Most people who just enter the cryptocurrency world have probably fallen into traps: either they are deceived by 'high-interest financial management' and lose their principal, or they lose everything by betting on false K-lines, and some even lose their private keys without knowing what happened. In the first half of 2025, cryptocurrency scams have caused losses exceeding $2.47 billion, which is more than the total for the entire year of 2024. This article condenses basic concepts, red flags to avoid, and practical skills into essential knowledge, allowing beginners to directly avoid 80% of the pitfalls after reading.

First, understand the two core concepts, don't be 'blind with eyes wide open'.

Many people enter the market without even understanding the relationship between blockchain and cryptocurrency, no wonder they get scammed. Remember two metaphors:

- Blockchain vs Cryptocurrency: Blockchain is the 'road,' a decentralized distributed ledger technology; cryptocurrency is the 'vehicle' running on the road, an asset based on blockchain. Without a road, the vehicle cannot operate.

- ETH is not 'another Bitcoin': Ethereum is a 'global supercomputer,' and ETH is the 'fuel' that powers it; transactions and DeFi operations require ETH as transaction fees, which is completely different from Bitcoin's positioning as 'digital gold.'

2. Five types of scams are targeting your money; learn to recognize them in a second.

Scammers are becoming more sophisticated, but the essence is still exploiting greed and information asymmetry. Remember the most rampant scams of 2025:

1. Advanced phishing: Fake exchange websites look exactly like real ones; clicking links in emails or scanning unknown QR codes can result in your private key being stolen instantly. Some developers have lost their entire wallets due to malicious browser extensions.

2. AI Deepfake: Using synthetic videos to impersonate Musk for coin recommendations, an 82-year-old was scammed out of $690,000. Remember: celebrities do not suddenly promote new projects through unofficial channels.

3. DeFi Exit Scam: Clone well-known project interfaces, promise 'monthly returns of 50%,' then withdraw liquidity as soon as you invest, turning tokens into worthless paper. The LIBRA token on Solana once plummeted by 94%.

4. Fake customer service scams: Impersonating exchange customer service on Telegram, claiming your account is abnormal and asking to 'verify' your private key or 2FA code will result in theft if you comply.

5. Off-exchange cash traps: If someone asks to transfer cash offline when you are withdrawing U, don't trust even if there is a 'mediator guarantee'; it is likely money laundering or a direct exit scam.

3. Beginner trading rules: Do 4 things and avoid 3.

Four things you must do

1. Use mainstream tools: Choose top platforms for exchanges, store large assets in hardware cold wallets like Ledger, which are 10 times safer than software wallets.

2. Enable dual protection: All accounts must have 2FA enabled (preferably Google Authenticator), and use a multi-signature wallet to reduce the risk of theft by 60%.

3. Small regular investments in mainstream coins: First buy USDT, then exchange for mainstream coins like BTC and ETH, using the method of 'look for trends in 4 hours, find entry points in 1 hour, set timing in 15 minutes,' and avoid unknown small coins.

4. Check projects on-chain: Before investing in DeFi, go to Etherscan to check smart contracts and prioritize projects audited by CertiK to avoid 70% of exit scams.

Three things you absolutely must not do

1. Do not engage in contract leverage: Winning in contracts is about the process; losing is about the result. Beginners have a 99% liquidation rate when trading contracts.

2. Don't go all in: Even if you are optimistic about the market, only use a maximum of 30% of your funds to build positions, leaving enough for emergency funds and additional purchases.

3. Don't trust 'insider information': Profit screenshots shared in groups or recommendations from 'big players' are likely to be scams; 63% of scams in 2025 relied on this type of rhetoric to lure victims.

4. One last blunt truth

The cryptocurrency market loses money 100 times faster than it makes money; a beginner's goal is not to 'get rich quick' but to 'survive.' Treat your private key like your bank card password, keep it safe, and set stop-loss and take-profit as muscle memory; avoid things you don't understand.

Bookmark this article, review it before your next operation; it is more useful than attending 10 'big player' classes. Follow me for advanced skills on on-chain investigations and position management, transforming you from a novice to a 'survival player'~