Many traders who are just entering the crypto space have made the same mistake — opening trading software and impulsively placing orders. Watching the candlesticks constantly fluctuate, afraid of missing the market by a second delay, often results in accumulating losses.

I used to do the same. I had no idea what waiting meant, and even when I forced myself to wait, I couldn't figure out what I was waiting for. Later, through extensive real trading and simulation reviews, I gradually understood the core logic of short-term trading.

The biggest taboo in short-term trading is blindly opening positions. To achieve stable profits, you must understand three things:

**First, you need to keep up with the market rhythm.** Short-term relies on real-time price fluctuations, focusing on 1-minute, 5-minute, and 15-minute chart trends. No need to look at daily or monthly long-term trend charts.

**Second, tools are not about quantity but quality.** Many people pile up dozens of indicators, which actually causes confusion. In fact, paying attention only to candlestick patterns, moving averages, and volume is enough to identify entry signals.

**Third, buy and sell decisively.** Lock in profit targets at $3-$8, and cut losses immediately if they exceed $1-$3. The biggest fear in short-term trading is "I'll wait a bit longer," which often turns short-term trades into medium-term, and medium-term into deep losses.

Choosing the right trading session is also crucial. The London open period is the most volatile and is the golden time to trade. But avoid the 5 minutes before major data releases — events like Non-Farm Payrolls and CPI can cause spreads to widen and slippage to increase.

Don’t forget to look at the overall trend on the 1-hour chart when doing short-term trading. Even if you're only trading on the 5-minute chart, if the EMA is upward, consider only going long; otherwise, stay on the sidelines or consider shorting. Trading against the trend is the fastest way to lose money.

Another point many overlook: **Never overtrade.** Limit your daily trades to within 5 transactions, and spend the remaining 80% of the time in flat position, observing the market. It may sound boring, but this is the real way to make money.

The reality is that the success rate for short-term trading is usually between 55%-65%, which may seem low. But as long as the risk-reward ratio stays above 1.5:1, you can accumulate significant profits over time. It’s recommended that everyone test their strategies on a demo account first, and only switch to real trading after achieving consistent profits.

Short-term trading is like dancing on the edge of a knife; discipline is the only armor.