Seeing someone in the circle lose everything due to crypto trading again, I dug out my long-forgotten trading records. Over these more than ten years, I’ve endured the drop from 20,000 USD in BTC to 3,000 USD, gritted my teeth through it; I also didn’t dodge the bear market when it crashed from 60,000 USD to 15,000 USD. But ironically, the strategies that ultimately helped me achieve stable profits are precisely those that seem the "dumbest" and least technical. Today, I’ll share these honest truths from the past years, hoping to help you straighten out your mindset before moving forward.

**After losing money, don’t rush to make it back**

The most dangerous thing is "revenge trading." During the 94 crash, I learned this the hard way — after a loss, I was eager to recover, and as a result, I lost three months’ worth of profits in one night. Since then, I set a rule: if a single-day loss exceeds 10%, immediately close the trading app. Go for a walk, exercise, or even watch a movie. Because a brain angered by losses spends 90% of its time making wrong decisions. This isn’t weakness; it’s self-preservation.

Losing money doesn’t necessarily mean your strategy is completely wrong. The essence of the crypto world is high risk and high volatility; even big players manipulating large sums can accidentally get liquidated. The key is to figure out — was this loss due to a gap in your understanding (which must be fixed), or was it purely market randomness (which you must endure)? Distinguishing this clearly allows you to target the right solution.

There’s a psychological trick called the "5-4-3-2-1 rule," which is great for panic. Find 5 things you can see, 4 textures you can touch, 3 sounds you hear, 2 smells you notice, and 1 taste you can identify. In just one minute, your attention shifts from panic back to reality.

**The real way to make money is actually very simple**

I’ve seen too many people dazzled by stories of getting rich quick with altcoins, only to end up losing everything. Conversely, those who can survive bull and bear markets often use the simplest methods. Dollar-cost averaging into mainstream coins, regularly reviewing your positions, and strictly managing risk — it’s that straightforward, and that effective. It may sound unsexy, but this approach truly helps you survive the longest in the market.