I was awakened by a video call in the early morning. On the screen was a trader with bloodshot eyes.

"All 6000 U is gone... Fully leveraged 5x long, and the market just retraced 3 points, and my account was wiped out."

I asked him to send over his trading records. After reviewing them, I understood — he had a full position of 5800 U with no stop-loss set.

Over the years, I’ve seen too many people lose money. Most aren’t wrong about the market direction; the key issue lies in position sizing. Going all-in sounds like a gamble, but in reality, it’s self-destructive. You think you can make quick profits, but you’re actually leaving no room for error.

Imagine a car without brakes; a slight deviation in steering, and you’ll go off a cliff.

I ran some calculations for him. An 800 U account, opening a 5x position with 750 U, would be wiped out with just a 6% adverse move. Think differently: using only 75 U to open a 5x position requires an over 80% adverse move to lose everything. The risk tolerance is more than ten times higher. His mistake wasn’t about leverage; it was handing 96% of his principal to the market all at once.

I’ve survived to this day by stepping over countless pitfalls. Only three iron rules have kept me alive.

**Rule 1: Never go all-in.** Each position should only occupy 5-7% of total funds. For an 800 U account, a single trade should be no more than around 400 U. Even if stopped out, it won’t deplete your core capital.

**Rule 2: Calculate whether the loss is acceptable before placing a trade.** Limit the maximum loss per trade to within 1% of total funds. If you can handle this risk, go ahead; if not, abstain. Don’t force entries.

**Rule 3: Stay out of the market when the trend is unclear.** Don’t try to catch the bottom or top; don’t gamble or add to positions. Only act when the trend is confirmed, key levels are broken, and volume supports the move.

There was a follower of mine who was on the verge of liquidation every month. After following these three rules, he went from 3,200 U to 55,000 U in four months.

He later told me something I’ve always remembered:

"Before, I thought going all-in was about risking everything. Now I realize, true toughness is about surviving longer."

Whether it’s Solana’s recent surge or other coins’ movements, the core logic remains: trading isn’t about one big gamble to turn things around, but about surviving through countless tough times. Live long enough, and profits will come naturally.