Friends who are new to the crypto world, take my advice: only play with money you can afford to lose. This is the simplest and most crucial survival rule.

What does it mean to afford to lose? It means that if this money disappears, your life goes on as usual. The house is still yours, mortgage paid on time, no worries about your child's tuition, and your three meals a day remain unchanged. In other words, it's the money you originally planned to use for travel, shopping, or dining out. Losing it doesn't hurt, and gaining it is a pleasant surprise.

Why must it be like this? Because mindset is the root of everything.

When investing with spare money, the ups and downs of your account seem natural. If it goes up, you're happy; if it drops, you face it calmly, able to analyze what the market is doing with a clear mind. It’s like playing a game—you play relaxed, accepting wins and losses. When market volatility hits, you have a shield to withstand it.

Conversely, if you put your down payment for a house, business working capital, or even borrowed money all in, your psychological defenses collapse. A 1% market dip makes your heart race; a 10% unrealized loss makes your hands tremble. Normal market corrections can scare you into losing your composure. You are no longer a participant but a pawn being crushed by the market game.

I’ve seen people invest their entire down payment into contracts, only to be wiped out by a normal market fluctuation. At the lowest point, they couldn’t hold on, had to cut losses, lost their money, and their dream of buying a house was gone. Regret? Of course, but it’s too late now.

Want to stay steady and survive long in the crypto world? Remember this: investing with spare money makes you a rational outsider who can see opportunities clearly; investing with your entire wealth and life makes you a prey to the market, dragged along wherever it goes.

Which path you choose depends on whether you want to play the game or be swallowed by it.