Everyone who has been in the crypto market knows one thing: staying alive is more important than anything else.

I have been in this industry for six years. Looking back, my first two years were foolish—full of daydreams about getting rich quickly. And what happened? The first bull and bear cycle knocked me to the ground, almost wiping out my principal.

But that "textbook" loss actually saved me. I began to realize that in this market, the smartest people often die the fastest, and it’s those who stick to the "dumb methods" that survive until the end.

**Three things, just one of which is enough to make it hard to turn around**

First pitfall: chasing highs and selling lows. Remember the Dogecoin frenzy in 2021? Social media was full of screenshots, and everyone in the groups was FOMOing. I had a friend who jumped in at the top, and it took him three years to break even. How tough was that for him? I watched the whole process unfold. Who actually made money? Those who quietly accumulated when no one was paying attention.

Now I have a rule: when a certain coin starts flooding social platforms, that’s when I begin to reduce my holdings. The most lively moments in the market are often the most dangerous. Those "big V" influencers shouting the loudest online? They won’t be there to wipe your tears when you lose money.

Second pitfall: going all-in on a single choice. I once crazily searched for "hundred-bagger coins," putting all my assets into one project. And then? The project team ran off, and I almost went to zero. That was truly painful.

After that, I changed my approach: always diversify across 5 to 10 coins, with no single position exceeding 20% of the total funds. Even with projects I believe in strongly, I never deviate from this rule. It sounds conservative, but in crypto, being conservative is often the most aggressive way to make money.

Third pitfall: emotional trading. When the market drops 20%, panic and stop-loss; when it rises 30%, chase the high. These traders’ accounts are like roller coasters—selling at the top and cutting losses at the bottom.

What I’ve learned is: plan your strategy in advance and execute it with discipline. It’s not about ignoring the market altogether, but about removing emotion from your decisions. To be blunt, emotions are often the root cause of losses.

**Sticking to the "dumb" method is actually the smartest**

In six years in crypto, I’ve seen one truth clearly: the market doesn’t eliminate the unwise, but those who can’t stick to discipline.

What are the real money-makers doing? Dollar-cost averaging, diversification, stop-losses, not chasing highs—these methods sound boring as hell, but they are the most effective way to survive. They don’t seek overnight riches but steadily earn their rightful share in each cycle.

Crypto markets are volatile—that’s a fact. But precisely because of this, the more volatile it is, the more discipline is worth. Patience is more important than anything.