiting risk at each stage, I maintain control.

Just don't get carried away! I sometimes forget my own rules, and then the margin call hits like a blow to the head. Two attempts maximum — that's my rule, although sometimes the temptation is great.

4. Where to put the profit

When I get lucky with margin trades (, which happens ), I don't spend it all on new adventures. I return half to my spot portfolio — it's my safety cushion.

I keep the other half in stablecoins. When the market starts to go crazy, my stash in USDC allows me to act calmly, without panic selling my main positions.

5. Risk Calculation Without Self-Deception

I've decided for myself: the maximum risk on one position is 1% of the total capital. With a portfolio of $10,000, I can lose a maximum of $100 on a single trade. Yes, this means that my potential profits are also limited, but at least I sleep soundly.

During periods of wild volatility ( there is plenty of it in crypto ) I widen my stops to avoid getting knocked out by every rustle. When the market is calmer, I make my stops tighter.

Honestly? This strategy won't make you a millionaire in a month. But it also won't turn your account to zero. And in this crazy world of cryptocurrencies, it's not bad to stay in the game for more than a week.

And finally: this strategy works for me, but I am still learning. Sometimes I do silly things and break my own rules. The crypto market is a treacherous thing, and just when you start to think you've got it all figured out, it shows you a new trick.