#数字货币市场洞察 Lately, some friends have been struggling with this: Should I use my $2,000 principal to play spot trading or open contracts? I’ve heard this question countless times over the years, but I’ve never been able to give a standard answer—honestly, people’s risk tolerance varies too much.

I have two real-life examples around me. One friend is a well-known “spot trader,” only buying and selling BTC and Ethereum. When the bear market was at its worst last year and everyone else was losing money and panic selling, she was buying cheap coins every day like hunting for bargains. I asked if she wasn’t afraid of further drops, and she showed me her account: “All positions are built in batches. If it drops, I add a bit more. If it rises, I sell a third. That’s it.” In three years, her $50,000 principal grew to $2 million. Her motto is: “It’s slow, but at least I won’t go bust.”

The other friend took a completely different path. She’s more familiar with contract trading than anyone else—10x leverage is her basic operation, and she dares to go for 20x. When the market’s good, her daily profits equal my three months’ earnings. She turned $2,000 into $150,000, and was partying so hard at the bar that everyone was watching.

The glory didn’t last two months. One night I suddenly saw her screenshot—account balance: $0.3. Later, she told me she chased three consecutive losing trades, didn’t manage her positions, and got liquidated in three days. She’s pretty chill about it: “That’s just how contracts are—you brag when you win, accept it when you lose.”

Over time, you’ll realize that very few real players stick to only one method. The pros all have similar strategies: use spot positions as a stable base to earn steadily, then open a few light contract trades for quick profits when the market heats up. Earn steadily, earn aggressively—you want a bit of both.

How to choose is actually simple: first ask yourself if you can accept going to zero. If you can handle losing everything overnight, and your skills and mindset are strong, then try contracts. If you want steady profits and are afraid of losses or sleepless nights, just stick to spot trading.

Too many people start trading contracts without guidance, moving like they’re drunk. In the crypto market, solo players really don’t get far. Whatever you choose, first figure out your own limits—don’t force it. Only by surviving can you catch the next wave.