I got involved in the cryptocurrency world in 2021. At that time, I was still a newcomer completely ignorant of high-volatility markets. Initially, I was very cautious, only investing 100U to 'test the waters,' and to my surprise, I quickly doubled my money. At that moment, I thought I had found the 'shortcut' in life.
Thus, my courage also grew, and my capital increased from 100U to 1000, 5000, 10000... I no longer set stop losses for my trades, only thinking about making money with every trade. Even if I had floating losses, I was unwilling to admit defeat, increasing my positions and holding on. Surprisingly, I didn't encounter any major problems, and my account value gradually increased.
Until the time when ETH rose to over 4000 USD, I heavily shorted and couldn't hold on at all. With no hope of breaking even, I ultimately faced liquidation. That was the first time I truly experienced the 'cruelty of the market.'
I was not convinced and deposited again. It just happened to coincide with the market crash on May 19, and I lost everything again. This time I was completely awakened; my faith in contracts collapsed at that moment. I exited the cryptocurrency world and turned to embrace the stock market.
But my friend, he didn't withdraw. He and I entered the circle together and faced bankruptcy together. But he never gave up; instead, he learned more as the market fell. He is the kind of person who must do things to the extreme, even if he has failed many times in between and lost assets countless times, he still insists on studying contract trading.
Until 2024, I suddenly found that he had started to profit steadily. Watching him slowly find his own rhythm, I began to reconsider during the time I was deeply trapped in the stock market, whether I could return to the cryptocurrency world and take another look.
So, I started over with a small amount of capital following him. I practiced and reviewed his ideas and began to reflect on where I went wrong in the past.
At first, I also tried to imitate his every move: I opened positions where he did, set stop losses as he did, but the result was always 'it looks the same, but actually, it's very different.'
He could endure the anxiety after consecutive stop losses and wait for a large profit, while after a series of losses, my mindset began to collapse, either watching from the sidelines or missing opportunities.
This made me increasingly aware of a fact:
Imitating others can only teach you the surface; true trading requires personal cultivation.
My friend's approach is not wrong, but it is based on his personality, understanding, and sense of rhythm. He follows a high-risk, high-reward strategy with a low win rate but significant gains when he wins. My personality is more conservative, pursuing stability and a balanced mindset. If I forcibly apply his model, it will eventually lead to 'derailment' due to insufficient psychological endurance.
So I changed my thinking: learn his logic, but no longer copy his operations. Gradually adding my understanding, I sought a style that suited me. I stopped pursuing 'doubling overnight' and instead focused on steady progress, slowly building my own trading system.
Now, I am starting to see stable small profits. Although I don't achieve the high volatility returns like him, my account is finally no longer experiencing wild fluctuations. My rhythm is also becoming smoother.
In summary: Trading is truly a personal cultivation.
It's not a competition of who is faster or more accurate, but a deep self-refinement.
You must confront your own greed, reconcile with fear, distance yourself from impulsiveness, and learn to persist in solitude, reflect in losses, and continue learning in despair.
The successful experiences of others can be referenced, but they can never be replicated.
In the end, trading is a personal affair; you must rely on yourself to find the answers.
Take it slow; it's not about being fast, but about not standing still.
On the path of cultivation, may both you and I find our own style and live the way we want.
