I've seen someone turn 5,000 into 1 million in half a year, and I've also seen someone earn 500,000 one day, only to lose everything the next day—this is not a difference in luck but a drastic difference in executing the rolling position tactic. After 10 years of practical experience in futures, the pits I've stepped into could fill a truck. The core of the tactic I summed up in the end is just two words: 'guard' and 'decisive'—be steady as a mountain when you need to guard and be ruthless when you need to be decisive.
One, wait: 90% of the time is waiting, 10% of the time is earning.
Newbies in futures always feel that 'not trading is losing,' and feel uncomfortable if they don’t open a position in a day. But the people I have seen who can make money are all 'snipers'—90% of the time lying still, waiting for the best moment to pull the trigger.
A fan started with 5,000 and traded every day for three months, spending over 800 on fees, and the account lost 30%. Later, after learning from me to 'wait for the market,' he only acted when BTC or ETH showed 'violent trends': for example, breaking key resistance levels or increasing by more than 5%. As a result, in the fourth month, he earned 40% in one trade, equivalent to the chaotic three months before.
What is a 'violent market'? There are three signals:
Breaking key levels + increasing volume: BTC was in a sideways range at 70,000 for half a month, suddenly a big bullish candle broke through 80,000, with a trading volume three times that of the previous day—this indicates 'capital is scrambling for shares.' At this time, entering the market has a high probability of more than 10% fluctuation within three days. Coupled with trend driven by news, the market often lasts for a while. The last time the Federal Reserve cut interest rates, I waited for 2 hours to confirm the trend before entering, and made 30% in 5 days.
Sector linkage rises: For example, if the DeFi sector rises collectively, with the leading coin rising 10%, other coins follow—this indicates 'it's not just a single coin's market, but a sector opportunity,' which is safer.
The core of waiting for the market is 'resist the urge.' I have a timer on my phone, forcing myself to 'open a maximum of 2 orders' each day, and I must stare at the K-line for 15 minutes before opening a position. Many impulsive orders get suppressed this way. Remember: in the futures market, missing 10 opportunities is not scary; what is scary is one impulse that wipes out your principal.
Two, roll: use profits to roll, the principal is always a 'safety cushion.'
'Adding positions after making money' is a fatal flaw for futures newbies. I once made 50% on ETH, and in a moment of impulse, I added all my principal and profits, only to see the market reverse, resulting in not only losing all my profits but also a 20% loss on my principal. I later understood: the principal is 'life,' and profits are 'icing on the cake,' and they cannot be confused.
Now my operating rule is:
First order profitable, withdraw principal first: 5,000 in principal, the first order made 1,000 (20%), immediately transfer the 5,000 principal out, using only the 1,000 profit to continue. This way, even if I lose everything later, it's only the money earned, and the principal remains intact.
Roll profits and increase positions step by step: When profits reach 2,000 (doubled), add a maximum of 50% position (1,000); when reaching 4,000, add another 50% (2,000). Always leave a 'buffer zone' for profits and do not put all eggs in one basket.
After doubling, leave a safety cushion: when profits double (for example, 1,000 turns into 2,000), immediately withdraw 30% (600) to a stablecoin wallet, and continue rolling the remaining 1,400. This 600 is a 'safety cushion,' and even if there are losses later, you have actually pocketed 600.
Last year, in one month, I used 10,000 to roll positions, doubling twice in the process, and took a 30% safety cushion. Even if the market retraced in the end, I still netted 12,000—many people fail to make money because they treat 'paper profits' as 'actual earnings,' not understanding 'cash in hand.'
Three, adjust: The stop-loss line follows the profit and does not do 'roller coasters.'
'After gaining 50%, move the stop-loss line to the cost price'—this is a lesson learned from 30,000 in losses.
When I first started trading futures, I always set the stop-loss line firmly 3% below the opening price. As a result, once ETH retraced from a 50% profit to a 10% profit, I didn't act, thinking 'it can still bounce back.' In the end, it fell to the stop-loss line, losing not only profits but also 3%.
Now I have learned 'dynamic stop-loss':
Floating profit within 50%, set the stop-loss line 3% below the opening price (regular stop-loss).
Floating profit over 50%, move the stop-loss line to 'opening price' (cost price) to ensure 'no loss of principal.'
Floating profit over 100%, move the stop-loss line to 'opening price + 50%' to lock in half the profit.
Once, when SOL was floating 80%, I moved the stop-loss line up to the cost price. Later it retraced to 2% above the cost price, I didn't stop-loss, thinking 'it can still bounce back,' but it eventually fell to the stop-loss line, losing not only profits but also 3%.
Four, stop: not being able to hold onto profits is equivalent to earning nothing.
'Gained but didn't take profit, the last empty'—this is the cruel truth of the futures market. I've seen too many people who are reluctant to sell when their positions are floating 50% or 100%, only to see the market reverse and lose all their profits, even ending up in a loss.
My profit-taking principle is 'take profits in batches, and take when it's good':
Floating profit 30%, profit-taking 30%: For example, if entering with a profit of 10,000, and earning 3,000, first sell 30% (the position corresponding to the 3,000 principal), recovering 900 in profit.
Floating profit 50%, then profit-taking 40%: The remaining position of 7,000, earning 3,500, sell another 40%, recovering 1,400.
Floating profit 100%, either liquidate or keep 10% to bet on the market: for the remaining 30% of the position, either sell all or keep 10% to gamble for a higher return, but absolutely do not be greedy.
Last year during the BTC market, I used this profit-taking method to cash out at a floating profit of 120%. Although it later rose another 50%, I had already made 120%—many people always think about 'selling at the highest point,' but they can't even capture a 'relatively high point.'
The core of taking profits is 'accepting imperfection.' There is no god in the crypto world who can 'sell at the highest point.' Being able to pocket most of the profits during the rise has already defeated 90% of the people.
Why can some turn 5,000 into 1 million, while others lose all after earning 500,000?
The former understands 'wait': only act when the market is certain, usually lurking like a hunter, only shooting when it is certain.
The former understands 'roll': using profits to play, the principal is always safe, and the mindset won't collapse, so the operations won't deform.
The former understands 'adjust': dynamically adjusting the stop-loss, letting profits bear the risk, earning more when rising, and not losing when falling.
The former understands 'stop': take profits when it's good, do not be greedy, preserving profits is more important than pursuing 'higher.'
The latter, however, often 'does not wait, rolls randomly, does not adjust, and does not take profits'—when the market comes, they rush in, increase the principal when they earn, do not adjust the stop-loss, and rely on fantasies for profit-taking. It's strange if they don't lose everything.
Lastly, a piece of advice for those who want to turn their fortunes around through rolling positions:
The core of the rolling position tactic is not 'how fast to earn,' but 'how long to survive.' Turning 5,000 into 1 million relies not on a single windfall, but on countless times of 'waiting for the right market, using profits to roll, adjusting stop-losses well, and taking profits in time.'
You don't need to become a 'futures master,' you only need to execute these details: resist the urge when it's time to wait, use profits when it's time to roll, adjust the stop-loss when it's time to move, and be not greedy when it's time to take profits. If you do these, even if you can't roll up to 200 times, at least you can survive long in the crypto space, and if you survive long enough, you will definitely wait for your opportunity.
The market in the crypto world changes rapidly, but those who can make money are always the ones who 'understand self-control.' Don't let the market's fluctuations lead you; from today, engrave every step of the rolling position tactic in your mind. When the next market comes, you will thank today's you.
