From starting with just a few thousand yuan to where I am now, I've been through many years of ups and downs in this market. Watching countless people rush in with dreams of "getting rich overnight," only to be crushed by leverage and greed, is heartbreaking. Today, I’ll be honest—sharing some survival principles I’ve personally verified, especially for beginners with only around ten thousand in their accounts.

**Why is it so easy for small funds to die? It's not because of the small principal, but because they can't sit still.**

Many people misunderstand this. They think trading means operating every day and making some noise. In fact, most opportunities the market throws out daily are traps. Truly worthwhile moves might only come once or twice a day. My own rhythm is like this: watching a decent trend, such as Bitcoin bouncing back with increased volume after breaking a key support level, then entering. Once in, I don’t be greedy—taking 2% or 3% profit and then exiting immediately. Sounds too cautious? But if you run your account with this strategy for a month, compounded, you can see a 20% to 30% return. That’s a clear picture.

The problem is, many people die at the foot of the mountain. Before good news is announced, they hesitate and don’t dare to enter, but once the news is out, they chase the trend wildly. Guess what? By the time they enter, it’s already at the top. Here’s a painful lesson—big positive news often signals a distribution. When a mainstream token announces a major partnership and surges that day, it’s time to exit. Don’t think you can ride the wave the next day. A gap-up the next day is usually a trap.

**Survive first, then talk about winning.**

As for position management, I’ve summarized some rules that aren’t complicated.

If you’re playing a medium to long-term strategy, my approach is to trade lightly, try mistakes, and deploy in batches. Only allocate about 5% of your total funds to bet on those long-term targets I believe in, like Bitcoin and Ethereum. Keep another 5% as ammunition for rebuys. Even if your judgment gets proven wrong, your account won’t die. That’s the defensive approach for small funds.

Short-term trading is different. It’s about probabilities; faith is not reliable. I often use 15-minute candlesticks combined with KDJ indicator: buy when the indicator crosses up, sell decisively when it crosses down. It’s not a secret weapon, just a matter of discipline. Once the price breaks below a key moving average—say, the MA30—you must act quickly, even if it means taking a loss. Many people hold on with a hope that it will bounce back, only to get deeper trapped. I’ve made that mistake once, and that’s enough.

Leverage—newbies should avoid it or keep it below 3x. The market always has a wave that can wipe you out. I’ve seen too many people vanish after opening 5x or 10x leverage due to a sudden spike. Staying alive is more important than anything.

**Mental discipline has no shortcuts.**

The biggest enemy in this market, honestly, is your own greed. When you make a little profit, a voice says, “Hold on a bit more, I can earn more.” When you suffer a loss, another voice says, “Let’s gamble again to recover.” I’ve fallen for both.

My current mental adjustment method is: once I exit, I completely ignore that asset. Clear the charts, switch topics, do something else. Otherwise, you’ll keep trying to adjust and re-enter. Often, the biggest gains come from the waves you didn’t participate in. Missing out isn’t regret; it’s the price of staying alive.

Another detail: don’t use your living expenses for trading. If your account money is tied to your rent or medical bills, your judgment automatically drops to zero. Only use idle funds to operate, so you can keep a clear head.

**Regarding technical analysis, I want to say a few fair words.**

There are many indicators and schools of thought in this market. I’ve tried many, and ultimately found: there’s no absolute killer indicator. The key is to learn how to read the structure of the chart. Large funds leave traces when they enter; you need to learn to recognize them. If a certain asset suddenly shows a volume explosion but the price doesn’t rise accordingly, it’s often a sign of trap-setting. Conversely, gradual volume increase and steady upward movement indicate the main players pushing the price higher.

Timeframes are also very important. Use daily charts for direction, hourly charts for rhythm, and minute charts for entry and exit points. Combining these three levels greatly improves your win rate compared to relying on just one.

Finally, a word to everyone who’s been grinding in this market: don’t expect a big turnaround in one shot. That kind of dream often leads to bankruptcy. Stable profits come from a stable mindset and strict discipline. If you can preserve your principal this year and earn 15%, that’s much better than risking everything for a 50% loss next year.