5 Years Without Burning My Account: How I Survived in the Crypto Market

When I first entered the cryptocurrency market, I also believed that I was “different.” With a bit of intuition and initial luck, a capital of 5,000 USD could sometimes grow very quickly after just one night of a strong trend. That feeling can easily lead people to illusion that they have unlocked the market’s secrets. Until one dawn, Bitcoin plummeted with a very strong red candle. My account vanished more than 90% in a short period. I stared at the screen, unsure of what to do, then quietly turned off the computer and went outside to breathe. It was in that moment that I realized one thing: true masters are not those who make the most money, but those who survive the longest. After that shock, I completely changed my trading approach. No predictions, no staying up all night watching charts, no chasing every “hot tip.” I only focus on one goal: protecting capital. Five years have passed, and I have never blown up my account. Below are three core principles that helped me survive.

1. Taking Profits Is Just as Important as Cutting Losses Currently, whenever a trade reaches about 10% profit, I withdraw half of the profit. This amount is “locked in,” not reinvested immediately. The remaining capital continues to trade. This method helps me always keep the safety of my original account, while profits still grow over time. Over five years, I have made more than thirty profit withdrawals. Some weeks, the amount withdrawn reaches hundreds of thousands of USD. The feeling of real profit is completely different from just watching numbers flicker on the screen. Many people only focus on setting stop-losses and forget to take profits. They see their account in profit and think they are absolutely right, but forget that until they sell, the profit is still just an illusion.
2. Only Trade When You Have a Clear Plan I no longer make decisions based on very short timeframes or fleeting emotions. My current process is very simple: Daily timeframe: identify the main trend 4-hour timeframe: find market rhythm 15-minute timeframe: choose entry points When the LUNA collapse event happened, I already had a scenario prepared and placed an order in the overbought zone. As a result, my account surged that day. This is not luck, but the result of adhering to a trading system I had built beforehand. The crypto market always offers opportunities, but not every opportunity is for you. If you try to catch every fluctuation, you will quickly burn out. Currently, I spend a maximum of four hours a day analyzing the market. Seeing fewer charts helps me reduce fatigue and make more rational decisions.
3. Accept Losses as Part of the Game I limit the maximum loss per trade to 1.5% of total capital. Even if I lose three consecutive trades, the total damage remains within control. My win rate is not high, below 40%, but the risk-reward ratio is nearly 5:1. This strategy is slow, but extremely sustainable. Only by accepting losses do you deserve to make money. Many people fall into the “recover losses” cycle, trading constantly out of impatience, and often end up losing more. I have been through that. Now, after each losing trade, I force myself to stop and evaluate: is it a system error or just market volatility? If it’s a mistake, I adjust. If not, I accept it. Not all losses are mistakes, and understanding this is extremely important for trading psychology. A Mindset That Doesn’t Die Is the Greatest Asset Many people ask me the secret to five years without blowing up an account. The answer is very simple: keep your own trading rhythm. I don’t look for perfect entry points, nor do I idolize indicators. As long as you don’t blow up, you are still in the game. The crypto market is full of psychology aiming for quick riches. But those who reach the end are usually patient, disciplined, and only act when the odds are in their favor. FOMO and panic are the two biggest enemies. When I feel my emotions rising, I use market psychology indicators to evaluate objectively, avoiding impulsive decisions. The market is not short of opportunities. What’s rare is a head cool enough amidst volatility. Successful trading is not about predicting the future correctly, but about making decisions based on probabilities and risk management. Preserve capital, maintain discipline, stay calm – that is my survival path in crypto.