2026-01-01 15:20:26

After so many years in the circle, staying up at 3 or 4 a.m. to watch the market has become routine. I’ve also experienced that helpless feeling after a contract liquidation, with cold sweat on my palms more than once. At first, I thought making money depended on precise predictions, but after several years of messing around, I realized that this game truly tests discipline and mindset. Today, I want to share some practical lessons, not complicated theories, just a few lessons learned from using money.

**Lesson One: Unrealized Gains Are Not Profits at All**

During the market rally in 2021, I was glued to my positions. When unrealized profits hit 40%, I had one thought: "Wait a bit longer, it might double." Just that thought caused profits to shrink to 5% in two hours, and soon after, it turned into a loss. That moment completely changed my understanding: the market is unforgiving, unrealized gains are just numbers on the screen; real money only counts when it’s in your account.

Later, I changed my rules. When profits exceed 20%, I withdraw the principal first. For example, with a 100,000 yuan principal, if it rises to 120,000, I take out 100,000 first, leaving 20,000 to continue trading. Even if I miss out on further gains later, I won’t hurt the core.

**Lesson Two: Stop-Loss Is Survival, Not Giving Up**

Some people stubbornly hold onto losing positions, reasoning, "As long as I don’t sell, it’s not a loss." But look at those big drops—they never give you a chance to buffer. I’ve also held on stubbornly, only to see the price drop again ten minutes after I stopped out. That’s when I realized: stop-loss is an active severing of ties; liquidation is the real cremation.

Now I stick to one rule: no single loss exceeds 2% of total funds. With a 100,000 yuan capital, stop-loss is set at 2,000 yuan; hit that line, and I cut immediately. Don’t feel bad about that small amount—preserving the principal is the only way to turn things around.

**Lesson Three: Missing Out Is Actually Worse Than Losing Money**

Missing the chance to buy in is very common. Many people sell and then fear being proven wrong, so they dare not re-enter, just watching the market rise. That feeling is even worse than losing money directly. The key is not to fight the market; if you miss out, you miss out. Don’t rush to chase the high; another opportunity will come.

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NewDAOdreamer

· 7h ago

The moments of watching the market at 3 or 4 a.m. really hit home... I now just cut my unrealized gains directly, no longer greedy --- The point about stop-losses is spot on. I once held on stubbornly, almost causing my account to blow up --- Missing out is indeed more torturous than losing money, but chasing high blindly ends even worse --- Withdrawing 20% of the principal when up 20%—I’m using this trick now, and it definitely makes me feel more secure --- The most important thing is still mindset; discipline can save your life --- If I had known all this earlier, I wouldn’t have insomnia at dawn. It’s all just tuition fees paid in lessons --- Watching the price rise after selling makes me feel awkward; adjusting this mindset is really tough --- A 2% stop-loss line... if I had stuck to it, I wouldn’t have been frequently liquidated --- Unrealized gains are indeed not real money. I lost money in 2021 exactly this way --- All are correct, but the brain tends to overheat when it comes to execution

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SybilSlayer

· 7h ago

Staying up watching the market at 3 or 4 a.m... Bro, this is just a professional habit. I do the same, now my eyes are tired.

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MetaNeighbor

· 7h ago

Honestly, I've suffered countless losses from the idea of floating profits. Now I only stick to one principle: take profits when the time is right. Greed in the crypto world is a deadly flaw. The stop-loss line must be strictly adhered to. I also deeply understand the 2% figure; otherwise, a sudden dip can wipe you out. Missing out on opportunities is indeed uncomfortable, but it's much better than getting liquidated. As long as you have capital, there's still hope. These are all lessons learned with real money, and if I had known earlier, I wouldn't have gone through so much trouble. That feeling of watching the market at 3 or 4 a.m., I can relate. But now I've learned to take profits and dare to sleep. Mindset is the Achilles' heel for most people. It took me several years to gradually understand this. I've also fallen into the trap of chasing after a sell-off and then buying high. Now I'm much more calm; anyway, there are plenty of opportunities.

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