To be honest, you can definitely make money trading crypto. This month, coins like $ZEC, $AIA, and $COAI have seen tenfold or even hundredfold gains—some people have truly turned their fortunes around with them. But let me pour some cold water on that: if you don’t first learn how to survive, what’s the point of talking about getting rich? Many people end up losing badly after a round of trading, rather than making any profit.

The following 10 lessons are hard-earned from my own money. They’re not some get-rich-quick secrets, just advice to help you avoid an early “death”:

**1. Don’t pretend to be a believer if your capital is small**
If you have less than 200,000 USDT, why talk about long-term holding? First, learn to follow the trend. If you miss the main uptrend but insist on catching the bottom, you’re just asking for trouble.

**2. Sell half when there’s good news**
I’ve tracked this: over 70% of coins drop within 24 hours after positive news is released. If you react slowly, get ready to be dumped on.

**3. Exit altcoins before holidays**
This isn’t about technical analysis—it’s just experience. How many people go all-in before holidays only to write sob stories after? One lesson like that is enough for a lifetime.

**4. Don’t count on a V-shaped reversal**
Wait till it drops 15% before considering entry, and only add if it drops 30%. If you don’t sell after an 8% rebound, you’re just the exit liquidity for others.

**5. Focus on the “three highs” for real profits**
High volatility, high turnover, high controversy—the greater the disagreement, the more opportunities. The market is all about emotion; that’s the most genuine signal.

**6. Don’t fear a crash, fear not having the courage to enter**
After two big red candles and the RSI drops below 20, if you don’t dare to take action then, you’ll always be picking up the scraps.

**7. There’s no shame in stopping your loss**
If you’re down 7% and still don’t exit, that’s not conviction, that’s stupidity. Keep your capital so you have another chance.

**8. Control your rhythm in short-term trades**
Enter on a 15-minute golden cross; if nothing happens in 4 hours, exit. Take profits at 5% immediately—don’t think “just hold a bit longer”; greed will kill you.

**9. One effective strategy is enough**
Pick a method that works for you, practice and repeat it. Mastering one move for three years is far better than dabbling in ten.

**10. Stop calling bottoms**
You think you’re buying the dip, but you’re just helping whales clear out liquidity. I’ve been liquidated and lost more times than I can count—I could write a hundred thousand words about it.

Sometimes it’s not a lack of opportunities, it’s that you’re just not ready. Crypto has plenty of opportunities, but even more temptations. Only a small minority can actually make real money.