When you stare at the candlestick chart waiting for profits to jump, have you already thrown the phrase 'take the profit' to the back of your mind? I dare say that for those who have endured more than 3 years in the crypto market, 90% of losses are not due to 'not knowing how to earn', but rather from 'refusing to stop'.
As an old retail analyst who has been watching the market for 8 years, I have seen too many scripts of 'heaven to hell'—some people roll from 5000 USDT to 200,000 and shout 'targeting a million', only to fall back to square one in half a month; some people joyfully increase their positions by doubling down on altcoins, only to find their principal trapped as 'long-term shareholders'. Honestly, no matter how crazy the market gets, it's not scary; what's scary is treating 'paper profits' as 'money in your pocket'.
The most impressive was the bull market in 2019, when a brother of mine who was trading contracts started with 10,000 USDT and rode the DeFi wave to 350,000 in three months. At that time, I told him, 'Withdraw 100,000 and put it in the bank, play with the rest,' and he laughed at me, saying I had a 'small mindset,' and even showed off a screenshot of his increased position, claiming he wanted to 'hit six figures.' As a result, less than two weeks later, regulatory news hit the market, and the coins he held were directly halved, followed by a chain of liquidations. By the time he realized he wanted to cut losses, there was less than 20,000 left in his account. Later, he told me that on the day he deleted the trading software, staring at the loss on the screen, he finally understood that 'greed is the most toxic leverage in the crypto market.'
Actually, I have also fallen into the same pit. During the bull market in 2021, my mainstream coin portfolio quadrupled in profit, and my account peak reached 800,000 USDT. At that time, my mind was filled with the thought of 'just a 10% rise to take profits,' but what came was not a breakthrough, but a single-day 15% correction. In just three days, nearly 400,000 in profits evaporated, and I lay in bed at night, my mind filled with the curve of the K-line plummeting; that feeling was worse than directly losing the principal—it's like holding a piece of scalding gold, unable to let go, only to be burned until there’s nothing left.
Since then, I have set three 'profit-taking iron rules' for myself, and over the past two years, this method has helped me preserve a lot of profits, which I consider to be my valuable sharing with everyone:
Double up and cash out: When your account principal doubles, immediately withdraw 40% to transfer to a stablecoin wallet, and use the remaining 60% for speculation. Don't think 'withdrawing means less profit'; understand that this 40% is 'life-saving money.' Even if the market crashes later, you've at least made a 40% profit on your principal.
Triple the distribution: If you're lucky enough to encounter an asset that triples, directly withdraw 60% to transfer into offline assets (like buying some conservative financial products or physical assets), leaving 40% in the market to 'play.' This step is to turn 'digital wealth' into 'real risk-bearing capability'; after all, the numbers on the screen, no matter how beautiful, are not as solid as the balance in your bank account.
Set a bottom line for corrections: After profits exceed 50%, set a 20% stop-loss line for corrections. For example, if you earn 100,000, when the profit falls back to 80,000, regardless of whether it rebounds later, take half of it as profit first. This trick can help you avoid 'rollercoaster rides' and at least keep most of the profits in hand.
Honestly, the crypto market never lacks opportunities; what it lacks is the clarity to 'dare to hit the brakes.' When the market is good, anyone can shout 'go all in,' but those who can survive in the long term are never the 'ones who earn the most,' but rather the 'ones who know when to stop.' You must understand that if you lose all your capital, you're completely out. As long as the green mountains remain, there will be capital to take advantage of the next opportunity.
I have seen too many people turn their dreams of 'getting rich in crypto' into tears of 'eating noodles in the dark,' and I have also seen some who turned small funds into retirement money by 'taking profits when they can.' Ultimately, in trading, it's not about how skilled you are, but how stable your mindset is. Next time you feel ecstatic about floating profits, ask yourself: 'If the market crashes now, can I accept it?'
Follow me, this 'seasoned analyst who has suffered losses,' and next time let's talk about 'how to make profits in a volatile market without getting cut,' after all, in the crypto market, staying alive is more important than anything else; being able to earn is one thing, but being able to hold it is crucial—after all, you can't let your wife think you're staring at the screen all day when you're actually secretly wiping away tears, right?
