The goal of a beginner's portfolio is not to 'catch X100', but to survive any market weather, learn discipline, and preserve capital for future opportunities. Below is a simple framework to conveniently start from.
Principles before choosing allocations
Safety first: 2FA, cold wallet for long holding, minimum funds on hot wallets and exchanges.
Horizon and goals: investment horizon ≥ 2–3 years; clearly define why you need crypto (protection from inflation, technological upside, learning).
Risk on asset and on the whole portfolio: do not buy what you do not understand; for one high-risk asset — no more than 2–5% of the portfolio.
Liquidity: keep a portion in stablecoins for maneuvering and unpredictable opportunities.
Basic allocations for starting (examples)
Option A: maximally simple (conservative beginner)
60% Bitcoin (BTC) — the most liquid and least risky among crypto assets.
20% Ether (ETH) — the base of smart contracts and DeFi ecosystem.
20% Stablecoins (USDT/USDC/other top-stables) — 'dry powder' for purchases on dips or participation in opportunities.
Option B: balanced (want a bit of alts, but without extremes)
50% BTC
20% ETH
20% Stablecoins
10% Large-cap altcoins/sectors (e.g., L2, DePIN, AI, RWA) — 2–3% each for every carefully selected asset.
Option C: more active (prepared for volatility)
40% BTC
20% ETH
20% Stablecoins
20% Alt-basket (top ecosystems or index approach across several sectors). No single alt should be >5% of the portfolio.
Tip: if you are a complete beginner — start with Option A, hold for 2–3 months, learn the market, and only then complicate.
How to choose alts if you add them
Utility and demand: what drives demand in 6–12 months?
Tokenomics: issuance, unlocking, role of the token (utility/governance).
Liquidity: volumes, listings on leading exchanges, market/pool depth.
Diversification: different sectors and networks; do not replicate the same risk.
Market phase: of course, at the peaks of the cycle, you should not enter an alt when it has skyrocketed.
The role of stablecoins in the portfolio
Cushion for volatility: buy 'red candles', not chasing green growth.
Cashflow: participation in proven lending protocols or low-risk exchange products (if desired), but the main thing — do not sacrifice security for a few percentage points.
Diversification of issuers and networks: split between 2–3 stables and 2–3 networks.
DCA and entry points
DCA (Dollar-Cost Averaging): buy regularly in small amounts (weekly/monthly) to reduce the risk of a poor entry price.
Partial purchases on dips: you can add 'reinforcements' at -10/-20/-30% from the latest peaks to the base DCA, but without exceeding the planned weight of the asset.
Rebalance: how and when
Why: to return to the planned weights and not turn the portfolio into 'all in one winner'.
Frequency:
Time-based approach: once a quarter or once every six months — simple and disciplined.
Threshold approach: rebalance when the asset's weight deviates by ≥5–10 points from the target (for example, BTC plan 50%, it became 60% — lock in some profit and buy the laggards).
Common mistakes and how to avoid them
"Overtrading" the portfolio: too frequent changes in structure. Stick to the plan and clear rebalancing rules.
Excessive number of assets: 5–10 positions are enough to start. More — hard to track.
Lack of exit strategy: define limits — when to lock in part of the profit (for example, +50%/+100% — sell 10–20% of the position).
Chasing trends: do not expand the share of alts during the hype; do it in a calm market and in small steps.
Ignoring security: a large portfolio in a hot wallet is an invitation to trouble.
Minimum action plan for beginners
Choose a configuration (A/B/C) and record its weights.
Set a DCA schedule (date, amount).
Define the rebalancing rule: once a quarter or ±10% deviation.
Set up security: 2FA, cold wallet, whitelists.
Maintain a portfolio table: purchases, average price, current weights, rebalances.
Conclusion
Simplicity wins. Start with the foundation (BTC, ETH, stables), add a small share of alts only after understanding their logic, use DCA and planned rebalancing. Clear weights and rules remove emotions and help stay in the game for a long time — that is where most of the profit is made.
