I recently heard an interesting story from a friend. Someone who almost never looks at candlestick charts used 2000 USDT to turn a profit of 220,000 in three months. The key is, last month this guy was still asking what red and green candles mean. The seasoned veterans at the dinner table were all stunned.

Later, I found out that this brother was using a completely copied trading system— a methodology summarized by someone who has been trading for eight years.

Honestly, over these eight years, I’ve seen too many people treat the crypto market as a casino and end up losing everything. But one thing remains true: the crypto market itself is not a casino. The real issue is that most people haven’t understood the most core principle—**survival is the prerequisite, making money is secondary**.

## Capital Allocation: The Survival Strategy of a Three-Layer Structure

How to divide 2000U? According to this logic:

- **600U for day trading**: at most two trades per day, close out with 3% profit
- **700U for swing trading**: only position in an uptrend, do not move during sideways markets
- **700U in cold storage**: this is the last safety net— as long as the exchange doesn’t run away, this money is forever safe

The core idea is just four words: don’t lose principal.

Last year, someone heavily invested in altcoins and lost half a year’s savings in half a day. As a result, even the best market opportunities wouldn’t be available to you. The market never lacks opportunities; what’s truly lacking are those who are still alive and can wait for the right moment.

## The Power of Time: The Value of Waiting

There’s a rule in the crypto market: 80% of the time it’s oscillating, only 20% of the time there’s a real trend. But most people are reversed—80% of the time they’re trading frequently, 20% they’re lying flat. The result is a continuous stream of transaction fees sent to the exchange.

That friend who made 220,000 in three months, his approach was: during sideways periods, he simply uninstalled the app, and only reinstalled when a real trend appeared. Last month, he was sideways for a full 22 days, doing other things. When a key level finally broke, he made 18% in a week.

After breaking a key level, his habit was to take out 30% of every 15% profit to convert into USDT. The money he withdrew last month alone was enough to buy a new phone. True trading masters are like hunters—most of the time they’re waiting, and when the moment comes, they strike perfectly.

## The Discipline Barrier: Emotions Are the Real Enemy

Retail traders often fall into the same trap: when prices rise, they want more; when prices fall, they panic; when caught in a trap, they over-averaging. All these are emotions manipulating decision-making.

The most effective way to fight emotions is to establish rules and never violate them:

**Rule 1**: Stop loss at a 1.5% floating loss—this is the bottom line
**Rule 2**: Take profit at 3%, close half and lock it in
**Rule 3**: Absolutely prohibit adding to positions, no exceptions

Once, that friend bought a coin that dropped 1.2%, and he thought about averaging down, but was reminded of these three iron rules. Later, that coin dropped another 10%. He said something memorable: "Luckily I didn’t add more at the time, or the principal would be in trouble now."

Trading discipline is like a car’s airbag—protects you during wild surges and crashes.

## In Conclusion

There are indeed many stories online about overnight riches, but few people turn occasional success into long-term stable profits. The market itself isn’t that ruthless; the real problem is that too many people want shortcuts and treat risk management as optional.

Having a system, maintaining discipline, and using time to gain space—these may sound unsexy, but they are the common traits of traders who last the longest and earn steadily.