At 1 PM, my phone vibrated. The moment I opened the message, my heart sank.

"Brother Yi, can I still break even?"

I opened the account screenshot sent by my friend, and I was silent for a full three seconds—$200,000 USD principal, only $5,000 USD left. The zeros flickered on the screen, as if mocking something.

I asked him what he had been doing these past two months. He hesitated and then spoke, and only then did I understand why it had burned out like this.

**He took all the trading taboos.**

When SHIB was at a high point, he clenched his teeth, went all-in with $200,000 USD, and added 10x leverage. Then came the most classic suicidal move—staring fixedly at the 1-minute K-line, eyes turning red from strain, flipping dozens of orders in a day, each fee quietly gnawing away at the principal like termites.

When the price dropped, he didn’t cut losses. Instead, he clung to the obsession of "the bull will return quickly" and blindly added to his position. The more he added, the more he lost; the more he lost, the more he added—trapped in a dead cycle.

The most fatal thing was FOMO. Seeing others on social media sharing screenshots of Dogecoin’s hundredfold gains, he got impulsive, and all his remaining funds were poured in. The next morning, his account was shattered, leaving only that $5,000 USD.

I didn’t comfort him; I told him frankly: You can break even, but only if you first let go of the obsession to turn things around and learn to come in steady like a beggar.

**I set three iron rules for him.**

First, don’t focus on short-term fluctuations. Completely abandon 1-minute and 5-minute K-lines; wait for a clear trend to appear. If you don’t understand, stay completely out of the market. Better to miss out than to get caught.

Second, split the $5,000 USD into smaller trades. Never risk more than 10% on a single order—that’s $500 USD to start. Take profit at 20%, then close half of the position, and move the stop-loss on the remaining part to let profits run. Don’t be greedy.

Third, always set a 5% stop-loss on each trade. If the stop-loss is triggered twice in one day, shut down the software and take a break. This isn’t some advanced skill; it’s just an insurance for yourself.

This method isn’t fancy at all, as plain as can be. But it precisely targeted all his previous trading flaws—frequent trading, heavy positions, no stop-loss, chasing highs.

After two months, his account rebounded to over $100,000 USD.

He didn’t get rich overnight, nor did he experience the thrill of tenfold gains in a single night. But he finally crawled out of that losing pit, and most importantly, his life was saved. The account is still alive, and the opportunity remains.

**I want to tell those still struggling with losses: the prerequisite for a turnaround is to learn how to survive first.**

99% of people don’t fail to understand the crypto market’s trends. They fall into one thought—that if they hold on a little longer, they can break even. Add one more position, wait for a rebound, look at the K-line again. That word "again" has dragged countless people into the abyss.

If you want to change, start by reviewing your trading history. Look at each trade clearly—how your principal was gradually squandered. Was it the fees from frequent trading, the losses from chasing highs again and again, or the despair from not executing stop-losses?

Find that fatal point, then be tougher on yourself. Change that habit.

If you’re feeling lost right now, don’t hesitate to talk. Grow your small funds steadily and securely; only by walking steadily can you smile longer. This isn’t some motivational speech; it’s experience summarized by those who survived, from their accounts.