I, 35 years old, entered the crypto world in 2019 with borrowed 60,000 capital. Over ten years, more than 3,100 days and nights, from a short-term gambler to a steady trader, from the brink of huge losses to assets exceeding 8 digits. Along this journey, what I gained with real money is not a wealth code, but a set of anti-human survival rules.
Chapter One: From "Dream of Getting Rich" to "Survival Battle"
Starting point: Borrowed 660,000 capital, thought the crypto world was an ATM, but it became a "money shredding machine";
Peak: Last year's assets broke through 8 digits, but behind it were three liquidations and countless sleepless nights;
Truth: There are no "ifs" in the crypto world, only "results"—every penny you earn is the realization of cognition; every penny you lose is a cognitive deficiency.
Data evidence:
Once used 30x leverage to earn 200% in a week, but one pullback brought it back to zero;
Hold Bitcoin long-term for 3 years, yielding over 50 times, but experienced 8 halving events in between;
After achieving stable profits, keep capital within the range of "losing it all won't affect life".
🛡️ Survival rules: The core code for making money in the crypto world
1. Abandon the fantasy of getting rich, embrace long-termism
Misconceptions: Thinking that contract leverage is a shortcut, but it ends up being a "chive accelerator";
Correct posture:
Focus on spot trading, with contract positions not exceeding 10% of total funds;
Invest regularly in quality assets (such as Bitcoin), ignoring short-term fluctuations;
Withdraw profits, turning earnings into "passive income".
2. Establish trading discipline, refuse emotional interference
Deadly traps:
Reluctant to sell when profits are made, stubbornly holding on during losses waiting for rebounds;
Panic selling during crashes, chasing high during surges and getting stuck;
Cracking methods:
Immediately cut losses on any single trade that loses over 5%;
Gradually reduce positions when unrealized gains exceed 20%;
Review trading records weekly, cut emotional trading.
3. Trade within cognitive boundaries: only earn money you understand
Blood and tears lessons:
Once went All-in on a "star project", only to find the team absconded and it went to zero;
Blindly following the trend "teacher's trades" led to losses exceeding 200,000 before I awoke;
Survival principles:
Don’t engage in projects you don’t understand; don’t touch areas you are not familiar with;
Before each trade, ask yourself: "Can I explain this logic to a primary school student?"
🧠 Thought revolution: The transformation from gambler to trader
1. Accept losses, but never admit defeat
Key cognition:
Loss is not failure; refusing to admit mistakes is;
Increasing position after consecutive losses to "recover losses" is the fastest path to bankruptcy;
Action guidelines:
Set a maximum daily loss limit (e.g., 2% of capital) and stop immediately when reached;
Review after losses: Is it a strategy issue? An emotion issue? Or an uncontrollable market?
2. Refuse "pseudo-efforts", focus on "effective actions"
Phenomenon critique:
Watching the market for 8 hours is not as good as reviewing for 1 hour;
Collecting 100 "valuable articles" is not as effective as executing 1 trading strategy;
Efficient methods:
Write a "battle plan" before daily trading: entry points, stop-loss levels, position ratios;
Optimize only one trading detail each week (such as stop-loss margin, take-profit strategy).
3. Build a cognitive moat: Knowledge + Experience + Mindset
Knowledge reserves:
Read carefully (The Intelligent Investor) (Technical Analysis of Financial Markets);
Pay attention to Federal Reserve policies, blockchain underlying technology;
Experience accumulation:
Use demo accounts to validate strategies, only engage in high-certainty opportunities in live trading;
Record the logic and emotional changes of each trade;
Mindset refinement:
When profitable, silently remind yourself "the market will always return";
When in loss, remind yourself "surviving brings hope".
💬 A few pieces of advice for crypto newbies
Do not borrow to trade cryptocurrencies: Leverage amplifies greed, and liquidation can happen in an instant;
Refuse the "myth of quick success": True experts are all "forged" through experience;
First simulate then go live: Use virtual funds for practice until achieving stable profits for three consecutive months;
Emphasize risk control: Stop-loss is more important than take-profit; being alive is necessary to see a bull market;
Maintain independent thinking: Stay away from "teacher's trades" and "insider information", the market rewards those who are awake.
✨ Conclusion: There are no saviors in the crypto world, only yourself
Ten years in the crypto world, my greatest gain is not wealth, but a set of anti-human survival systems:
Fear during greed: set stop-losses, refuse to increase positions;
Be greedy in fear: build positions in batches, hold long-term;
Learn during confusion: review and summarize, upgrade cognitive understanding.
