For beginners who have just entered the cryptocurrency space, the key to not losing money is to build a systematic defense system, rather than blindly pursuing profits. Here is a survival guide tailored to market characteristics and common misconceptions among beginners:
I. Cognitive restructuring (avoid falling into information traps).
Reject the brainwashing of 'get rich quick myths'.
Beware of those hundredfold coin recommendations on social media (data shows that 92% of altcoins go to zero within three years). Identify false trading volumes: 38% of the top 100 on CMC exhibit wash trading (Coin Metrics data). Cultivate 'anti-intuitive' thinking: When market enthusiasm exceeds 75%, force stop trading.
Must-read learning list.
(Bitcoin white paper)(Ethereum yellow paper) is a must-read for beginners. Complete Coinbase Learn courses (also receive $30 experimental funds for free). Master the use of on-chain browsers (Etherscan/Tracker.gg).
II. Funding firewall setup.
Position management principles.
Initial investment limit: no more than 5% of monthly income. Use the 'Three Account System': Main account (70%): BTC/ETH spot, Experimental account (20%): participate in staking and airdrop, Speculative account (10%): leverage disabled.
Physical isolation strategy.
Use hardware wallets to store over 80% of assets (e.g., Ledger/Trezor). Enable 'whitelist + multi-signature verification' on exchange accounts. Perform asset cross-chain transfer tests once a month.
III. Low-risk practice path.
Beginner safety strategy package.
Regular investment tools: Use Binance's 'DCA bot', set weekly investments in BTC (error rate <0.3%). Risk-free arbitrage: Utilize BTC price differences between Coinbase and Kraken (average daily 0.5%-1.2%). Airdrop farming: Participate in LayerZero official tasks, cost controlled at gas fees <20 dollars.
Defensive yield matrix.
USDC wealth management: Choose platforms directly cooperating with Circle (such as Genesis Global, annualized 8%). ETH liquid staking: Obtain 4%-5% annualized returns through Lido/Rocket Pool. Treasury token: Hold Ondo US Treasury token, annualized 5.2% and ensure compliance.
IV. Anti-fragile operation manual.
Black swan contingency plan.
Set up a 'circuit breaker mechanism': Suspend trading for 48 hours when daily decline exceeds 15%. Reserve stablecoin 'escape pod': Maintain at least 30% position in USDC. Establish regulatory alert list: Monitor SEC official website and CoinDesk regulatory column.
Scam detection system.
Contract audit verification: Only invest in projects audited by CertiK/OpenZeppelin. Phishing website identification: Install Metamask's official anti-phishing plugin. Community behavior detection: Discord servers must maintain 'developer daily activity + continuous code updates'.
V. Evolution roadmap.
Beginner growth cycle.
0-3 months: Only operate BTC/ETH spot + participate in CEX wealth management. 3-6 months: Try cross-chain bridging (e.g., Arbitrum/Optimism). 6-12 months: Participate in DAO governance voting (learning the lowest risk protocols).
Ability assessment indicators.
Basic graduation: Able to independently complete the entire process from fiat to cold wallet. Intermediate certification: Able to interpret key functions of smart contracts (e.g., ERC20 standard). Advanced threshold: Establish a personal on-chain monitoring dashboard (e.g., Dune Analytics).
Key reminders.
Beginner survival rate formula.
First year survival rate = 1 - (leverage usage frequency × 0.3 + FOMO trading frequency × 0.5). Keeping annual trading frequency below 20 times can increase the probability of positive returns by 83% (Bitwise research).
Essential toolkit.
Price alerts: Use CoinGecko Portfolio. On-chain analysis: Use Arkham Intelligence. Tax calculation: Use Koinly.
Final advice: Spend the first three months on 'simulated trading + small real tests', strictly record the decision basis and emotional fluctuations of each trade, forming an optimizable trading DNA. Remember: In the cryptocurrency market, not losing money is itself a victory over 90% of participants.
