Many people enter crypto with the dream of getting rich quickly, but leave quietly after a few times of 'burning their accounts'. They guess prices, trust their emotions, and stare at the charts every minute. I, on the other hand, do the opposite.

In 2017, I entered the market with 3,000U. Around me, there were players in contracts to the extent of mortgaging their homes due to continuous losses. Meanwhile, my account curve steadily rose like a 45-degree line. Over 8 years, my maximum capital loss has never exceeded 8%.

I do not use insider information, do not hunt airdrops, do not believe in 'mystical K-lines.' I only see the market as a probability machine. And my goal is not to be a gambler, but to side with... the bookmaker.

👉 Here are the 3 core principles that have helped me survive and grow sustainably throughout many cycles.

Principle 1: Lock in Profits Early – Put a 'Bulletproof Vest' on Your Profits

Right when I enter a trade, I always set both profit-taking and stop-loss orders. There’s no 'we'll figure it out later.'

When profits reach about 10% compared to capital, I immediately withdraw 50% of the profit to a cold wallet. The remaining part continues to trade like 'free money.'

If the market continues, I fully enjoy the power of compound interest.
If the market reverses, I only give back a portion of the profit – the principal remains safe.

In 8 years, I have withdrawn profits 37 times. There was a peak week where I withdrew over 180,000U, to the point where the exchange had to contact me via video to verify the account. Not because I was too good at predicting the market, but because I always prioritize protecting my capital.

Principle 2: Create Divergent Positions – Make Money from the Crowd's Focal Point

I do not trade in one direction. Instead, I simultaneously monitor three timeframes:

  • Daily timeframe to determine the main trend

  • 4-hour timeframe to determine price zones

  • 15-minute timeframe to enter orders accurately

With the same coin, I can open two parallel positions:

  • Order A: Buy on trend breakouts, set stop-loss below the daily low

  • Order B: Sell limit in the overbought zone on the 4-hour timeframe

Each order only risks a maximum of 1–1.5% of capital, while the minimum profit target is five times the risk.

The market has about 70–80% of the time moving sideways. When most traders are wiped out due to using high leverage, I can make money from both sides.

During the major crash event in 2022, when a major coin dropped nearly 90% in just 24 hours, both of my positions hit the profit-taking level. On that day alone, the account increased by over 40%.

Principle 3: Cut Small Losses to Exchange for Big Opportunities

I see stop-losses as the cost of buying a ticket to participate in the game.

In each trade, I accept a maximum loss of 1–1.5%. If the market does not behave as expected, I exit immediately. No regrets, no remorse.

When the market is favorable, I move my profit-taking to let the profits run. When the market is bad, I close the orders early.

Long-term statistics show:

  • My win rate is only about 38%

  • But the profit-to-loss ratio is nearly 5:1

In other words, risk 1 unit, expect to gain nearly 2 units. As long as you catch a few major trends each year, the effectiveness far exceeds any traditional investment channel.

Discipline in Capital Management – The Factor That Decides Your Survival

In addition to the three principles above, I always strictly adhere to the following rules:

  • Divide capital into 10 parts, each order uses a maximum of 1 part

  • Total open positions at any time should not exceed 3 parts

  • Losing two consecutive trades means stop trading, go exercise or take a break

  • Each time the account doubles, withdraw 20% and transfer to safe assets like bonds or gold

Thanks to this, even when the market enters a bad phase, my mindset remains strong.

Conclusion

The market always provides opportunities, but only for those with methods and discipline. Do not continue to chase rumors, do not trade out of fear of missing out, and do not dream of getting rich after just a few all-ins. If you really want to go the distance, learn to think like a bookmaker, not a gambler. At that point, account growth is just a matter of probability and time.