Friends, I’m Lao Zhao, a crypto veteran who’s been in the market for nearly ten years.

Today, I won’t waste time on nonsense—just sharing some real talk—how I went from almost getting wiped out to now having a six-figure account. I remember the worst times, when I got liquidated and owed a huge debt, six figures, suffocating me. How tight was life back then? I’d buy a bowl of noodles for eight yuan and split it into two meals; when I was watching the market at night and got hungry, I’d lick the soup pot clean to avoid wasting even a drop. But who the hell could have imagined that eight years later, I’d be sitting here sharing this with you? This path isn’t about luck or hitting the jackpot; it’s about the “vision” gained from repeatedly resetting to zero. The following four principles are the core of my turnaround. Pure personal opinion—if you like it, listen; if not, just take it as a story.

First Trick: After a rapid surge, hesitation is mostly a trap hiding a knife in a smile. A few years ago, I stepped into a huge pit. A certain coin suddenly surged nearly 50% in a few days, then hovered at the high for three or four days without moving. I was still happily thinking it was preparing for the second wave, but then—bam—a big bearish candle crashed down, dropping over 20%, almost wiping out my principal. My take: if the price surges over 30% quickly and then lingers at the high for 3 to 5 days before a big volume drop (say, over 15%), that’s definitely not a healthy correction. That’s the main players unloading, leaving retail traders with the “last smile.” If you believe it, you’re doomed. Now, when I see this pattern, I run faster than anyone.

Second Trick: Low-volume consolidation at high levels is more frightening than a big drop. Another lesson: I once held a shanzhai coin that traded sideways at a high for nearly three months. The daily volume kept decreasing, turnover rate was pitifully low, and the price still hovered well above the moving average. I was lazy, thinking it could hold on, but I watched it fall from dozens of dollars to single digits. My insight: when a coin consolidates at a high with declining volume, low turnover, and the price floating in the air, it’s not building strength—it’s a death signal that liquidity is drying up. When I encounter this, I usually consider reversing my position immediately—no fighting.

Third Trick: The real bottom will secretly give you signals. I used to buy the dip halfway up the mountain, thinking it was the bottom, only to find there were still eighteen layers below. Later, I studied historical trends and found that truly bottomed-out assets share a common trait: after long periods of low volume consolidation, a few days of gentle, modest upward moves with small bullish candles appear—slow and unassuming. Practical example: recently, after Bitcoin consolidated at a certain level and showed this sign, I went all-in and later sold near $50,000. This move earned me enough for my house’s down payment. Remember, bottoms are made, not guessed.

Fourth Trick: Volume is the foundation, and position size is life. This is what I always emphasize: candlesticks can be drawn, but volume is hard to fake; profits can be fantasized, but position management determines how long you survive. No matter how tempting the market looks, I always control my position size and never go all-in at once. Without capital, everything’s empty talk. Over the years, I mainly focused on mainstream assets like Ethereum and Bitcoin, slowly growing my portfolio with this method. The market is always changing, but human nature remains the same—whales’ tactics don’t change their essence. I hope my experience can serve as a wake-up call. One reminder: these are my personal hard-earned insights and do not constitute any investment advice. Crypto markets are volatile—never get carried away. Stay steady, and you’ll go far. Follow me for more firsthand news and precise crypto tips, becoming your navigation in the crypto world. Learning is your greatest wealth!