A few days ago at the tea house, I ran into Xiao Li, who trades cryptocurrencies. He was complaining: "Staring at the K-line charts every night, analyzing the coins over and over again, why do I still end up losing more and making less?" This made me think of Lao Zhang. When I saw him three months ago, his account had 12,000 USDT, and he had been messing around in the market for half a year. Every time he saw a 5% profit, he couldn't wait to take profits, only to watch the market soar afterward. In the end, he could only regret it after the fact.

I asked him a straightforward question: "When you enter this market, are you just trying your luck, or do you want to build a system that can make steady profits?"

He didn't hesitate: "Definitely want to make steady money."

So I was direct. Most people fail in the crypto space not because their technical analysis isn't deep enough, but because they can't grasp the rhythm. This isn't a game of gambling; it's a discipline involving position sizing and psychology.

I shared five core points with him:

**Don't guess blindly without confirming the trend.** Many people always want to catch the bottom precisely or sell at the top, but that's basically gambling. When the market is uncertain, the smartest move is to stay on the sidelines.

**Never allocate more than 30% of your initial capital to a single position.** Leave enough bullets so that when opportunities come later, you have the capacity to follow up.

**Only add to floating profits; never touch the principal.** Even if your judgment is wrong, at worst you earn less; you won't lose the original capital.

**Set a stop-loss line and execute immediately when hit.** Don't argue with yourself; the market won't change because you insist.

**Hold firmly when making profits, let the gains grow naturally.** This is the hardest rule but also the most crucial.

Lao Zhang took it to heart. Starting from that 12,000 USDT, in the first three months, he mainly focused on Ethereum ecosystem and Layer 2 projects, steadily growing his account to 25,000 USDT. Midway through, he sensed that AI and blockchain gaming sectors were about to rise, so he switched tracks precisely, and his account started accelerating growth.

The most impressive was during a deep correction. According to his strategy, he decisively increased his position when everyone was afraid. Two days later, the market surged 130%. That move finally pushed his account over the 100,000 USDT mark. Throughout the process, he didn't go all-in or chase the highs; it was all about precise rhythm and timing.

When I saw him again, he said one thing: "I used to be carried away by market emotions, but now I feel like I’ve grasped the rhythm, and my mindset is completely different."

I think this is the most essential insight.

Many people believe that making money in crypto depends on unique insight or luck. Wrong. The real competition is about willpower and patience—whether you can resist unnecessary operations, stick to your original plan amid temptations, and stay calm during panic.

Finding a promising coin isn't hard; what's hard is having the patience to wait for the right moment. One fears a correction after a rise, one cuts losses at a dip, and ends up always chasing the tail of the market.

Opportunities are always there; what’s missing are those who can stay calm and let profits come to them voluntarily. Most people fall into a vortex of losses, and rather than saying they aren’t diligent enough, it’s more accurate to say they haven't found that guiding light.