Fan Xiao Zhou sent a screenshot, and the 1800 dollars account only has 36 dollars left, with the caption 'couldn't hold on again.' At the same time, another fan, Akai, showed off an account with 80,000 dollars comfortably lying inside. They both started at the same point, and the market conditions they experienced were similar; the difference lies in the fact that Xiao Zhou always thinks about 'earning enough in one go,' while Akai treats the account as a 'goose to raise,' ensuring the goose doesn't die first, and then waiting for it to lay eggs.
Today, I broke down Akai's 'goose-raising system' into 4 key points. If you understand it, you can avoid 90% of the pitfalls, especially suitable for friends who are just entering the field.
1. 1800 dollars broken down into 'three meals money': only dare to wait for meat when not starving.
When A Kai first entered the market, I told him to split his 1800 dollars into three 'fixed expenses', with each portion being 600 dollars; not a penny less should be moved.
Breakfast money (intraday trades): Only do one trade per day, and once you earn 4%, take 30% off the table (for example, if you earn 24 dollars, transfer 7.2 dollars to a safe wallet). Regardless of whether the price rises or falls, you must close the position before the market closes — just like washing the dishes after breakfast; you must not leave it until evening to go sour.
Lunch money (swing trades): Wait for the market to 'look up' before acting: The EMA12 line on the daily chart must exceed the EMA48 line (this is a signal that the trend is going up), plus the trading volume must be more than 50% higher than the previous day, and the profit-loss ratio must be at least 3:1 (for example, potentially earning 300 dollars, with a maximum loss of 100 dollars) before you dare to open a position — equivalent to waiting for lunch to heat thoroughly before eating; undercooked food can lead to an upset stomach.
Dinner money (base capital): This money is 'lifesaving grain'; unless the entire market goes to zero (which is less likely than winning the lottery), you must not touch it — just like the emergency rice stored at home; no matter how hungry you are, you can't eat it all in one meal.
Many people jump in with a full position right away, which is no different than running a marathon on an empty stomach. First, let the position 'stay alive' so that the account has a chance to rise.
Second, be a 'wooden man' during sideways markets: Only open your eyes and work when a trend comes.
80% of the time in the crypto market is spent 'going in circles' (which means sideways trading); moving during this time is like giving money to the market. In April, A Kai encountered a situation where a certain popular coin was sideways for 20 days. Little Zhou asked me every day, 'Can we squeeze out some pocket money?' I told A Kai to keep his hands still: 'Sideways means the market is dozing off; if you wake it up, you will get bitten.'
On the morning of the 21st day, that coin suddenly surged (the trading volume was three times that of the previous day), and A Kai immediately entered the market, capturing 45% of the trend in one go. His 600 dollars in a swing trade directly rose to 870 dollars, and with the profits from the intraday trades, his principal surged to 3000 dollars. Remember: Making money doesn’t require you to watch the market every day; either be still like a wooden man, or seize the entire trend 'to the end'. Don’t think about harvesting wool every day — if you don’t get any wool, you might end up treating your own principal as wool to give away.
Third, tie your emotions to the 'robot dog leash': Don't let your heartbeat disrupt your operations.
The most common mistake beginners make is letting emotions control their fingers: they add to positions when losing and feel elated when making money. A Kai almost stumbled at the beginning, and later I had him install 'robot rules' for his account.
A stop loss of 2% means 'cutting your hand': No matter how promising the trend looks, as long as it drops to 2%, the system automatically closes the position without hesitation — for example, if you buy coins worth 100 dollars, sell them immediately if they drop to 98 dollars; don’t think about 'waiting to see if it will rise again.'
When earning 4%, first 'reduce a limb': When you earn 4%, reduce your position by 30%, and let the rest follow the trend — for example, if you earn 40 dollars, sell 30% of your position, pocket 12 dollars, and let the remaining continue to 'run'.
Absolutely forbidden to add to a position: Adding to a position is like feeding losses 'with food'; the more you feed, the hungrier it gets. In July, a certain coin gapped down, and as soon as A Kai entered a short position, it hit a 2% stop loss, losing 80 dollars. He nearly added to his position to recover, but I told him to watch the market and not to act. Two hours later, the market rebounded, and he reversed to go long, directly earning 18% the next day — you see, a 2% 'small injury' is much better than a blown account 'amputation'.
Fourth, money earned should be 'converted into real profits': Don't treat numbers as wealth.
A Kai has a habit: every time his account surpasses a whole number (for example, from 5000 dollars to 6000 dollars, from 10,000 dollars to 20,000 dollars), he withdraws 20% to transfer to a cold wallet. Last month, when his account reached 80,000 dollars, he directly withdrew 16,000 dollars to buy his mom a new car. His aunt posted on social media saying, 'My son is reliable in handling digital assets,' which is much more substantial than him showing off screenshots of floating profits.
Many people regard the numbers in their accounts as wealth; when it rises, they feel elated, and when it falls, they panic, forgetting that 'locking in profits' is the real way to make money. Spending the money earned from profits does not affect the principal and helps you adhere to the rules. After all, losing your own principal hurts, but losing 'extra money' earned can lead to calmer operations.
With these four strategies, A Kai has not blown up his account in three months; his 1800 dollars grew to 80,000 dollars. It's not that he was lucky; it's that this system turned 'uncertainty' into a 'high probability of making money'. 90% of people cannot retain their principal in the crypto market, not because the market is too harsh, but because they place their hopes on 'guessing price movements', while we place our hopes on 'following the rules'.
Next time you want to go all in, add to your position, or stay up late watching the market, first come back and read this article: There are plenty of opportunities in a bull market; what’s lacking is the ability to survive until the opportunity arrives. The capital in your hands is not 'gambling money'; it's a 'goose' that needs to be nurtured. Let the goose live first, and you can collect eggs every day.
