After eight years in this market, my biggest gain isn’t how much I’ve made, but learning how not to get wiped out.

I started out with $100,000, with no clue about position management. Whenever I saw a MEME coin pump, I’d FOMO in. When the price pulled back, I’d stubbornly hold, refusing to cut my losses. As a result, my account shrank from $100,000 to $30,000—a 70% loss. During that time, I seriously considered quitting, but I just couldn’t accept walking away.

Every retail trader goes through these darkest moments. Later, I slowly figured things out. There’s no secret formula for getting rich quick, but at least I learned how to avoid big mistakes.

The deadliest mistake is actually going against human nature—holding onto losers and panic-selling winners.

I used to be like that. When ETH was down 15%, I couldn’t bring myself to cut the position, thinking it might bounce back. Instead, I got stuck deeper and deeper, and only capitulated after a 40% loss. On the flip side, when I made an 8% gain, I’d rush to take profit, afraid to lose it, only to watch it rally another 20%.

Later, I flipped my rules: take half profits after a 10% gain, stop loss immediately at a 5% loss. This simple rule helped me avoid countless deep pits.

Last year, when SOL hit a new high at $230, trading volume was clearly shrinking, but I didn’t rush to exit, because low-volume rallies often have more room to run. Sure enough, it went up another 35%. When BTC broke above the 20-day moving average and then pulled back, trading volume dropped to a third of previous levels. I figured it was a shakeout, took a small position, and made a 12% profit in five days.

Another lesson: don’t bite off more than you can chew. Now I only focus on BTC, ETH, and SOL—the three major coins. Concentrated attention helps me stay in sync with the market.

There are tricks to intraday trading too. Don’t panic during sharp drops. Last year, when ETH crashed 8% in a single day, I stuck to my plan and added to my position. The next day it rebounded 6%, and I took profits smoothly. Be wary of late-session surges—once, ADA pumped 7% near the close, but I didn’t chase. The next day it dumped 9%, so I dodged a bullet.

These patterns never fail: low-volume rallies usually keep going, high-volume stagnation is a sign to run, and sharp pumps always mean a pullback is coming.

But the most crucial thing is mindset management. Last year, after making $50,000, I took a week off because I knew I was getting cocky, and overconfidence leads to reckless trades. Last month, after two straight losses, I didn’t rush to recover. Instead, I took a few days to reflect, then scored five wins in a row and made up all my losses.

After eight years in this market, I finally understand: surviving is far more important than getting rich overnight.

You don’t need to mess with complicated technical indicators. Just remember these few things: take profits and cut losses, focus on a few quality trades, and control your mindset. Even if your gains are slow, you’ll be able to stick around in this market for the long run.

Now my account is back to $150,000, and all I rely on are these seemingly dumb methods.

The people who survive and make money in this market have always been those willing to face reality and correct their mistakes.

Are you ready?