Patience is the Sharpest Weapon in Crypto

The crypto market has never been an automatic money-printing machine; it’s more like an alley where coins occasionally roll down. Smart passersby only bend down to pick up coins at their feet, never chasing distant, blurry glimmers. Yet too many people see “patiently observing” as “missing out,” and view “waiting on the sidelines” as “doing nothing.” Their ultimate defeat is never due to market volatility, but to the anxiety within during periods of market inactivity.

Why do you always lose to “boredom” rather than the market? Technical indicators can be copied and pasted, trading systems can be bought, but only the “discipline to stay on the sidelines” requires thousands of self-battles. In the crypto industry, less than 10% of positions in 2025 are for entry-level practitioners—the market is eliminating amateurs and embracing professionals. The same goes for trading: the market never rewards those who just want quick profits; it only gives back to those willing to learn deeply.

The Turtle Trading Rules have long revealed the truth: “Without discipline, even the best system is worthless.” Being on the sidelines is itself an advanced position—I am waiting for the moment when my trading system gives a clear signal—the odds are in my favor, my mindset is calm, my account is ready, and the market resonates.

Other than that, I willingly remain an observer, never stepping onto the stage. “Be patient when buying, be decisive when selling.” The true art of trading lies in balancing these two states. When you see “waiting” as an active choice and treat “no position” as a special position, you truly gain the right to choose your trades.

The Reward of Waiting: Survival is More Important Than Making Money

Those who try to catch every wave will eventually be swallowed by the market. A single mistake requires six profitable trades to recover; ten impulsive trades, and your principal may find a new owner. Waiting is a reward in itself: no bullets wasted, a steady mindset, so when the next opportunity comes, you can pull the trigger with confidence.

There Are Only Two or Three Real Opportunities Each Year

90% of the time, the crypto market is just making noise; the truly worthwhile opportunities only come two or three times a year. The rest of the time, the market targets your psychological weaknesses—making you itchy to trade, triggering impulsiveness, and ultimately costing you real money. Successful trading “doesn’t seek perfect prediction, only emphasizes losing less and earning more.” Short squeeze strategies require patience: set up when shorts are crowded but prices haven’t rebounded, set stop-losses, and control risk.

Waiting Is for a More Accurate Strike

Step away from the charts for a while, turn leverage to zero, go exercise or spend time with family. This isn’t slacking off, it’s recharging; it’s not retreating, it’s setting up for the future.

The core elements of successful trading include:
- Discipline: Execute signals like a machine, remove emotion.
- Consistency: Stick to the system’s probabilistic edge, undeterred by single wins or losses.
- Stress Tolerance: Accept that “losses are a necessary cost.”
- Patience: Stay on the sidelines when there’s no signal, undisturbed by noise.

Without these qualities, even the perfect trading system can’t survive long term. In the crypto world, only those who understand “waiting” are worthy of real opportunities.

Those who constantly chase the market are like rowing frantically in a storm, forgetting the biggest danger comes from a leak in the boat’s hull. But traders who are good at waiting will repair their boats and nets and get familiar with the waters during calm times, waiting for the real tailwind. When that time comes, all they need to do is raise their sails, and they can set sail steadily.