From Account Burn to Sustainable Trading: My Survival Rules in the Crypto Market

There is a truth that very few newcomers to crypto are willing to accept: this market is not designed for you to make quick money, but to test whether you have enough discipline to survive.\nI used to be among many who were “swallowed” by the market. Not just once, but many times. Each time I burned my account, I convinced myself: “This time I understand the market.” And then… back to zero.\nUntil one night, after the seventh account burn, I no longer felt anger or bitterness. I just realized one thing: if I continue to play the way the crowd does, I will always be fuel for the market.\nFrom that moment, I decided to change roles. No longer as prey. I want to become the hunter.\n01. Stop Bleeding Before Thinking About Making Money\nThe biggest mistake most losing traders make is wanting to recover immediately. When the account only has a few thousand dollars, they become even more reckless, trade bigger, use higher leverage – and everyone knows the outcome.\nWhen I only had 3,000U left, the first thing I did was not to look for a “x10” trade, but to find a way to survive.\nI divided my capital very simply:\nCore safety part: invest spot in top cryptocurrencies with high liquidity, to build psychological stability\nCash flow generation part: exploit price differences, funding rates, less risky opportunities\nSurvival part: an absolute amount of money that I do not touch, just to ensure I don’t panic\nAt this stage, I don’t set a goal of “getting rich”.\nNot losing is already winning.\nCrypto is not short of opportunities, only short of people with money to wait for them.\n02. Recognize the True Game of the Market\nMany believe that crypto is a game of indicators, models, and lines. But after paying tuition for many years, I realize: it’s a psychological battle, driven by data and algorithms.\nBig organizations don’t need you to lose immediately. They need you:\nFOMO at the peak\nSell at the bottom\nLose patience when the market is sideways\nFake breakouts, community consensus on one direction, skyrocketing funding, influencers shouting… these are often not opportunities, but traps.\nI started trading against the crowd’s emotions.\nNot always right, but the probability favors me more often.\n03. From Passive to Active: Systematic Trading\nWhen my psychology is stable, I no longer trade out of “itchy hands,” but only act when conditions are right.\nI focus on:\nBTC price differences across exchanges\nUnusual funding rate signals\nOpportunities to hedge risk\nWhen an opportunity appears, I enter a calculated order, without rushing, without overexpecting.\nOne survival rule I still follow today:\nLeverage no more than 3x\nIn a market dominated by algorithms, using high leverage is like holding a torch into a powder keg.\n04. The Mindset of a Hunter: When You No Longer Need to Chase News\nWhen your account surpasses a certain threshold, the biggest change is not the strategy, but your market perspective.\nI no longer chase “hot coins,” nor believe in impulsive recommendations. Instead, I observe:\nOn-chain money flow\nBehavior of large wallets\nToken distribution structure\nTiming of stablecoin inflows into exchanges\nI especially avoid projects with:\nToo concentrated holdings\nUnusual large token transfers to exchanges\nStrong price increases with weak liquidity\nAt this point, discipline is more important than strategy.\nA consistent system, executed rigorously, always beats a “very good” strategy that no one actually follows.\nConclusion: The Market Rewards Not the Smart, but the Survivors\nCrypto always causes most people to make mistakes – that’s its nature. Only when you accept this, can you stop fighting the market and start going with it.\nThe journey from a few thousand U to a larger amount doesn’t come from luck. It comes from:\nCorrect awareness\nRisk management\nPatience to wait for opportunities\nAnd most importantly: not self-destructing because of emotions\nIn today’s highly volatile market, survival is always more important than quick gains.\nAssets are just the result; awareness is the root.\nDon’t hand the beast you don’t understand the knife called leverage. Learning every day is the most sustainable investment.