In the rainy night of 2018, I stared at the screen showing 18,000, and my mind was filled with the crazy decision I made back then to put all 80,000 into a small coin. Even smoking ten cigarettes in a row couldn't calm this feeling.

This was the most expensive loss I’ve ever suffered in the crypto market: not the loss of my account itself, but the repeated mistakes I made afterward. From initially rushing in with no knowledge at all, losing 470,000, to later supporting my family steadily through this market, I’ve seen too many people be eliminated because of a single wrong decision, and I’ve witnessed countless times the "pain forgotten after the wound heals."

The most valuable thing in the crypto world has never been the tuition fee, but the lessons learned with real money. Today, I want to share 6 rules, each backed by bloodshed. Once you truly understand them, you can avoid over 80% of the pitfalls.

**Principal is the last line of defense; never gamble with no way out**

The crypto market is so brutal—one wrong decision, and you’re out completely. The stupidest thing I did back then was this: being attracted by a small coin with "hundredfold potential," I poured all 80,000 in. Seeing it rise 20%, I wondered if it could double again, but within three days, it plummeted 75%, and my account was instantly left with less than 20,000.

That experience woke me up. Since then, I’ve adhered to a strict rule: no matter how tempting the market looks, always keep at least 30% of cash on hand. This isn’t cowardice; it’s leaving myself a way out. I’ve seen too many heavy traders get "precisely hit" by the market: seemingly unstoppable trends suddenly reversing, leveraged positions being forcibly liquidated, leaving no chance to turn things around. As long as the principal is intact, the opportunity remains; once the principal is gone, everything is over.