Farewell to the leeks: The survival rules I learned from 7 "pitfalls" in the crypto market in the past 3 years

If you ask me what my biggest feeling is in the crypto market over the past three years, I will tell you that it is not the excitement of skyrocketing prices, nor the panic of plummeting prices, but the profound lessons brought by countless "pitfalls".

Three years ago, I entered the market with the dream of becoming rich overnight and achieving financial freedom easily. But reality is like a cruel teacher, teaching me what it means to respect the market through repeated pitfalls.

During these three years, I felt like I had experienced a thrilling jungle adventure, and these seven "pitfalls" were the maps and compasses that I bought with real money.

01The Trap of Overtrading: Less is More

When I first started trading, I was obsessed with staying “ active .”

Every candlestick looked like an opportunity to me, and every up move looked like a chance to make a lot of money. But I soon realized that more trades did not equal more profits.

In fact, frequent trading often leaves me with less money and more regret. Remember when I said I felt I had to be in every trade? Yes, that mentality almost cost me everything.

More transactions does not mean more profits.

Looking back, I realize that doing nothing is often the smartest choice. If the market doesn't give you a clear odds of winning, why force a trade?

Would you rather make five mediocre trades or wait for one great opportunity?

The answer may seem obvious now, but it took me real money to really understand this. Trading out of boredom is like chasing gains without doing research - a recipe for disaster.

02Fatigue is the enemy of trading

I wish someone had drilled this into my head a while ago: Never trade when you are tired .

I used to feel like I could stay up all night staring at charts and watching the market like a hawk.

Well, I was wrong.

My decision making became as unreliable as a buggy smart contract. Be honest, how many successful trades have you made after staying up all night?

That's right, almost none.

Decision fatigue is worse than a flash crash. When you’re exhausted, your brain takes shortcuts, and those shortcuts often lead directly to bad decisions.

Don't trade when you are tired.

There have been countless times where I was too stubborn to take a break, hit my stops, and neglected risk management. Now, I make sleep a non-negotiable rule. If I’m not feeling well, I don’t trade.

03Don’t break trading rules easily

One of the hardest lessons I’ve learned is that rules are not only guidelines, they’re lifesavers.

Early on, I thought I was smarter than my trading plan. “Just this once,” I would tell myself, moving my stop or adding to my position.

Does it sound familiar? It should, because every trader has experienced this moment.

But here’s the truth: Your rules are there for a reason. They were learned the hard way.

Breaking the rules is like having no strategy in a bear market—it’s only a matter of time before you’re crushed by the market.

Discipline is not about striving for perfection, it is about doing the right thing even when it is uncomfortable.

I have come to realize that the best traders are not those who never make mistakes, but those who stick to the rules even when they make mistakes.

04Emotional Roller Coaster: Manage Your Mental Strength

Now, let’s talk about something that most traders ignore until it comes back to bite them: mental energy.

Have you ever been stuck in a losing streak where each trade is worse than the last? I have, and it feels a lot like trying to recover from a Rug project.

Sometimes, the best option is not to make another deal, but to get out completely.

This lesson hit me hard during a particularly tough period in my trading journey. I kept adding to my losing positions, thinking I could force my way back into a profit.

What saved me in the end? Rest.

Walking away gave me the clarity of mind I needed to start over. After all, what good is technical analysis if your insides are as messy as a hacked exchange fund?

05Risk Management: The Simple Secret of Survival

Let’s be real for a second – risk management may not sound sexy, but it is the backbone of successful trading.

Most traders focus on entry points as if they are the holy grail, but exit points are where the real magic lies.

Have you ever made a perfect entry, only to lose all your profits (and more) because you had no exit plan? Yes, we have all been there.

Position sizing, stop losses, and risk-reward ratios may not sound sexy, but they are fundamental to survival in the cryptocurrency markets.

Think of it this way: would you rather have ten small wins or one big loss that wipes out your account?

The choices may seem obvious, but too many traders ignore these basic principles.

Remember, in crypto, survival is victory.

06 The Ego Monster: Staying Humile in a Bull Market

One of the hardest facts to accept is this: the market doesn't care about your ego.

Nothing inflates a trader's ego more than a big win. Suddenly, you feel like a prophet predicting tops and bottoms, and that you have cracked the market's code.

But reality will hit you hard — the market has a way of reminding you who’s boss when you least expect it.

After making some nice profits early in my trading career, I began to feel like I knew it all.

Fast forward to the next cycle, and my “sure win” trade was ruthlessly crushed by the market.

The market doesn't owe you anything, and staying humble is the only way to stay in the game. Trust me, your pride is not worth trading your portfolio for.

07The Illusion of Advantage: Knowing When to Stand Back

This is a somewhat controversial point - sometimes your greatest advantage is knowing when not to trade.

Too many traders force bets in areas where they are not strong, thinking that they must always be active. But ask yourself: Would you rather take a mediocre trade or wait for your opportunity?

I developed a simple rule – if I couldn’t explain my edge in one sentence, I wouldn’t trade.

This approach has saved me from countless bad decisions. Remember, the market is not going away. Opportunities will always be there for those who are patient and disciplined.

08 Summary

Ultimately, successful trading isn't about showing off your wins or getting rich overnight. It's about consistently avoiding mistakes and preserving your capital when the odds are truly on your side.

Everything I share comes from my own personal experience and painful lessons.

So the next time you’re tempted to make a rash trade or ignore your own rules, keep these principles in mind.

They may not guarantee you skyrocketing success, but they will keep you in the game long enough to catch some real opportunities. After all, in the world of cryptocurrency, staying power is the ultimate winning weapon.