Many newcomers believe that making money in the crypto world relies on being bold, quick with trades, and well-informed. But over the years, I've realized that those who truly make money and survive the bear and bull cycles play completely differently.

When I first entered the scene, I made plenty of mistakes—staying up late monitoring the market, chasing rallies and selling off dips, stubbornly holding onto positions. I experienced margin calls, anxiety, insomnia—all the pitfalls one can encounter. It wasn't until later that I understood a key principle: instead of frequent trading, it's better to think through each step carefully. The following are lessons I’ve learned through real trading and paying tuition fees.

**Timing Matters**
During the day, news is dense and volatility is chaotic; the market moves wildly like it's out of control. Now I mainly trade after 9 PM, when news has mostly been digested, candlesticks are cleaner, and the trend is easier to identify.

**Take Profits When You Can**
This tests human nature the most. After making a profit, greed often leads to doubling down, only to see a correction wipe out gains. My approach is to take out 30-50% of the profit once I earn $1,000, leaving the rest to trade again. This habit ensures my account never goes to zero.

**Indicators Over "Feelings"**
Trading based on gut feeling is the fastest way to get wiped out. I use TradingView to watch three indicators: MACD crossovers, RSI overbought/oversold levels, and Bollinger Band squeezes or breakouts. When at least two of these indicators align, it’s worth considering entering a trade.

**Artful Stop-Losses**
When I can monitor the market, I move my stop-loss upward as the price rises. For example, if I buy at 1,000 and it rises to 1,100, I move the stop-loss to 1,050. When I can't watch the market, I set a hard stop-loss—about 3%—to protect my capital during sudden crashes.

**Withdrawal Is More Important Than Holding**
The numbers on your account are not real money until you withdraw to your wallet or bank card. Every profitable trade, withdraw 30-50%. Don’t expect to turn everything tenfold.

**K-Line Reading Tips**
For short-term trading, look at the 1-hour chart; two consecutive bullish candles can signal a buying opportunity. During sideways consolidation, switch to the 4-hour chart to find support levels; act only when the price approaches support.

**Avoid These Pitfalls**
High leverage and heavy positions can wipe you out with just one wrong move; unrecognized altcoins are easy to get scammed on; more than three trades a day can lead to emotional trading and loss of control.

The crypto market is never short of opportunities; what’s missing is those who can survive until the next bull run. Doubling your money once isn’t hard; the real challenge is not being eliminated in the cyclical ups and downs.

Remember these three principles: position size is the baseline, stop-loss is your trump card, and withdrawing funds shows respect for the market.