Most people entering the crypto world have one thought in mind: make quick money and turn things around.

But what I want to say is that the first lesson for those who truly survive is to quit "reckless gambling."

I was initially a small retail investor too, with limited funds and no advantages, starting from zero with just a few thousand U.S. dollars. Up to now, it’s not because I made a particularly accurate call on any single trade, but because I’ve never asked myself "how much can I make from this trade," but rather, I’ve always asked myself: Am I confident I can control the risk this time?

Money doesn’t come from reckless bets; it slowly grows from a set of rules that can be repeatedly executed.

When my account just exceeded a thousand U.S. dollars, I forced myself to diversify my funds. Each trade only involves a small portion, and before entering a position, I must think through three things: how to exit if I lose, how much to take if I profit, and what’s the worst I can endure. I only trade charts I understand, avoid chasing after soaring markets, don’t bottom fish against the trend, and won’t stubbornly hold on waiting for miracles.

Once I reached over ten thousand U.S. dollars, I dared to slightly increase my single trade position, but I still trade in batches, exit in stages, and only ride the most stable part of the trend. I don’t chase the opening, don’t greedily take profits at the end, and take what the market gives me.

When funds truly grow large, caution becomes even more necessary. I regularly withdraw the profits I’ve made. It’s less about preventing losses and more about preventing myself from getting complacent after making a series of profits. Too many people’s liquidations happen for the same reason: it’s not that they misread the direction, but that they forget about risk after winning several trades in a row.

The stories of liquidation all point to the same core issue—loss of position management, stop-losses being ineffective, and despite the trend being correct, stubbornly holding until going to zero.

I remember a friend who went from a few hundred U.S. dollars to tens of thousands. When he made his first withdrawal, he was so excited he couldn’t sleep. At that moment, I became even more convinced: the crypto market tests not who has the bigger guts, but who can stay more sober.

A person can move very fast, but to go far, it depends on who can avoid pitfalls and pay fewer tuition fees. Those who can truly reach the other side steadily are never the most aggressive, but the most rational.

The market is still changing. The key to trading is managing risk well, controlling your position size, and working with like-minded people to strategize. That’s the long-term winning approach.