What’s the biggest lie in the crypto market? “Getting rich overnight.”

I spent 92 days turning 2,000 bucks into 63,000. Sounds flashy? But let me throw some cold water on you first—this isn’t some gifted miracle, it’s the result of making “don’t die” my top priority. There’s a golden rule in this space: only those who survive till the end have the right to count their money.

In my fifth year in the space, I’ve seen enough drama to film three seasons of a TV series. Some people show off profit screenshots in the morning, only to go to zero and delete their accounts by afternoon because they went all-in. Some come in with over 100,000 in seed money chasing hype, and two months later they’re so broke they’re borrowing money from friends to pay rent. I’m no exception myself—took three big losses in 2023, the last one so bad I hesitated over the price tag when buying instant noodles, even pulled out my suitcase ready to bail.

After that total wipeout, I sat staring at my computer screen all night. When I woke up the next day, it suddenly hit me: this game isn’t about who makes money the fastest, but who dies the slowest. After that, I set a few hard rules for myself, and it’s these rules that helped me climb back up from 2,000.

**Rule 1: Split your money, don’t let the market wipe you out in one go.**

I broke my 2,000 principal into 5 parts, never trading with more than 400 at a time. The remaining four parts were treated as if they didn’t exist. Last month, a coin suddenly skyrocketed, and everyone in the community was shouting “if not now, when?” I was sweating as I watched the candlesticks, but I never hit the all-in button. That night the price plunged almost 40%, and the group chat instantly turned from celebration to mourning. I lost that 400, but at least I still had 1,600 left breathing in my account.

**Rule 2: Set a hard stop-loss, cut losses the moment it’s hit.**

Before every trade, I mark my stop-loss (usually at -8%). If the price touches that line, I close the position immediately—never fantasizing “maybe it’ll bounce back if I wait a bit longer.” So many people die on that “wait a bit longer”—I used to as well, watching -8% turn to -30%, and end up losing even my principal. Now I’d rather take a hundred small losses than gamble on that one lucky break.

**Rule 3: Take profits, don’t let numbers on a screen fool you.**

Whenever I make money, I immediately withdraw half to a cold wallet, only using the rest to keep trading. I’ve seen too many people’s accounts multiply, only to lose it all in one correction, ending up unable to even protect their principal. Money only counts when it’s in your hands; those green digits on the chart are illusions that can disappear at any time.

Turning 2,000 into 63,000 in 92 days sounds like some kind of talent or luck. But to be honest, I’m just more afraid of dying than most people. The market never runs out of opportunities; what it lacks is people who survive long enough to seize them.