I have been in the crypto world for ten years. Entered at age 25, now at 35, these ten years have witnessed too many ups and downs.

The biggest turning point happened between 2023 and 2024. When my account first broke eight figures, I realized I had truly made it through. From being heavily in debt to now being able to stay in five-star hotels and even bringing some crypto-themed luggage, this lifestyle change is quite surreal to talk about.

Compared to my elders who run factories or do e-commerce, my life is indeed much easier. No need to worry about supply chain details, no need to argue over contract terms repeatedly, and no more worries about clients defaulting. The entire pace is completely different.

People often ask me what my secret to trading is. After some reflection, there’s actually nothing mysterious—attitude first, skills second. These years of practical experience have helped me summarize some trading rules, which I share here for your reference.

**Logic Behind Choosing Coins**

BTC will always be the big brother of this market. If you want to thrive in the circle, you must keep an eye on its movements at all times. Once BTC starts moving, various altcoins have a chance to turn around; conversely, when BTC drops, altcoins will get hit together—this is an iron law.

ETH occasionally moves independently, but don’t expect too much. The number of small coins resisting a market downturn is limited.

BTC and USDT form a seesaw relationship—this pattern I have repeatedly verified. When USDT appreciates, Bitcoin needs to be cautious; when Bitcoin surges too rapidly, it’s wise to stash some USDT and take profits, which is basic risk management logic.

**Two Critical Time Windows to Watch**

From 0 to 1 a.m., “price spikes” often occur, and placing orders before sleep can often yield easy profits. The volatility during this period is usually a false alarm, and a quick rebound often follows.

6 to 8 a.m. is a key window for judging the day’s trend. If there’s a decline in the first half of the night, and it continues during this period, you can confidently add to your positions, as the market is likely to rally that day. Conversely, if it rises overnight and continues to rise in these two hours, it’s time to run—most likely, there will be a correction later in the day.

The market at 5 p.m. deserves attention. Due to time zone differences, US funds often enter at this time, making it prone to large fluctuations and potential intraday reversals.

Regarding sayings like “Black Friday,” don’t over-mystify it. Fridays have indeed seen declines, but also rises and sideways movements. The key is whether the news and technical signals at that time support the trend.

**The Most Practical Trading Rule**

As long as it’s not an air project, and there’s trading volume, don’t panic when it drops. Over three or five days, or even a month, most coins will recover.

If you still have spare funds, averaging down can effectively lower your cost, and when it rebounds, your profits can multiply. If you don’t have spare money, just hold on—there’s no big problem. Time will help you solve most issues.

The trade I’m most satisfied with was buying a certain coin at 0.085, holding it steadily without wavering, and it eventually multiplied over 50 times. This isn’t luck, but confidence in the project’s fundamentals and enough psychological resilience to withstand fluctuations along the way.

**Mindset is the Final Competitive Edge**

Ultimately, trading crypto boils down to patience. In the same market conditions, those with a steady mindset make money, while those with a chaotic mindset lose. Skills can be learned, patterns can be studied, but mindset needs time to be refined and tested through repeated market cycles.

The market’s direction is already quite clear. The next step is whether you can keep up with the rhythm and make the right choices at the right time.