Having been in the crypto space for 5 years, I've seen too many people go from green to losses and exit. Looking back, those retail investors who lost the most often stumbled on a few key issues. Instead of obsessing over how to find the next 100x coin, it's better to first learn how to survive. Today, I will openly discuss the 4 "deadlines" I've observed—each one related to the safety of your principal.

**First Pitfall: Chasing Concepts Without Looking at Fundamentals**

This is the most common mistake. Remember the hype around the Metaverse? As long as a project name has a hint of Metaverse, its token price can surge once, with retail investors blindly following without caring about the team background or whether there are actual use cases. When the hype fades, these tokens are cut in half, some even go to zero. I’ve seen a fan who went all-in on a project during the peak of the Metaverse craze; now the token is only 1% of its peak value, and their principal is basically wiped out.

Hype isn't off-limits, but never be blindly reckless. Before taking action, ask yourself: does this project truly have something to implement during the hype, or is it just riding on hype? What about the project's technical expertise and execution capability? Think these questions through before acting—staying alive is always more important than chasing dreams of instant wealth.

**Second Pitfall: The "Deadly Trap" of High Leverage**

Some retail investors believe they can predict the market accurately and want to amplify gains with leverage. But the volatility in crypto markets far exceeds expectations—just one negative news event can trigger a crash, and an extreme market condition can wipe out your position instantly. Even a seemingly stable trend can reverse in the next second, resulting not in huge profits but in losing your entire principal. Before using leverage, think carefully—are you investing or gambling?