Recently, I’ve been looking at some data in the crypto market and found that many beginners are still struggling with which coins to buy. Actually, this question isn’t that complicated; the key is to understand what stage the current market is in, and then choose based on your risk tolerance.

Speaking of which, the top ten mainstream cryptocurrencies are basically stable in their structure, but their rankings and market share are still changing. Currently, Bitcoin remains the absolute leader, with a market share of around 57%, which shows how strong market confidence in it is. Ethereum follows closely, with nearly 10% market share. Stablecoins like USDT and USDC, although less volatile, also hold a significant portion of the market, especially USDT’s liquidity advantage that no one can challenge.

I’ve noticed that many people tend to take extreme approaches when investing—either going all-in on mainstream coins or throwing everything into altcoins. Actually, a smarter approach is to split your funds into two parts. During a bull market, you can try some emerging projects with a portion of your capital, but you should never put your entire net worth into them. In a bear market, it’s even simpler—just buy mainstream coins because these assets have gone through multiple cycle tests, and their resilience and survival ability are evident.

As for Bitcoin, I think there’s not much to say; it’s just digital gold. The total cap of 21 million coins determines its scarcity, and combined with years of security records, it’s basically the lowest-risk choice. Ethereum, on the other hand, derives its value from its ecosystem applications—DeFi, NFTs, various Layer 2 projects—all running on it. The richness of these use cases is hard for other blockchains to match.

Talking about public chains, Solana has performed quite well in the past two years. High TPS, low fees, plus the recent meme coin craze, has made it the preferred entry point for many new users. In comparison, XRP and ADA are more focused on payment solutions. Although they don’t have as glamorous stories, their stability and application prospects are also worth paying attention to.

My advice is: if you’re a conservative investor, focus on BTC and ETH—no need to overthink. If you have some trading experience, consider adding coins like BNB and SOL, which have ecosystems backing them. As for smaller coins, especially newly issued projects, my attitude is to observe but not rush to buy.

Long-term holding sounds simple, but actually doing it is difficult. Your biggest enemy is yourself—wanting to lock in profits when prices rise, or cutting losses when prices fall. My experience is to separate long-term assets from short-term trading, managing them with different accounts. This can effectively reduce the impulse to trade frequently. If possible, keep cold wallets in a place you don’t access often; physical isolation itself is a psychological cue.

Another very important point: no matter which coins you choose, you must clarify your goals. Are you aiming for stable income through long-term holding, or short-term swing trading? Different goals determine your holding period and risk management approach. Beginners often make the mistake of blindly following trends—buying into a coin just because someone says it will rise, only to get stuck holding the bag.

Currently, the most worth paying attention to are those coins with high market cap and good liquidity. They have real applications and enough market recognition, making them less susceptible to manipulation. Conversely, coins priced at a few cents that claim they will rise to a dollar to make you rich are often traps. I’ve seen too many people lose money out of greed, so this lesson must be remembered.