Market rhythm determines life and death; mental management is the foundation—this is the survival rule I’ve summarized after so many years in the crypto world.

Eight years ago, with 50,000 yuan USDT in hand, I stepped into this arena full of hope. To be honest, I didn’t understand much back then; candlestick charts looked like hieroglyphs, and I only knew one move: chasing rallies and selling dips. The result was predictable—stop-loss liquidations, account zeroing out, and even falling for exchange scams. My family scolded me for being irresponsible, and I hid in alcohol to escape reality.

The turning point came during the 312 crash. While others panicked, I made a decision in the depths of fear: to bottom-fish. That move truly turned things around for me.

Now my account has grown into the tens of millions. Looking back, what I lost in the crypto market was never the initial capital, but my ignorance of market rhythm and a complete mental breakdown. Today, I want to share what I’ve learned over the years in the market, hoping to help you avoid some pitfalls.

**Understanding the rhythm means winning most of the time**

Every price fluctuation is a battle of human nature. The most common mistake beginners make is blindly trading based on the price itself, while true experts observe the emotions hidden behind price movements. When you see a coin rapidly surge and then slowly decline, nine out of ten times it’s the whales quietly selling off. Conversely, a sharp drop followed by a slow climb indicates big funds quietly building positions.

Trading volume is the “nemesis of monsters.” When a sharp decline at a high level is accompanied by no increase in volume, run quickly; if at a low level there’s strong volume holding steady, it’s worth paying attention to. For example, if a coin repeatedly oscillates at a low level and suddenly breaks upward with trading volume 20% higher than the five-day average, that’s often a signal of main force entering. This detail is the easiest to overlook but also the most profitable.

**Follow the trend, don’t fight the market**

A common psychological trap is: when the market drops, you want to buy the dip. Many think they’re smart, believing “this time it’s definitely bottomed out,” only to buy in the middle of the decline and watch it fall further. The reliable opportunity to buy low is when the market confirms an uptrend, then dips again for a second entry. That’s the real test of a good trading moment.

When analyzing the big trend, I rely on Dow Theory—this tool has withstood over a century of market tests, though it’s old, it’s effective. The long-term trend is the directional indicator for buying and selling; the medium-term trend guides your specific operations; short-term fluctuations are best ignored. Many people get wiped out by short-term noise because they mistake it for signals.

That’s how it is in the crypto world: if you grasp the rhythm correctly, even beginners can turn things around; if you get the rhythm wrong, no matter how much capital you have, you’ll be stuck losing.