After spending so many years in the crypto market, people often DM me asking: How are you still surviving, and even doing pretty well?

To be honest, I paid a lot of tuition fees when I first got in. There were times I lost so much I started to doubt my life choices. But over time, I gradually figured out a way to survive. Today, I want to have a real talk with you all.

**If a coin has someone propping up the price, don’t rush to sell**
When the market crashes but your coin falls much less than others, chances are someone is holding the line. Don’t get scared and bail—hold on patiently, surprises often come after.

**Trade by the chart, not by your gut**
Beginners love to mess around based on feelings. My advice: for short-term trades, watch the 5-day moving average—hold if the price is above, sell if it drops below. For mid-term trades, look at the 20-day line—the same logic applies. Don’t overcomplicate things; execution is more important than theory.

**Bought in and nothing happens? Switch quickly**
If you go in short-term and there's zero movement for three days, don’t wait—switch to something more active. If you buy in and immediately lose 5%, cut your losses at once—don’t fantasize about a comeback.

**After a 50% crash and nine straight red days, it’s bottom-fishing time**
If a coin gets slashed in half from its high and then sees nine consecutive red days, it’s probably as low as it can go. This is the time to get in boldly—you’ll likely catch a strong rebound.

**Chase the leaders, that’s the real rule of success**
If you’re going to chase a pump, chase the leading coins—they rise the fastest and are the most resilient. Don’t be intimidated by the high price, and don’t try to catch falling knives with coins in downtrends. If you’re on the right side of the trend, everything else falls into place.

**Bottom-fishing is a trap; follow the trend instead**
You never know where the real bottom is during a downtrend. When it’s time to sell, don’t hesitate—following the trend is much smarter than fixating on prices. Picking the right entry timing is a hundred times more important than bargain hunting.

**Review your trades especially after making money**
It’s not hard to make a one-off profit; the challenge is to keep winning. After every profitable trade, review: Why did you win? Can you repeat it? Over time, you’ll develop your own trading system.

**When in doubt, stay in cash**
If you can’t read the market, don’t force it. Staying in cash isn’t embarrassing—losing money is. Trading is about win rate and risk/reward, not frequency.

These lessons were bought with real money. There are no shortcuts in crypto, but there are ways to avoid detours. The next one to make it out could be you, right there in front of the screen.