I will never forget that winter in the 6-square-meter basement—no heating, only an electric quilt to keep warm, and 126 yuan in the bank card. During the day, I served dishes; at night, I watched the candlestick charts flicker on the screen. Now, looking at the lights of the financial skyscrapers in Lujiazui, I have over 22 million in my account.

Over the years, I’ve stepped on many pitfalls and summarized a few rules for survival.

**Rapid surges are often traps.** In 2017, a small coin rose 320% in ten days, and I went all in with 80,000 yuan. As a result, it dropped 18% on the third day, losing 60,000 yuan in a week. Later, I understood: a surge of over 30%, followed by a sideways movement for 3-5 days, then a sudden 15% drop with increased volume, signals the market maker is pulling out. When I see this pattern, I sell all my holdings.

**Sideways movement seems safe but is actually the most dangerous.** In 2019, holding mainstream coins sideways for two months, I leveraged to add more positions, only to be cut in half. I later learned the truth: when the sideways period exceeds 20 days, turnover is less than 2%, and it’s more than 20% away from the 20-day moving average, it’s a sign of distribution before a dump. When I see this pattern now, my first reaction is to reduce holdings.

**True bottoms are confirmed by volume.** During the crash on March 12, 2020, I thought buying $LINK was a chance, but I got trapped. What does a real bottom look like? Decreasing volume during consolidation, coupled with three consecutive days of gentle upward candles. When BTC dropped to 25,000 last year, this pattern appeared. I went all in, sold at 42,000, and made a profit of 5.8 million.

**To survive long enough to win.** I only use half my position and never leverage. Last year, I only dared to buy when $PEPE’s trading volume increased fivefold. As soon as the trend broke, I took profits immediately, earning 12 times and avoiding the subsequent plunge. In the crypto world, it’s not about who is the smartest, but who can survive until the end. The market keeps changing, but human nature never does—stick to your bottom line, and you can go far.