After eight years in the crypto circle, I finally see through the manipulator's washout tactics.

To be honest, the funds in your account are nothing to them. Don't overestimate yourself; the goal of the manipulators is never to squeeze a little profit from you. Washout, in simple terms, is preparation for a subsequent rapid surge.
When I first entered the market, I was also deceived by this illusion—thinking that big institutions were watching over my few dozen coins. It wasn't until later that I realized the true nature of washout isn't targeting retail investors like us, but rather "exchanging chips." Imagine a card game where the dealer needs to swap out bad cards for good ones; they wouldn't bother fighting over small chips under the table.
The 2018 METIS case is a classic example I still remember today.
The price started to decline from $1.2, dropping steadily to $0.9 over two months. The forum was full of voices saying "this project is doomed," with some people cutting losses at $0.95. During the second round, the price spiked down to $0.7 and then immediately rebounded. Some technical traders saw an opportunity and rushed in, only for the dealer to turn around and smash it down to $0.65, causing many to be washed out.
Things got even worse. Rumors spread, and the price plummeted to $0.5. Community activity sharply declined, and the atmosphere was extremely desperate. At this moment, the dealer executed a V-shaped reversal within three days, bringing the price back to $1.00. Those who had sold earlier lost the courage to chase, new entrants faced higher costs, and the chips were firmly in the dealer's hands, easily pushing the price up to $3.00.
Years of experience have taught me what true washout really is—
It’s like the uncomfortable heat before a storm, the discomfort is just to exchange the air. What the dealer wants isn’t your coins, but your fragile heart that can’t withstand volatility. The rules of the market game are cruel: constantly filtering out those low-cost but hesitant investors, and welcoming high-cost but resolute buyers.