as someone who has been in stocks/mf since 2013 and crypto since 2017 (and who also lost a lot due to greed) may I tell you the best strategy in crypto is to HODL.

I Lost Everything! (2 Months of Trading)
Trading is one of the fastest ways to grow money—but also one of the fastest ways to lose it all. After six months of intense crypto trading, I hit rock bottom. My entire investment was gone. But instead of quitting, I took a step back to analyze what went wrong.
Here’s what didn’t work for me and the lessons I learned along the way.

1. Buying Crypto with $2,000 Cash
Like many beginners, I started with a lump sum—$2,000 in cash—hoping to grow it over time. My plan seemed simple: buy low, hold, and sell high. But reality hit me hard.
What went wrong?
Most cryptocurrencies lose value over time. While Bitcoin and Ethereum have seen long-term growth, most altcoins decline in value after their initial hype. I ended up buying into projects that seemed promising but steadily lost value.
Market volatility crushed my confidence. Some days, my portfolio was up, but more often, it was down. Watching my investment shrink daily took an emotional toll.
I underestimated market cycles. I bought during what seemed like a good dip, but the market kept falling. Without a clear strategy, I was simply hoping for a rebound.
Lesson learned: Cash investments alone aren’t enough. Without a strategy, you’re at the mercy of the market.

2. Leverage Trading – A Costly Mistake
Frustrated with slow losses, I turned to leverage trading. The idea was tempting: borrow money to increase my position size and maximize profits.
At first, it worked. I had a few wins, which made me believe I had cracked the code. But then reality set in.
Why leverage trading made me lose everything:
High risk, high reward… but mostly high risk. A single bad trade wiped out a huge chunk of my account.
Overconfidence led to bigger mistakes. After a few wins, I started increasing my leverage. That was a trap.
Market manipulation is real. Large institutions and automated trading bots move the market in ways retail traders can’t predict. I often entered trades only to see sudden price reversals that hit my stop losses.
Emotional trading made things worse. Every time I lost, I tried to win it back. This led to overtrading and even bigger losses.
Lesson learned: Leverage trading is designed to favor the big players, not retail traders. It’s a dangerous game unless you have deep experience and emotional discipline.

My New Strategy – A Smarter Approach to Trading
After losing everything, I took a break to rethink my approach. I realized that successful traders don’t just chase trends or blindly follow hype. Instead, they understand market psychology.
Here’s what I’ll focus on moving forward:
✅ Trading against the crowd – Most retail traders lose money. Instead of following the herd, I’ll look for opportunities where emotions (fear and greed) drive bad decisions.
✅ Risk management first – No more over-leveraging or risking too much on a single trade. Small, calculated trades will be my new approach.
✅ Understanding liquidity zones – Markets move in patterns. I’ll study where large orders are placed and how institutional traders operate.
✅ Patience over impulse – Instead of chasing every pump and dump, I’ll wait for high-probability setups.
This time, I’m not just trading—I’m strategizing.

Final Thoughts
If you’re new to trading, learn from my mistakes. Avoid jumping into the market without a solid plan. Understand that leverage is a double-edged sword, and most cryptos don’t perform as well as people expect.
I’ll be sharing updates on my progress with this new approach. Hopefully, this time, I’ll build a portfolio that grows instead of disappears.
$BTC
$SOL
$XRP