In the winter of 2022, the collapse of FTX left my 800U 'frozen' in the exchange overnight. That was the hard-earned money I saved from six months of night shifts and instant noodles, and my hands were colder than a convenience store freezer. But it was this despair that pushed me to find a way for small capital to survive in the crypto world—no betting on trends, no chasing myths, relying on discipline and 'finding bargains' to grow from 800U to 50,000U, eventually opening my own small supermarket. What I'm sharing today is not a get-rich-quick secret, but a survival logic that ordinary people can replicate.
1. The 'stingy philosophy' of airdrops: Gas fees never exceed 200U
After the FTX crash, I was left with a budget of 200 U for gas fees. Every time a new test network went live, I took advantage of the gaps during my night shift at the checkout to operate online, only doing basic interactions: transfers, staking, providing liquidity, and never spending an extra penny on complex tasks. Many people mocked me for being 'timid,' but the result was that when others lost money due to high gas fees, my costs remained controllable.
My principle:
Airdrops are like picking up leaks; the focus is on 'trying' rather than 'gambling': Look at the technology architecture and community activity in the project's white paper. Only participate in early interactions in leading sectors (like DeFi, Layer 2) to avoid scams.
Stop-loss before profit: As soon as gas fees exceed the budget by 10%, stop immediately. Airdrops are essentially probability games; use small amounts of money for opportunities rather than spending big to chase fantasies.
2. Accumulate U in a bear market: Deliver food to buy more, only waiting for BTC to break 20,000 dollars.
In the bear market of 2022, BTC dropped to 20,000 dollars. I worked at a convenience store during the day and rode my electric bike delivering food for three hours at night, saving 300 U monthly. But I didn't randomly buy the dip; I set strict rules: only increase my position by 100 U if BTC drops below 20,000 dollars. This 'mechanical investment' seemed clumsy but helped me avoid countless traps of temptation.
Why can I persist?
Bear markets are a blessing for retail investors: Asset prices are low, and regular fixed investment (DCA) can lower costs. For example, the spot investment tool on OKX allows me to set automatic purchases, eliminating emotional interference.
Cash flow is more important than technical analysis: The U earned from delivering food is 'independent capital'; losing it doesn't affect my life. The first lesson for surviving in the cryptocurrency world is to always keep your meal money safe.
3. Selling strategy: Money going into the bank card is the real profit.
On the day the ARB airdrop credited 8000 U, I sold half on the spot and withdrew 4000 U directly to my bank card. Many people said, 'Holding might double your profits,' but I knew better: I was scared from previous losses; the rise and fall of numbers are just illusions; only the bank balance can cure anxiety.
My selling iron rule:
Lock in profits immediately: For any airdrop or short-term profit, withdraw 30%-50% first. Every Friday, I force myself to transfer part of the profits to my bank card to ease the psychological pressure of holding positions.
Not greedy for the last copper coin: when ORDI rose from 0.1 BTC to 20 U, I also sold half and kept half. What was the result? I wasn't upset that the remaining coins went to zero; the money I withdrew became the startup capital for my store.
4. Honest words for small funds: The cryptocurrency world is a game of discipline.
Now my cold wallet keys are hidden in an old cigarette box at the supermarket checkout. Every time I see it, I remember those freezing nights delivering food. With small funds in the cryptocurrency world, the core is not about 'chasing profits' but using discipline to fight against human nature.
Leverage is poison; spot trading is the foundation: Contracts for altcoins with leverage over 50 times will likely go to zero. When the capital is less than 10,000 U, focus on spot trading and airdrops.
Shutting down when tired is more useful than technical indicators: Frequent operations late at night can easily lead to emotional trading. I later only monitored the market from 9 AM to 9 PM to avoid noisy periods.
Stocking knowledge in a bear market, profiting in a bull market: Learn more about on-chain tools (like staking, liquidity mining), but firmly execute the cycle of 'buying more when down 10%, taking profits when up 10%.'
As a female player, I was once questioned for 'not understanding technology,' but the fairest part of the cryptocurrency world is that the market never cares about your gender; it only punishes your greed. Now my small supermarket has stable daily revenue, and the U in my cold wallet has become 'passive income.' If you're also exploring with hard-earned money, remember: listen less to myths and calculate carefully; simple rules often lead to smart money.
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