3 Survival Principles in the Crypto Market: How I Helped a Friend Escape Despair

Around this time last year, a friend messaged me at midnight. His account had only 1,200 USDT, and he was so discouraged that he wanted to leave the market. I told him three straight words: “Do these three things correctly. After 90 days, either come back to the game properly or accept to leave with dignity.” He followed every word. Three months later, his account grew to 20,000 USDT, without a single burn. Today, I share again those three fundamental logics. There are no gods in crypto. Only those who survive because they know how to respect the rules of the game. Principle 1: Divide Capital into Small Parts – Better to “Lose a Finger” Than “Lose Your Head” I asked him to split 1,200 USDT into three parts, each 400 USDT, absolutely no borrowing: Short-term Knife – 400 USDT Max 1–2 trades per day. Stop immediately if profit exceeds 10% or loss hits 5%, no additional trading. Trend Breaker – 400 USDT Only trade when there is a strong trend. For example: BTC on the daily chart stacking above MA and breaking previous highs with volume. No signals? Then… hibernate. Life-saving Money – 400 USDT Used for extreme scenarios. Even if the other two parts lose, this part helps you stay in the game, not eliminated immediately. Core logic: Most account burns are not caused by market crashes but by losing control of positions. Going all-in is the path of gamblers. Dividing capital is the mindset of professional traders. Losing a part but surviving, losing everything means leaving the game. Principle 2: Only Take the Juicy Part of the Trend – When the Market Moves Sideways, Be a Turtle Eighty percent of losses come from reckless actions. My rule is very simple: No signals – no trading. If the daily chart is not stable above MA200 and not breaking previous highs with volume, consider it sideways, do not participate. Take partial profits When profit reaches 30% of capital, withdraw 50% of the profit. The remaining part sets a trailing stop at 10% so profits can run automatically. No bottom fishing, no guessing the top When the trend breaks, exit immediately. No hope for a rebound. The market always has the next ride. Missing it is better than doing wrong. Remember: Bull market profits come from a few trend phases; the rest is noise. Turtles live long because they know when to head in the right direction. Principle 3: Lock Emotions in a Cage – The Boredom of Trading Means More Money The hardest part for my friend is strict discipline. I forced him to do two things: Write a “life-and-death contract” before entering a trade. Stop loss 3%, target 30%, pre-set and automate. No decision-making while the price is moving. Turn off the software at 11 PM every day Even if the market is volatile, don’t look. If you lose sleep, delete the app to avoid temptation. Later, he said the most profitable trades were when he forgot to check the chart. When he returned, the trend had already run its course, and profits had “ballooned.” The essence of trading is waiting for profits to run, not constantly flailing. Practical Conclusion Growing from 3,000 USDT to 20,000 USDT is not thanks to a lucky shot but because of making fewer mistakes. The biggest paradox in crypto is: The more eager to get rich quickly, the sooner you burn out. The patient and disciplined survive until the end. If you want to last long, learn to slow down, divide your capital, wait for the trend, and lock your emotions. Learning is always the most profitable investment.