Entering the crypto world, nine out of ten people want to get rich overnight. I am no exception.

I still remember the 2017 market cycle. The ADA I invested in skyrocketed from $0.03 to $1.2, nearly 40 times in three months. At that time, my account balance was wildly fluctuating, and my mind was full of dreams of buying a house, a car, and supporting my parents' retirement. I felt that financial freedom was just within reach, as if I could touch it with a stretch of my hand.

The problem is, greed can gradually consume your rationality. I told myself to wait a bit longer, that it was time to sell once it went up a little more. But what happened? The market suddenly reversed, and ADA plummeted from $1.2 to $0.2. Seeing 80% of my profits vanish within two weeks, my dream of buying a house shattered along with it. That tearing feeling, I remember it for eight years.

This painful lesson made me realize that surviving in the crypto space isn’t about whether you can buy the dip or chase the highs—beginners can do that too. The real skill is having the courage to exit decisively at the peak.

Later, I developed a set of strategies. During rapid rises, take profits in stages: take out the first 30%, which directly recovers your principal, giving you peace of mind; if it rises further, take out another 30%, and for the remaining part, set a trailing stop-loss. When the price drops 15% from the high, close all positions. The benefit of this approach is that you’ll never feel bad about exiting too early—because your principal is already safe.

Stop-loss is another dimension of the bottom line. I never allow a single loss to exceed 5% of my total funds. When buying, I immediately set a 10% stop-loss order; once triggered, I must exit. It sounds strict, but it’s actually saving you: protecting your principal preserves the possibility of a comeback.

Over the years, I’ve seen too many people whose eyes sparkle at the high points but cry their eyes out at the lows. The ones who survive are never the smartest, but those who can strictly follow discipline. They are not blinded by greed, nor knocked down by fear.

Taking profits and setting stop-losses are not cold, mechanical skills; frankly, they are your last line of defense. Don’t let greed make the same mistake again.