From Account Burn to Capital Recovery: A 3-Month Turnaround Diary of a "Crypto Veteran"

There are times in the market when just opening a trading app is enough to weigh heavily on your heart. For me, that is when the account only has a very small amount left, to the point where placing a “meaningful” contract order becomes difficult. I still remember that night very clearly: leverage at its maximum, capital divided into 7–8 coins called “potential.” When the market reversed, the alarm bells for account liquidation rang continuously like New Year fireworks. In just a few hours, profits evaporated, and the capital was almost wiped out. That year, I not only lost my savings but also carried a debt, and it took a lot of courage just to log back into the trading software. The real bottom was when I looked at the lonely remaining balance in my account and realized a painful truth: continuing to gamble on luck only speeds up death. To stand up, there is only one way – build a system and absolute discipline. Since then, I set three ironclad principles for myself and adhere to them uncompromisingly. One, Only Follow the Main Coins – Avoid Noise I delete all altcoins from my watchlist, keeping only Bitcoin and Ethereum. Daily charts, weekly charts, key support and resistance zones… every day I focus only on the most basic things. It sounds simple, but in the context of chat groups constantly releasing “insider news,” “coins about to x10,” “projects about to skyrocket,” ignoring them is extremely difficult. But I understand very well: with small capital, to survive, you must first plug your ears to the noise. How much others make is irrelevant to me; what matters is that every order I place must be according to my plan. There is a very true saying in the market: “When everyone is talking about it, you are already too late.” Most FOMO moments end with standing at the top. Two, Manage Position Size as Life and Death I set my own rules: Each order uses no more than 10% of total capital Cut losses hard at 3% if wrong, never hold on If correct, do not chase; take 15% profit and close part of the position, the rest trail stop This habit has saved me many times. Some orders, just after I cut losses, the market plunges sharply. If I stubbornly hold on a little longer, the outcome would definitely be account burn. Cutting losses is not losing; it’s a ticket to play the next round. With small capital, the biggest enemy is not wrong analysis but overtrading. Just one all-in can wipe out all previous efforts. Three, Not Taking Profits Out Is Just an Illusory Number Whenever I make a profit, I always withdraw part of it to a cold wallet, leaving only the capital and some profit to continue trading. This approach slows down growth, but in return, the account never hits zero. When losing, I force myself to take at least half a day off from trading, step away from the screen, wait for emotions to stabilize, then review the orders. Personal experience has taught me very clearly: trading based on emotions and losses always go hand in hand. Three Months in Review: Slow but Steady After three months, looking back at the account chart, I realize the capital line is not vertical, but it has been steadily rising: First month: profits and losses alternate, overall break-even Second month: the power of compounding begins, capital doubles Third month: trading system stabilizes, win rate improves significantly I still don’t dare to call myself an expert. But at least, I have learned how to survive in this market. With small capital, the key is not a big win once, but consistent gains – preserving – then multiplying. To Those Who Are at the Bottom If you are going through tough times, remember a few things: Don’t try to catch the bottom; the bottom is something the market confirms, not to guess Don’t abuse leverage, especially external loans – it’s more dangerous than contracts Don’t dream of turning the tide with just one coin; the more desperate, the more alert you must be This market always offers opportunities, but those opportunities are only for those who still have capital and discipline.