Having been in the crypto space for eight years, from initial liquidations, anxiety, staying up all night monitoring the market, to now achieving stable profits with an annualized return of over 70%, my account has reached eight figures. The biggest takeaway from this journey is one sentence: survive first, then talk about making money.

I want to share these practical trading insights with friends who are still looking for direction in the market. This is not about signal calling; it’s purely trading notes based on real experience.

**Take profits and lock in gains**

Many people think making money is easy, but the real challenge is whether you can actually withdraw the money. My approach is simple: for every additional 1000 USDT in the account, withdraw 400 USDT to the fiat account, and let the rest continue to roll over. The account may look large, but those are just numbers on paper. Only the funds transferred to the bank are truly yours.

Don’t dream of stories about doubling your investment in one wave; in reality, most people lose their principal in the thought of “earning a little more.”

**Let the indicators do the talking, rely less on feelings**

Trading based on gut feeling is a characteristic of retail traders. Use professional tools to analyze the market; the core indicators are just a few: MACD, RSI, Bollinger Bands. My entry logic is to act only when at least two indicators align in the same direction. For short-term trades, look at the 1-hour chart; for medium-term trends, check the 4-hour chart.

For example, when going long on Ethereum, consider entering when two consecutive 1-hour candles close above the middle Bollinger Band and MACD shows a bullish crossover.

**Stop-loss is insurance, not giving up**

Setting a fixed stop-loss can easily get hit; if possible, dynamically move the stop-loss upward to protect profits. If you don’t have time to monitor, set a fixed stop-loss, such as -3%. This way, even in extreme market conditions, your position won’t blow up.

Stop-loss is not a sign of cowardice but a necessary bottom line for professional traders.

**Regular withdrawals are crucial**

Withdraw 30% of your profits weekly, regardless of whether that week was profitable or not. Stick to this for three months, and you’ll find your account curve becomes more stable and your mindset calmer. This habit can help you break the vicious cycle of “account resets to zero and starting over.”

**Five red lines for risk control**

Leverage should be no more than 10x; for beginners, 3-5x is sufficient. Limit your daily trades to no more than 3; frequent trading is just emotional trading. Avoid high-volatility, low-value coins like Dogecoin or meme coins—they are essentially tools for “harvesting retail investors.” Never borrow money to trade cryptocurrencies.

Treat trading as a profession, not gambling. Be serious when analyzing the charts, rest well when it’s time to rest. Staying up late chasing gains and cutting losses damages your health and capital.

When you have a stable, replicable, and risk-controlled trading system, you will experience the security of making money steadily. That feeling is more valuable than any get-rich-quick dream.