In the past few years of mixing in the crypto world, the thing I’m most afraid to see is the kind of story where “the numbers on paper soar to the sky, but in the end, all your principal is wiped out.” To be honest, I also got burned in 2022—went all in at the top and got liquidated instantly. I was so broke during that time that I could only eat instant noodles. Even now, thinking about it gives me a stomachache.

So for this 72-hour trade, I kept my rhythm extremely tight: no greed, no panic—run when I need to. After all, there are opportunities every day, but being able to protect your principal and survive to the next cycle is the real skill.

**First confirm the trend, then test with small steps**

Last Wednesday afternoon while watching the charts, SOL suddenly gave a signal: the daily candle cleanly broke through the MA60 resistance level, trading volume instantly surged by 30%, and the RSI indicator stopped at 55 (not yet in the overbought danger zone). I immediately decided to dip my toes in, but only dared to use 20% of my position, placing an order at 3.28.

The goal was simple—just make enough to buy a new computer. My old machine kept lagging while watching the charts, and I was always worried about missing the right time to close a position.

Turns out, the market was even crazier than I expected. Before I’d even finished two cups of coffee, the price had shot up to 8.8! I didn’t hesitate and triggered my take-profit—my account instantly gained $10,000. While my colleagues in the office were still figuring out how to get a discount, I’d already quietly transferred some living expenses home, with the note “advance filial payment for next month.” That sense of security felt even better than working overtime for three months to get a bonus.

**Newbies, never go “all in” at once**

Before the trend is confirmed, no matter how tempting the candlestick looks, never go all in with heavy leverage! I only used 20% of my principal to test the waters, so even if there was a pullback, it wouldn’t be a disaster—that’s a lesson I learned the hard way after getting liquidated: as long as you have your principal, there are always opportunities; if you lose your principal, nothing else matters.

If it pulls back to a support level, then dare to add to your position—when everyone else is afraid of heights, that’s often the best time to pick up bargains.