Over more than ten years in the crypto world, I have evolved from a sleepless newbie to a calm and seasoned veteran. I started with 180,000 yuan saved from my part-time job, experiencing the thrill of rapid price surges and the despair of sharp declines. During the toughest days, I couldn’t sleep well every night, getting up in the middle of the night to watch the market. Now, my assets have gradually grown to 80 million yuan, but I’ve never touched derivatives, sticking honestly to spot trading. The ups and downs over the years have taught me a way of life.

**Choosing coins is really about choosing partners**

There are so many cryptocurrencies on the market, but not all are worth holding long-term. My simple rule: use mainstream coins as the foundation, add potential coins for extra sparkle, and never put all your eggs in one basket.

Bitcoin and Ethereum are the anchors of your asset portfolio. They should each account for more than half of your holdings. They won’t make you rich overnight—that’s true—but they also won’t wipe you out overnight. Stability is stability; the growth may be slower.

When choosing coins, don’t just focus on the price increase. Popular coins aren’t necessarily good coins. You need to look at what problems the project actually solves, whether the team is reliable, and if the community is active. It’s like choosing a partner—no matter how good the makeup, it’s better to have solid fundamentals. I’ve seen too many people chase hot projects, only to be either pumped and dumped or realize the technical team isn’t capable, and they can’t even write decent code.

**Where your assets are stored, safety is the bottom line**

Exchanges are convenient and quick, but wallets are your long-term home. That’s my unbreakable rule.

For small daily trades, it’s fine to keep funds on reputable large platforms for convenience. But the majority of your capital must be transferred to your own wallet. Just like you wouldn’t carry all your valuables in your pocket when you go out—that’s a simple truth.

Hot wallets (like mobile apps) are good for frequent small transactions, but for long-term assets, cold wallets are essential. Spending a little more to ensure real peace of mind is worth it. There are no shortcuts when it comes to security.