The Survival Diary of an Old Crypto Villager: I Have Taught My Disciples to Survive Every Bull and Bear Cycle with Discipline

The crypto market has never lacked opportunities, but it is extremely short of people who survive long-term. I have been in this game long enough to understand one thing: making money is not as hard as keeping it. Last year, there was a guy who followed me for half a year. Starting with $3,000, after 15 months, his account grew to $278,000. When we met for lunch, he said a sentence I remember very clearly: “Teacher, I print out the 7 rules in the group and stick them right below the screen. Every time I get the urge to place an order, I look back.” Today, I rewrite those 7 rules, sharpened by real situations, real money lost. It may sound “embarrassing,” but it saves lives.

1. When Signals Are Confusing as a Ball of Yarn: Close the Screen When he first followed me, he saw the chart tangled like a ball of yarn but still tried to trade. The result was being hit with stop-losses repeatedly by wicks and false breakouts. I told him directly: “The market is like a casino, but it’s not always open.” My rules are rough but effective: Conflicting news ( e.g.: regulators warn but big organizations buy in ) Indicators fighting ( MACD showing up but volume weakening ) ➡️ Close the app, do something else. Example: before the sharp crash in May last year, signals from management appeared frequently, but many groups still shouted “golden bottom.” He stayed out and avoided a nearly 30% drop in one day. 👉 Missing the opportunity is just regret, getting caught in the trap could be life-threatening.
2. Follow the Hot Trend: Be the Firework Shooter, Not the Ash Collector When meme coins go crazy, everyone thinks they are “the chosen one.” But the essence of a hot trend is to spread flowers and beat drums. My discipline: Enter the trade with a timer: hold no more than 24 hoursTake profit at 20% → close halfCoin drops out of the trend top → exit completelyNever average down on meme coins Fireworks are beautiful, but the ashes never reignite.
3. Major Trend: A Butt Is More Valuable Than a Finger He once made a classic mistake: Bitcoin broke the weekly uptrend, but because of a correction on the 15-minute chart, he closed early, missing tens of thousands of USD in profit. Current approach: Confirm the weekly trendUse only trailing stopsIgnore short-term noise, don’t trade out of fear of missing the boat 👉 Money in a bull market comes from sitting still, not from constantly clicking.
4. Large Volume Bullish Candles: Prioritize Putting Money in Your Pocket Once his account doubled but he didn’t take profit, and a single red candle brought him back to the starting point. I taught him: A day with >15% increase plus double volume → close at least 50%Remaining position uses tight trailing stops Remember: the more euphoric the market, the higher the risk.
5. Moving Averages Are Signboards, Not Fortune Tellers He used to be obsessed with all kinds of “superior” indicators. I made him drop them all, keeping only: MA 5 days: short-term sentimentMA 20 days: trend life Rules: Crossing above MA 5 → can try small positionsBreaking below MA 20 → significantly reduce positions 👉 Simplicity doesn’t mean inefficiency. Complexity is often just for… self-comfort.
6. Trade Against Your Instinct: Dare to Hold When Up, Wait When Down Most people’s instincts: Fear when rising, sell too earlyPanic when falling, cut the bottom My rules: Uptrend: adjust to important MA + decreasing volume → increase positionDowntrend: heavy sell-off + long wicks → buy in parts 👉 Don’t guess, let the rules lock in your emotions.
7. Capital Management Is Life, Never Go All-in He once blew up his account by going all-in on altcoins. Since then, I mandated: Divide total capital into 5 partsMax 20% per tradeNever average down more than onceNever go all-in Cash = control. Conclusion There will always be opportunities in the market, but only those with discipline survive long enough to seize them. These 7 rules are not hard to understand; they are hard to follow when greed and fear pull your hands simultaneously. If at any point you think: “This time it’s different” — come back and read this article. History may not repeat itself, but people always stay the same. Learning is the greatest asset. Survive first, get rich later.