Having been in the crypto world for five years, one of the most common questions I get asked is: "I only have a few tens of thousands of yuan. Can I really share the cake in this market?"

To be honest, most people are not defeated at the starting point, but rather destroyed by the obsession with "rapid doubling."

When I first entered this circle, I had 12,000 yuan in my pocket. At that time, I was full of the motivational clichés like "Diligence can make up for lack of talent," and I was frantically scanning contract K-line charts late at night, rushing into various hot altcoins at the opening in the morning, making seven or eight trades a day. By the end of the month, the trading fees had eaten up more than half of the profits.

This is not making money; this is using the number of trades to exchange for losses of the same amount.

What truly allowed me to stand firm was not betting on a certain bull market cycle, nor some secret weapon — but learning to "wait counterintuitively."

The opportunities to make big money in the crypto circle are limited to one or two waves a year at most; the rest of the time is spent in frustrating sideways ranges. You either actively try to build positions and test the waters, or you must be patient and wait for the cycle's turning point.

Last year, something left a deep impression on me. When news of a certain public chain releasing an upgrade plan first came out, the tokens I held were already floating nearly 30% in profit. Everyone around me was shouting, "Look up, wait for the double, then act."

At that moment, I kept an eye on the order book data, and when the next day’s gap up was only a few points, I completely cleared my positions.

This is not cowardice; it’s understanding one of the most ironclad rules in the crypto world: once good news truly lands and is realized, it quickly turns into bad news. When even the newbies in the community start shouting "Add to positions, add to positions," it’s already time to retreat.

Gradually, my trading style became more and more "zen": before long holidays, I would clear positions in advance to avoid risks; before Federal Reserve rate hikes, I would reduce my holdings; during volatile sideways markets, I simply stay out and observe; only when MACD crosses bullish and volume clearly expands would I enter with small amounts.

Some people mock me for earning too slowly, but the most terrifying ending in the crypto world is not earning little — it’s that a sudden correction can force your account to be liquidated.

From 10,000 yuan to a million, honestly, there’s nothing mysterious about it. It all boils down to three things: first, the courage to hold no position; second, patience to wait for the trend; third, strict adherence to your trading discipline.

Don’t get overly excited by every upward candlestick, and don’t panic at one or two downward candles.

Treat floating profits and losses as cold, numerical sequences. Follow your predetermined plan to execute trades, then consider emotional factors. This is the right way to survive long-term in the crypto circle.