💼 Chapter 1: Meet Baldwin — The Confident Trader

Baldwin, 34, lived in Moscow, Russia, and considered himself a smart man.

He wasn’t rich, but he had saved up over the years and got into crypto during the 2021 bull run.

By 2023, he’d learned about futures trading.

Then he discovered leverage.


“With just $500, you can control $50,000? That’s genius.”

He read articles, watched tutorials, and told himself he understood the risks.

But in his mind, it wasn’t gambling—it was strategy.



⚙️ Chapter 2: A Quick Taste of Winning

One Friday night, Baldwin opened a $2,000 BTC long with 50x leverage.

Bitcoin pumped.

He closed the trade with $9,000 in profit.

He grinned, poured himself a drink, and thought:



“I can scale this.”


He wasn’t wrong—he just wasn’t ready.

The next week, he deposited $15,000 into his futures wallet. It was nearly everything he had.

Then came the decision that changed everything:

He went 100x long on Bitcoin at $40,700.


“If this works, I’m out of my job and into freedom.”




📉 Chapter 3: The 0.7% That Ruined Everything

The chart moved in his favor at first.

Bitcoin rose to $40,690.

He was nearly there.

Then—a tiny dip. Just 0.6%.

In the world of 100x leverage, that’s total liquidation.

Price dipped from $40,690 to $40,440 in under 15 seconds.

His $15,000 was gone.

The platform showed: “Position Liquidated.”

Baldwin sat frozen in front of the screen.

He refreshed the app. Nothing changed.

It was real.



🏚️ Chapter 4: The Real Crash

He didn’t just lose his savings.

He had also borrowed 700,000 from a private lender—thinking he could pay it back after “just one trade.”

When they came knocking, he couldn’t pay.

Baldwin had only one asset left—his late father’s apartment, which he co-owned with his mother.

He sold his share to repay the debt.

His family was furious.

HE was ashamed.

All for a move he thought he “understood.”



💬 Chapter 5: What Baldwin Learned

Baldwin didn’t quit trading—but he changed.

He now uses low leverage (2x max), never risks more than 1%, and never borrows to trade.

He journals every trade. Keeps his ego out. And reminds himself daily:


“If a 1% move can end everything—you’re not investing. You’re gambling.”



⚠️ The Big Lesson

  • Leverage is a double-edged sword.

  • 100x means 1 wrong candle can delete your entire future.

  • It's not about how much you make—it's about how long you survive .