When I entered the space in 2017, my initial capital was only 190,000. Now, my account balance has already reached eight digits. Along the way, I took many detours and paid a lot of “tuition,” but I’ve summarized four survival rules—each one learned the hard way with real money.

**Understanding whale psychology is more important than reading candlesticks**

Fast surges followed by slow declines are usually just shakeouts; true market tops often come with a violent spike followed by a flash crash. Early on, I mistook a shakeout for a top, panicked, sold everything, and then watched helplessly as the price jumped another 50%. Later, I caught the $ETC flash crash signal and exited early, avoiding a 40% plunge. Since then, I’ve understood one thing: chart patterns can lie, but capital flows don’t.

**Low volume at the top is more dangerous than a sharp drop**

Once, a major coin was trading sideways at a high, with volume steadily declining, but I didn’t pay attention. Within a week, it halved, costing me 30,000. That taught me: high-volume fluctuations at the top mean there’s still action, but low volume at the top is like boiling a frog slowly—you have to get out.

**Bottom signals are hidden in volume changes**

A rebound after a sharp drop doesn’t mean a reversal—I’ve fallen for that trap. A real bottom has clear signs: first, low-volume sideways grinding, then three consecutive days of moderate volume increases with green closes. Last year, when BTC showed this combo, I went all in and tripled my money in six months.

**Building a system is more important than betting on a single opportunity**

Now, my strategy is simple: don’t chase highs, don’t force a bottom, never go all-in or all-out, and always keep ammo for high-conviction trades. Volume is the most reliable indicator; candlestick patterns can be manipulated, but real buy/sell orders can’t be faked.

If you’re still anxious about price swings, hesitating over take profits or stop losses, or doubting yourself because of your capital size, what you lack isn’t luck or insider info—it’s a complete trading system. If you implement these four rules, your account curve will start to change from this moment on.