Traders who engage in contracts all share a common pitfall—thinking that stop-losses are shameful, believing they are "giving up." Actually, that's not the case. $BTC $ETH $SOL In the markets of these assets, I’ve seen too many people hesitate to press that button, only to end up liquidated and out of the game.

The most typical scenario is this: beginners use 1-2x leverage to hold positions in a choppy market. Initially, they might survive by recouping losses, but what happens when a trend develops? For example, if BTC jumps from 110,000 to 126,000, those still stubbornly holding start to sweat. At this point, the concern isn't how much they can make, but how much longer they can hold—this is the real nightmare.

I’ve spoken with many experienced traders, and they share a common trait: before opening a position, they don’t think "how much can I earn this time," but rather "what's the maximum loss in the worst-case scenario." They set a clear bottom line—1% or 2% of their capital—and then determine their stop-loss based on this loss limit. It seems simple, but it’s the foundation of the entire trading logic. If the foundation is unstable, even the perfect entry point is useless.

Stop-losses are never about being cowardly; instead, they are the most responsible act toward oneself. If the market direction is wrong, cut losses immediately. If the entry point isn’t ideal, exit and look for another opportunity. This is much smarter than being stuck in a losing position. Don’t underestimate this decisive cut—it's just short-term pain, but stubbornly holding on could wipe out your entire account.

The most regrettable phenomenon is that many people call their trapped positions "value investing," forcing themselves to stay in a losing position for half a month or even half a year. On the surface, it’s about "holding onto faith," but in reality, they are completely hostage to a wrong decision. Being trapped isn’t just about losing that small amount of money; more painfully, their entire attention is tied up—when a real black horse trend appears, they can only watch helplessly, with no energy to participate.

The most damaging trade in trading is using today’s unlimited possibilities to pay for yesterday’s mistakes. Learning the true meaning of stop-loss isn’t about losing a few points less, but about preserving your capital and saving bullets for the opportunities that truly matter.