2026-01-16 07:30:04

A month ago, I was still in profit with my BTC short position, but I insisted on being bearish until 85,000, stubbornly refusing to close the position. And what happened? The market rallied all the way from the beginning of the year, turning my short from profitable to losing, and several mainstream coin holdings also suffered.

Initially, according to my original position management plan, I could withstand this volatility. The problem arose during "that period of holding the position"—I got itchy, couldn’t sit still, and opened several altcoin shorts (RIVER, RVV, ESPORTS). In a short period, I lost over $3,000. This directly pushed my margin to the brink of collapse, and in the end, I had no choice but to deplete my savings and seek help to maintain the position.

Now, this BTC short is no longer just a position. It has become a microcosm of my actions over the past month: closing means discipline has defeated luck; continuing to hold means paying the price for this lesson.

After experiencing this month, I truly understand: no matter how many principles others tell you, it’s all useless. Only through real experience and real pain can you remember it in your heart.

Summarizing this painful lesson, I have distilled five rules that must be adhered to:

**First, exit at the take-profit point**
When your expected profit is reached, decisively take profit or reduce your position. When you see signs of trend reversal, exit immediately and observe—don’t leave room for illusions.

**Second, stop-loss is not surrender**
Losses are part of trading costs, but uncontrolled losses are a disaster. Setting a stop-loss is not weakness; it’s responsible for your capital.

**Third, don’t put all assets into contracts**
Never put all your money into derivatives. Keep some in spot or stable assets—this is both a fallback and a mental buffer.

**Fourth, don’t act recklessly when holding a position**
Especially during holding periods, emotions can be amplified infinitely. Any "impulse operation" might be the last straw that crushes your mindset.

**Fifth, discipline is everything**
The market is not wrong; judgment and execution are. Entering too early or exiting too late are fundamentally due to lax discipline.

This lesson has been costly, but it also made me see a truth: in the crypto world, surviving long is far more important than earning a quick profit. I hope my pitfalls can serve as a warning to you.

BTC-2.08%

RVV-4.68%

ESPORTS-3.77%

View Original

This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.

7 Likes

Reward
7
5
Repost
Share

Comment

0/400

retroactive_airdrop

· 24m ago

This is the magic of contracts. A moment of impulsiveness brings pleasure, but the account ends up in flames. That part about holding positions is really true— the more you lose, the more you want to turn things around; the more you try to reverse, the more chaotic your operations become, and in the end, everything is gone. Taking profits and setting stop-losses may seem simple, but actually doing it is incredibly difficult. Even ten-year veterans in the crypto circle have fallen into this trap; it's a necessary lesson to pay tuition for. Leverage—when you're making money, you feel like a genius; when you're losing, you finally understand what despair really means. Opening a copycat short position often results in bloodshed; this wave really taught me a painful lesson. The last sentence hit the mark—living long is the real winner; a single all-in bet always ends up with zero.

View OriginalReply0

ContractTearjerker

· 9h ago

This is a classic case of itchy hands syndrome, clearly planned position management was forcibly ruined by oneself. It looks painful, but it's really the tuition fee that should be paid. Discipline, no matter how many times you talk about it, boils down to one thing: execution is the key. Holding in your hand makes you want to move, and in the end, you bleed from acting. I've seen too many cases like this. When you're not holding a position, can anyone be idle? Anyway, I haven't seen it. Take profit and stop loss may look simple, but why is it so hard to do? Shanzhai coins are just a trap; the more you lose, the more you want to turn it around, a vicious cycle. Actually, you're already considered lucky this time; some people get liquidated directly without such drama. Living long and earning long, this saying really isn't a lie. The experience gained from this blood price is more useful than a year's worth of advice.

View OriginalReply0

OvertimeSquid

· 9h ago

It's really incredible to open a clone exchange with itchy hands. This is a typical case of getting more impatient the longer you hold a position. --- When making money, you stubbornly bet against the market down to 85k. When you lose money, you start opening positions recklessly. It's like shooting yourself in the foot. --- Honestly, just looking at your experience makes me feel frustrated. You clearly had a plan, but your emotions ruined it. --- Losing 3000 USDT and still needing someone to help cover it—that feeling is really painful. Next time, I should remember this. --- Honestly, the most important rule is "don't move your hands recklessly when holding a position." It's just that idle hands lead to reckless actions. --- Taking profits is really the hardest part. When you make money, you want to do more, but it often backfires. --- Seeing you deplete your savings, I knew you took a big loss this time. I hope you can really turn this around. --- The saying in the crypto world that "you only make money if you survive long enough" really hits home. Many people lose everything in a single gamble.

View OriginalReply0

LazyDevMiner

· 9h ago

Getting itchy to open a clone and heading straight to bankruptcy—that's the biggest killer in the crypto world. That 3,000 U actually was just a lesson learned, not a loss. Wait, are you still holding that BTC short position? You need to handle it quickly. It's just that someone needs to watch over you, so you don't do anything reckless. Really, as long as you don't touch altcoins, you can survive for a very long time.

View OriginalReply0

RiddleMaster

· 10h ago

A careless move into a clone coin, and it's game over. I've done it too... --- This is the beginning of a mental breakdown, a decision that leads to total loss. --- If you're holding a position, don't act rashly. It's a very real and painful lesson. --- Losing 3000U because of impatience—was it worth it, brother? --- Living long is indeed more important than a quick fortune, but unfortunately, the cost of enlightenment is high. --- RIVER, RVV, ESPORTS—these three are just about giving away money, right? --- The take-profit point is here, yet you still hesitate. How long does it take to build that mental resilience? --- Money management is always the first lesson, yet everyone has to pay tuition. --- Discipline is easy to talk about, but when the market reverses, everyone forgets it all. --- The moment you empty your savings to maintain your position, you should already know it's time to admit defeat.

View OriginalReply0