#美国非农就业数据未达市场预期 Three years ago, that midnight $BTC chart, I still find my fingers unconsciously curling up when I think about it.

That night, Bitcoin surged from 42,000 all the way to 50,000. I took the 5,000 USDT I had saved up over half a year and tremblingly went all in. Watching the numbers in my account soar, my unrealized profit hit 8,000 USDT, I immediately deleted my friend's risk control reminder, and only kept repeating in my mind: "Wait until 60,000 to cash out."

During that period, I was completely obsessed. I couldn't stop watching the charts even during meals, dreaming of rising candlesticks. I truly felt that financial freedom was written into my destiny.

Then the regulatory stick swung down. In no time, Bitcoin dropped from 50,000 to 40,000. The unrealized gains evaporated, but I stubbornly held on: it would rebound. Only when my account balance returned to 5,000 USDT did I finally understand that saying—greed can really lead people to ruin.

I've fallen for this kind of mistake many times: chasing high on small altcoins, doubling up to zero; lowering my average cost on DeFi projects, only to end up with an account that’s just a shell.

It's not that I didn't understand the principle of taking profits, but I couldn't bear to admit defeat. After being beaten by the market a few times, getting slapped enough times in the face, I slowly developed three bottom lines to survive:

**First: Never bet your entire net worth.** Lock half of your assets in a cold wallet and leave it untouched; only use the other half for mainstream coins like $BTC and $ETH, and reserve some cash as an escape route. No matter how crazy the market gets, leave yourself a way out.

**Second: The money you make must be truly yours.** Later, Bitcoin rose again to 48,000. With a paper profit of 20,000 USDT, I immediately withdrew half to my bank card. Even if there’s a subsequent correction and I lose some, I sleep very soundly—those numbers on the screen are just the exchange’s story; what’s in my bank account is what I really own.

**Third: Stop-loss is insurance for survival.** If a single position drops more than 3%, I get out; if the total monthly drawdown exceeds 5%, I stop and rest. I used to think "just endure," until one time I stubbornly held on and lost all my savings for the year, then I finally understood—only those who admit defeat in time can avoid deadly pitfalls.

The crypto world is never short of stories about overnight riches. What’s truly rare is people who can make money, keep it, and stay sane.