2026-01-18 20:22:04

In cryptocurrency asset investing, making money is actually not that mysterious. Where is the difficulty? It's in that heart demon called greed.

To put it plainly, those who can survive three full bull and bear cycles in this market are basically not relying on contract trading to get by.

I've seen too many friends play with contracts; initially, they thrive, and their account numbers grow rapidly. But when you look at the longer timeline, those who can maintain stability over the long term are few. The profits earned often vanish in a few impulsive trades. It's less about trading and more about betting against probabilities and human nature. This pattern is hard to sustain in the long run.

You ask me if there's a more reliable way? My advice is: put down contracts and focus on spot trading.

Spot trading has a problem: it's easy to get trapped. So how to break free? I think the key depends on two dimensions.

**First dimension — the cost of being trapped**

If you're not chasing the top and entering at the peak, and your principal is still largely intact, then time becomes your friend. When market cycles rotate, it's common to recover from losses or break even. The market will always have moments of heat transfer; all you need to do is hold on.

**Second dimension — and this is the most testing — is patience after selling**

Many people actually do sell; the problem arises after selling. Holding cash but feeling uneasy, always feeling like they've missed something. When market fluctuations or news come out, it's easy to lose patience and jump back in. What happens then? They often get trapped at a higher position. This is why some people are always chasing rises and falling with dips.

The real difference between experts and ordinary people is whether they can be ruthless when it's time to exit and whether they can stay on the sidelines quietly after exiting.

The rules of the crypto market are actually very simple. The complexity always lies in human nature. If you can control those "itchy" hands and learn to stay silent and rest during uncertain market conditions, you are already ahead of most market participants.

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DeFiCaffeinator

· 01-21 14:57

This guy is right, I'm the kind of person who still gets itchy after selling, it's really hard to endure. It’s a bit heartbreaking, I was trapped like this... Contracts are harmful, I’ve seen too many people get rich overnight and go bankrupt overnight, now I just keep holding. Being all in cash is the worst, but it seems there’s no other way, so I’ll just endure. He's right, the biggest enemy is human nature, not the market. Why do I always regret selling and then chase in, getting trapped again, cycle after cycle... This is my recent portrait, stubborn as hell. Spot trading is really a test of mentality, I’m still in the learning stage haha. That itchy hand really needs to be chopped off, so true. People who survive three complete cycles are indeed a minority, I’m only in the first cycle.

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MoneyBurnerSociety

· 01-20 21:28

I knew it, this paragraph hit my pain point... That "itchy" hand, it's talking about me. Holding a position with no assets is the hardest, even more uncomfortable than being trapped. Damn, it reminded me of my contract trading days, the feeling of doubling my account in the early stages... It's truly addictive. So now I just lie flat, if my money is tied up, I leave it be, after all, time is on my side. The problem is, I really can't sit still holding cash. As soon as I see a piece of good news in my social circle, I want to go all-in. I have to walk the spot trading path, but I need to cure this disease of chasing highs and killing lows—that's truly a demon in my heart. Among the three bulls and bears who survived, none relied on leverage—that's a fact. I'm just afraid I can't resist rushing in again, then saying goodbye to my principal. Five minutes of clarity, two hours of madness—that's my trading style. That's why I call it the "Money Burning Research Society," real knowledge comes from practical experience.

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rugpull_survivor

· 01-18 20:52

Feeling uncomfortable with no position, dying to get in, and struggling to get out—these two are truly hell. --- Honestly, futures trading is a gambler's paradise; essentially, it's leveraging to gamble with yourself. My friends who got margin called have now switched to spot trading. --- The hardest part is after selling—watching the trend rise makes you want to throw money in, and when it falls, you're glad you got out quickly. But then a rebound traps you again, cycle repeats. --- That itch to trade is basically greed. You think missing a few percentage points is a huge loss, but actually, staying alive and exiting is winning. --- People who endure three cycles must have incredible patience. I’ve only lasted one and a half cycles and am about to go crazy. --- Just lying in spot waiting is fine, but that feeling of uncertainty is uncomfortable. You always want to do something. --- Controlling your hands is the hardest part. It's easy to say, but really doing it? 99% of people find it easy to understand but hard to practice.

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SilentObserver

· 01-18 20:51

The blood and tears of contract players I have seen, indeed few can survive three cycles of bull and bear markets. Holding no position is difficult, really difficult, even more painful than taking a loss. To put it simply, it's about not being able to control your hand. When the market fluctuates, you want to gamble, and then you're forever chasing the highs.

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AirdropHuntress

· 01-18 20:47

Contracts often get liquidated countless times; spot trading is the true path. Data shows that only a few who survive through three cycles rely on leverage.

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GasFeeBeggar

· 01-18 20:43

Lessons learned from contract traders... The guy I know earns 300,000 a month, but lost everything in three months. Basically, it was just greed that made him lose it all. Holding a position is the hardest; watching the market rise while holding cash makes you want to rush in. That psychological barrier is really tough. It's true, trading time for space is the way to survive, not gambling on probabilities. This itch to trade needs to be cured, or you'll just wait to be harvested in this market. Holding spot isn't scary, but selling and then impulsively jumping back in—that's a pit I've stepped into too many times. Actually, it's just two words: patience. Those who can endure ultimately make money.

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StableGenius

· 01-18 20:34

ngl, the "just hodl spot and don't fomo" thesis is empirically solid but fundamentally misses why most people can't execute it. they lack the psychological discipline, which—contrary to popular belief—isn't something you can teach.

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GasGrillMaster

· 01-18 20:24

Contract players are mostly big fools; the few around me are examples—earning quickly but losing even faster. Holding cash is really tough; actually, it makes me more anxious, always thinking if I missed something. That's true; the key is to control your greed, or all your cleverness is useless. Spot trading is much more reliable than contracts; it's about patience and maintaining discipline, not making impulsive moves. In simple terms, it's two words: self-discipline. Those who truly make money in the market are the ones who control their mouths.

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