Want to survive long enough in the crypto world? Prioritize staying alive first, making money can come later.

**Survival First, Wealth Later**

Start with 100U for practice—don't treat it as principal, consider it as tuition. Do a post-market review every day—how much did you lose? Why did you lose? Record the answers in a spreadsheet and stick to it for 30 days. If you see reasons like "itchy hands," "rage add to position," or "go all-in in one shot" in the spreadsheet, ban yourself from trading the next day—stay away. If you can avoid liquidation within 30 days, you've earned your "pass" in the market.

**About Finding a Coach**

Most people who have experienced liquidation still want to keep playing. At this point, don’t just look for secret tricks; finding a real coach is much more reliable. How to tell if a coach is worth following? Two points: they dare to show you real trading charts, and at critical moments, they dare to stop you from reckless trading. Spending some tuition to learn from a mentor is more cost-effective than repeatedly getting chopped up by the market.

**Three Signals That Indicate You're Gambling**

Losing more than 20% and doubling down; not daring to show your trades to family at the close; having the urge to recharge your credit card—if any of these happen, you should immediately liquidate, shut down, and go for a 5 km run. The harder you run, the further you are from bankruptcy.

**10,000U Is the Ceiling, Not the Starting Point**

If three months of consistent gains can cover your drawdowns, and the maximum drawdown is kept below 5%, then it’s time to consider increasing your position to 10,000U. Remember, earning 3% steadily each month is much harder than making 30% in one shot. Those who survive ten years in this market rely on the former.

Set "Prioritize survival" as your guiding principle. Remind yourself ten times before taking risks. The market never closes, but you must leave yourself a way out—only then can you see the power of compound interest.