Early on, I knew a friend who turned 100,000 into 42 million. He once said something quite insightful: The essence of a great trader boils down to two abilities— the determination to hold back and place orders during a sharp decline, and the rationality to resist the urge to add to positions during a surge.

Later, I also experienced many setbacks in the crypto world and summarized some survival rules, now sharing them:

**Trade only after 9 PM**
My current rule is to avoid trading before 9 PM. By then, most news has settled, candlestick charts are clearer, and trend judgments are more accurate. Last year, there was a day when BTC dropped 3% during the day, and everyone in the group was shouting about a bear market. I didn’t move. After 9 PM, I saw trading volume halved and the 4-hour MACD hadn’t broken down, so I entered a small position. The next day, it rebounded, earning a net profit of 5,000 USD. During the day, the market is mainly manipulated by big players; the real trend only shows at night. Beginners are most likely to become cannon fodder during daytime.

**Take profits immediately**
I set a strict rule: if I make a profit on the same day, no matter how small, I withdraw 30% to my bank card first. Last year, using this method, I accumulated 150,000 just from withdrawals. Even if subsequent trades lose money, the cash in my pocket remains real. There’s a saying in crypto—numbers on the screen are just digital; only the money in your pocket truly belongs to you.

**Let indicators do the talking, not intuition**
I use TradingView and check MACD, RSI, Bollinger Bands before every trade. I only act when at least two signals align. After adopting this approach, my win rate jumped from 30% to 60%.

**Use flexible stop-loss, don’t hold on stubbornly**
When I can monitor the market, I move my stop-loss up as profits increase. When I can’t monitor, I set a hard stop-loss at 3%. Many think stop-loss means admitting defeat, but that’s wrong—stop-loss is about protecting your capital and leaving room for a comeback.

These are all experiences gained through real trading. For friends who want to avoid pitfalls and grow steadily in the crypto space, applying this logic will naturally improve your returns.