Did you know? The hardest thing in the crypto world is not making money.

Those who can truly put profits into their pockets are actually doing the same thing—getting out in time.

I've seen too many cases. There was a guy who entered the market in 2019 with $20,000. In less than three months, he made $300,000. At that time, we all advised him to take profits, buddy. But he completely ignored us, with one goal in mind: financial freedom, starting with a million.

Reality gave him a slap. Less than half a year later, his account was down to just over $10,000. He didn't even preserve his principal, let alone achieve financial freedom.

Speaking of which, I’ve also fallen into this trap myself. During the 2021 bull market, my account suddenly skyrocketed to $1.8 million. Seeing that number, I thought to myself, just wait a bit longer—I’ll sell once it doubles. But the market doesn’t show mercy. By the time I reacted, it was down to $400,000. That period really kept me from sleeping well, always thinking about how I could have bought a few houses if I had taken profits earlier.

But that’s the reality of the crypto world—there are no "what ifs."

Later, I gradually realized that in crypto, it’s not about how much you make, but how much you can actually take away. Many people shout about financial freedom, but they can’t even do the most basic thing—taking profits when the time is right. It’s not greed; it’s human nature.

So I set a strict rule for myself: whenever a position triples, I must withdraw half of the profits. Sounds conservative? But this simple rule has kept my mindset stable and allowed my account to last longer.

Someone asked me: how much profit is enough?

Honestly, there’s no standard answer. Nobody complains about having too much money, but everyone’s psychological limit is different. Some start to become irrational once their account doubles; others want to gamble again even after tenfold gains. The key is, do you dare to cash out before your limit hits?

The most important lesson in crypto is: don’t expect to get out at the top, because the peak will never give you a signal. Those who can laugh last are always those who have the courage to get out halfway up the mountain. They may not have made the most money, but they’ve preserved what they earned.

That’s the secret to surviving long-term.