Having spent eight years in the crypto world, from initial liquidations, anxiety, and staying up all night watching the markets, to now achieving stable profits—an annualized return of over 70%, with accounts reaching eight figures—I've come to understand four key words: Survival First.

Today, I want to organize and share these years of practical experience with friends who are still searching for direction in the market. This isn't about signal calling; it's a straightforward trading manual based on the principle of survival first, something that can truly be applied.

**1. Make Money, Cash Out Immediately**

Making money isn't difficult; the hard part is actually putting the profits into your pocket. I’ve developed a simple habit: for every $1,000 profit added to my account, I withdraw $400 to my bank, and the remaining continues to trade. The profits in the account are floating gains; the money in the bank is real cash.

Many people fall into this trap—they keep thinking about earning a little more, doubling again, but end up losing all their principal. This pit is too deep; I've seen too many jump in and never climb out.

**2. Let Indicators Speak, Use Feelings as a Backup**

If you're still relying on feelings to trade, you're basically a typical retail trader. I mainly use TradingView to watch three indicators: MACD, RSI, and Bollinger Bands. The rules are strict—only enter when at least two indicators point in the same direction. For short-term trades, I look at the 1-hour chart; for trend-based trading, I use the 4-hour chart.

For example, when going long on ETH, my logic is: if two consecutive 1-hour candles are above the Bollinger middle band and MACD forms a golden cross, both signals are confirmed, then I consider opening a position. This approach might sometimes miss some opportunities, but it generally helps avoid big pitfalls.

**3. Stop-Loss Is the Bottom Line for Staying Alive**

Many people misunderstand stop-loss, thinking setting one is a sign of cowardice. That's not true; stop-loss is a must-have bottom line for professional traders.

The specific approach is: if I can monitor the market, I will dynamically move my stop-loss upward to protect profits. But if I’m busy and can't watch the market, I set a hard stop-loss—for example, -3%. No matter how volatile the market, this prevents the principal from being hurt. Getting stopped out can be annoying, but staying alive is more important than making money.

**4. Periodic Profit Taking**

My habit is to withdraw 30% of the account profit every Friday without fail. Regardless of whether the week was profitable or not, I take some profits first. After three months of doing this, you'll find your account curve becomes more stable, and your mindset also stabilizes. This method effectively breaks the vicious cycle of repeated liquidations and starting over.

**5. Risk Bottom Line, Never Cross It**

Regarding leverage, my principle is not to exceed 10x, especially for beginners—control it within 3 to 5x. The number of trades per day should also be limited—I usually make no more than three trades. Frequent trading is a sign of emotional instability.

Avoid low-value, highly volatile coins, such as certain meme coins—they're essentially tools for harvesting retail investors. I also want to emphasize: never borrow money to trade crypto—that's a matter of principle.

The most important mindset shift is to treat trading as a profession, not gambling. Be serious when watching the market, and rest well when it's time to rest. Don't stay up all night, chase highs and sell lows, or get blinded by short-term thrills. What you truly want is long-term, stable returns, not a one-time big profit.

Markets are starting to fluctuate again. Don't be envious of others' gains or blindly follow the crowd. To truly change your situation, the key is to build your own trading system, strictly follow discipline, and prioritize survival in your trading philosophy.