Have you noticed? In the crypto world, the ones who truly make money are always that small group of people. They’ve got a ruthless streak—when it’s time to cut losses, they never hesitate.

Most people? Their portfolio is bleeding red, yet they’re still trying to pump themselves up: “It’s about to bounce back,” “If I cut my losses now, I’ll lose big—if I wait a bit longer, it’ll surely go up.” The result? Small losses turn into massive holes, massive holes turn into liquidation, and in the end, all they can do is stare blankly at their zeroed-out account, watching their unwillingness turn into pure despair.

Honestly, when I first started out, I was also one of those who stubbornly held on.

I’d chug cup after cup of coffee just to watch the charts until dawn, chasing pumps and dumps like I was on steroids. Did I make money? Not at all. Instead, my temper got worse, I’d snap at the smallest thing, couldn’t sleep from anxiety, and my hair fell out faster than the market dropped. Classic rookie behavior.

Then, after three consecutive heavy losses where my entire position got wiped out, the money I’d saved over years was down to almost nothing. That’s when I finally woke up: in this game, the first priority isn’t how much you make, it’s not dying.

The real veterans get it. They’re like hunters—if there’s no prey, they don’t act, but once they lock onto a target, they strike with precision and ruthlessness. “Cutting losses”—those two words are their shield.

Here are a few survival rules I learned the hard way with real money. If you understand them, you’ll save yourself a lot of tuition fees:

**Rule 1: Pick the right time to watch the charts and avoid most of the traps**

Daytime trading? It’s an emotional garbage dump. Rumors flying everywhere, fake breakouts and real bull traps—the big players love to harvest retail traders during these hours. Now, I basically only review the market at night, when capital flows are clearer and trend judgment is much more reliable.