A friend, Xiao Chen, had 1000U three years ago due to a career change. At that time, his tone when chatting with me was full of confusion. I didn't encourage him to chase contracts or seek hundredfold coins; instead, I provided him with a detailed breakdown of a trading framework. The first thing I told him was: "Making slow money in the crypto world is much harder than making quick money, but it's much more reliable."

**Starting from the most basic skills**

The first task I assigned to Xiao Chen was "simple"—to look at the weekly charts of Bitcoin and Ethereum every day, and record support and resistance levels in a spreadsheet. While others chase gains and sell off at night, he drew candlesticks at night; while others all-in on a small coin, he divided his 1000U into three parts to dollar-cost average into mainstream coins.

The words I said to him back then still apply now: During a bull market, most people follow the trend and rush forward, but the real opportunity to accumulate knowledge is actually during a bear market. Blockchain technology is a spiral ascent, but prices tend to repeat the same fluctuation patterns.

After two months of persistence, his account grew to 1500U. He excitedly showed me a screenshot: "This money is enough to cover half a month's rent!" I didn't praise him, but reminded him: "Remember how you felt at this moment. This is earned through learning and patience, not by gambling luck."

**6000U tuition fee**

Half a year later, when his account reached 15,000U, I started introducing him to low-leverage contracts. The problem arose during a major market drop—he didn't strictly follow stop-loss instructions and lost 6000U in one go. When he came to me with red eyes, I didn't comfort him; instead, I said directly: "This loss is your tuition for risk management. If you make the same mistake again, let's not continue."

That incident became his turning point. He completely abandoned the gambling mentality. Later, when he reviewed his trades, he said that loss taught him more than the money he made.

**Why this logic works**

Looking back at the whole process, Xiao Chen's progression from 1000U to the next level wasn't based on some magical indicator or insider info, but on three very simple principles:

First, treat spot holdings as the foundation. Learn to identify true support and resistance amid volatility, and don't be fooled by short-term noise. The weekly logic of top coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum is often clearer.

Second, dollar-cost averaging is the best tool to counteract emotional swings. When you force yourself to buy in parts, you automatically avoid the disaster of all-in.

Third, leverage and stop-loss must be a paired system. If you use leverage, stop-loss can't be negotiable—just like driving requires wearing a seatbelt.

Now, whenever a newcomer asks me how to start, I think of that private message from Xiao Chen back then. The crypto world is never short of stories of getting rich quickly, but a reliable way to make money is actually very simple—study fundamentals, respect technical analysis, manage risk well, and wait.

Some people think this is too slow. But if you think carefully, quick money often comes with quick losses. And in this market, the longer you stay, the more opportunities you'll see.