In three years, I turned 10,000 USDT into 810,000. There were no shady operations, I didn't catch the bull market wave, nor did I go all-in aggressively. I simply treated trading as a craft that requires long-term honing, repeatedly verifying it day by day.

During these 1095 days, I have seen countless accounts suddenly skyrocket, and I have also witnessed too many people's accounts wiped out. Those who can hold on until the end all carry the same mindset. The following six lessons are insights I gained through real money and experience. You may not use all of them, but as long as you master one, you can save yourself thousands of dollars in tuition fees.

**Rapid rise may not be a good thing; slow decline is the real risk.** After a big bullish candle surge, what follows is a continuous downward trend with bearish candles — this is not a shakeout, but a true harvest. Market tops are never formed gradually; they are created by high volume surges upward, followed by a cliff-like plunge. Many people think they react quickly, but in reality, they are just another name for bagholders.

**A slow rebound after a sharp decline may not be a bottoming signal.** The price has fallen so much, and a slow rise seems like a sign to enter — wrong. This is often the final stage of the main players offloading their holdings. "Since it’s fallen this much, there should be no danger" — this is the most common misconception that causes people to lose money in crypto.

**Silence at the top is the most frightening.** When there is still trading volume at high levels, it indicates market disagreement and ongoing battles; but if volume suddenly dries up at the top, warning signals are present. When the market becomes eerily quiet, the subsequent trend has already been predetermined.

**A bottom is not confirmed by a single candle.** An isolated increase in volume might just be a trap for trap traders; the true bottom will involve repeated oscillations and sustained volume. This is not emotional venting but funds quietly positioning. Understanding this is the real meaning of "patience and waiting."

**Watching candlesticks is less reliable than observing volume.** Candlestick charts can deceive, patterns can deceive, but real trading volume never lies. Volume indicates genuine money participation; without volume, even the most beautiful chart is just an empty shell.

**Top traders dare to hold long-term empty positions.** Not taking action is itself a way to make money. There’s no obsession to trade just to prove oneself. When the market conditions are right, only then act. This is not conservatism but a mental discipline at the highest level.

I only do spot trading and never touch speculative stuff. If you also want to avoid pitfalls steadily and earn profits reliably, don’t explore this path alone. Use a stable logic to earn steady money — that’s the way to survive long-term in the market.