The most painful lesson from the last bull market? It wasn’t missing out—it was watching the numbers in your account plunge from heaven back to earth.

A few of my buddies went through it: Lao Yang stubbornly held onto BTC from $30,000 all the way up to $60,000, with $1.2 million on paper and still wouldn’t cash out. Akai, who played with leverage, was even crazier—his ETH long was up $800,000 and he kept doubling down. Then the bear market hit, and all five of them watched their profits vanish, some even losing their principal.

They didn’t pick the wrong coins—they just didn’t understand four key words: "Take profits when you can."

I started with $150,000, and ended up cashing out $380,000, netting $230,000. It wasn’t luck—it was a "stair-step exit" strategy. I never tried to call the top, just followed clear signals.

**First Exit: Sell 30% on a Double**

In March 2021, ETH shot up from $1,800 to $3,600, a clean 2x. I immediately sold 30% of my position. Glassnode data was looking strange—on-chain large transfers were up 30% week-over-week, but the number of holding addresses was dropping, meaning whales were making moves.

This move recouped $54,000 of my principal, leaving $126,000 as "zero-cost chips." From then on, no matter how the price moved, I was calm.

**Second Exit: Sell 40% When FOMO Hits**

By May, the market was nuts. Even the girl at the milk tea shop downstairs was asking how to open an account and buy crypto, and every dip in our chat group was met with cries of "buy the dip opportunity!" But ETH perpetual funding rates were negative for three days straight—smart money was quietly exiting.

I immediately sold another 40% at $3,800, locking in $150,000 profit. Even though ETH later hit an all-time high of $4,878, I had zero regrets—in this game, there are no "top-picking masters," only winners who keep their big gains.

**Final Exit: Don’t Hesitate When the Chill Sets In**

Starting January 2022, ETH dropped more than 50% from the highs. After three months of slow decline, crypto topics on Weibo couldn’t even crack the top 50 trending list—a clear sign of a bear market.

I sold the last 30% at an average of $2,800, fully exiting the battlefield.

Honestly, the method is laughably simple. The hard part is fighting human nature. So many people stare at the charts thinking, "Just a bit longer, it’ll go up," only to get wiped out.

I’ve always believed that making money in crypto isn’t about predicting the market, but about writing your exit plan in advance—reduce on a double, reduce on abnormal signals, clear out when the trend turns—then executing each step with discipline.

There are always opportunities in this market, but the ones who actually pocket profits are those who know when to get off the ride.