What is most precious in the cryptocurrency world is not how much you can earn, but the courage to stop.
The phone screen is glaringly bright in the late night, and someone in the group has once again posted a screenshot of 'floating profit of 500,000', captioned 'Just one more week to reach a million'. I stare at this familiar scene and suddenly laugh—this looks a lot like my past self, and it also reminds me of my friend Akai, who took a big fall.
Staying in this market for a long time will make you understand that what truly helps people grow is not how to make money, but how to keep it. I have seen too many people go from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands, only to end up unable to preserve their principal. It's not that the market hasn't given opportunities; it's that greed has blinded their eyes, and only when they lose everything do they wake up.
That summer, we all thought we were geniuses.
In the summer of 2019, my friend Akai entered the cryptocurrency world with 20,000 US dollars. At that time, he just happened to catch a small bull market, and in three months, his account soared to 300,000.
At that time, he walked with confidence, treating everyone to meals every day, and his phone wallpaper was changed to 'Countdown to Million Target.' A few of us old investors took turns advising him: 'Withdraw 100,000 first, even if it drops, it's not a loss,' 'What’s in hand is money; numbers are all illusions.'
But he always waved his hand in rebuttal, his eyes shining: 'You are just too timid! One more push to a million, and I will quit my job and travel the world!' Looking back now, that was not an opportunity to change fate, but clearly the beginning of a trap.
After the carnival, it often ends up in a mess.
The turning point came suddenly. One early morning in the autumn of that year, mainstream coins collectively plummeted, and Akai's position evaporated by half in half a day. We called to advise him to cut losses, and he cried on the phone saying, 'Wait a little longer, it will definitely rise back.'
Just like that, amidst the 'wait a little longer,' his 300,000 turned into 12,000, and he couldn't even preserve the principal. At the later gathering, he never mentioned the words 'cryptocurrency circle' again, just drank quietly, the light in his eyes completely extinguished.
At that time, I was secretly relieved, thinking he was too greedy and that I could definitely grasp the measure. Unexpectedly, reality quickly gave me a louder slap in the face.
When it was my turn, the fall was even worse.
In the big bull market of 2021, I entered the market with my savings accumulated over five years, plus a part of the loan, totaling 500,000 U.
During that time, the first thing I did every morning when I opened my eyes was check the market software, watching the numbers fluctuate, even dreaming about calculating 'If it doubles, it will be 3.6 million.' My wife advised me to withdraw part of it to pay off the loan; I agreed verbally, but my finger couldn't press the 'withdraw' button.
I always tell myself, 'withdraw when it rises by 5 points,' 'withdraw when it breaks this resistance level,' as if the market would follow my thoughts. Until that afternoon when I was in a meeting, my phone suddenly popped up a notification: 'Certain coin plummeted 20%.'
When I opened the trading software, the numbers on the screen made me feel cold all over—1.8 million U was left with 900,000. I stared at the screen for ten minutes, my mind full of 'How could this be possible.'
That night, I understood what 'floating profit' was.
In the following days, the decline was like an avalanche, giving no one a chance to react. I stayed up late watching the market, losing hair by the handful, but the account numbers kept getting smaller.
When the number froze at 400,000, I completely collapsed. That night, I sat on the balcony smoking, from dawn until daylight, with a pile of cigarette butts. My mind was full of 'If only I had withdrawn 1 million back then,' 'If only I hadn't taken out a loan.'
At the moment the sky brightened, I suddenly understood: the wins and losses in the cryptocurrency circle are never about who has the highest peak, but about who can truly take the money out of the market.
Now I have learned that knowing when to stop is more important than daring to rush.
Now I have set a strict rule for myself, written in the memo of my trading software, that I must read it every time before opening a position: triple the position, immediately withdraw half; if the floating profit exceeds 500,000 U, forcibly transfer 200,000 to my wife's account. No conditions, no excuses, even if it is about to soar in the next second, I will not hesitate.
Someone asked me, 'How much profit is enough?' I couldn't answer. Money is never enough, but people's tolerance has its limits, and the risks of the market are bottomless.
Last year, one of my coins quadrupled, and according to the rules, I withdrew half of the profit, which was just enough for the down payment on a school district house. Soon after, that coin dropped back to its original point, and the group was in mourning, but I slept particularly soundly. Because I knew that the money in hand would never be taken away by the market again.
The harshest survival rule in the cryptocurrency world has never been 'dare to rush,' but 'know when to stop.' Those who can laugh until the end are often the ones who voluntarily get off the bus halfway, putting the profits in their pockets.
Do you also have similar experiences? How much profit would make you choose to stop? Feel free to share your story. Follow Xiang Ge to learn more first-hand information and precise points about the cryptocurrency world, becoming your navigation in the cryptocurrency circle, learning is your greatest wealth!#巨鲸动向 #加密市场观察 $ETH
