Having been in the crypto space for 8 years, I’ve encountered all kinds of traders. The most common phrase I hear is: "When I have more funds, I’ll trade properly. For now, just practice." Every time I hear this, I can’t help but sigh.

Let’s start with a phenomenon. You’ve probably seen the story of "a few dollars in capital turning into a million in a year." These posts are everywhere, and they get people excited. But in reality? I’ve seen too many people with a $100 account trading recklessly—buying and selling without stop-losses, chasing highs and selling lows. When they lose, they comfort themselves with "It’s just a small amount, just testing the waters, no big deal," and then they still dream of turning $10,000 into a fortune. Unfortunately, the end result is often this: those who can’t even protect $100, even if they somehow end up with $10,000, will still end up losing everything.

This is nothing new. The root cause is actually very simple: the size of your capital can never change your trading habits; it only magnifies your flaws like a magnifying glass.

A couple of years ago, I mentored a beginner who started with $100. A typical FOMO trader—when a certain coin suddenly surges, they jump in, add to their position when it drops 5%, never set stop-losses, and call it "flexible trading." I repeatedly advised him to establish discipline, but he didn’t want to listen: "It’s only $100, why be so serious? When I have $10,000, I’ll definitely stick to stop-loss rules."

Six months later, he had accumulated $8,000. Has he changed? Yes, his funds have increased. But his trading logic? No different from when he had $100—still chasing hot coins, still without a risk management framework. The only difference is, this time he lost faster and more painfully.

This case shows one thing: even if your current account is small, you shouldn’t treat it as "practice money." Because every habit you develop and every decision you make now will be infinitely replicated when your funds grow. Bad habits won’t automatically disappear just because you have more money; in fact, they can cause even greater damage.

Want to survive longer in the crypto market? Don’t wait until your funds grow to change. Starting now, no matter how much money is in your account, follow the strictest standards—set stop-losses, control risks, and adhere to trading discipline. The earlier you develop these habits, the less likely you are to encounter problems later.