#币圈生存指南 (2026 Essential Practical Edition)

The cryptocurrency world has never been a paradise for "easy money," but rather a high-volatility, high-risk, high-information-gap battlefield—daily fluctuations exceeding 20% are normal, scams and opportunities coexist, greed and fear intertwine. Ninety percent of people become "leeks" due to insufficient knowledge and lax discipline, while only 10% can rely on rationality, patience, and risk control to survive steadily through cyclical waves. This guide abandons the hype of "get-rich-quick myths," focusing on the core of "surviving and earning steadily," from beginner to advanced, from cognition to practical operation, covering all dimensions of survival in the crypto space to help you avoid traps, protect your capital, and seize opportunities.

1. Essential Beginner Course: Build Cognition First, Then Engage Capital (Core for Newcomers)

The essence of the crypto world is "blockchain technology + financial speculation." Investing without understanding the underlying logic is essentially gambling. The primary task for beginners is not "buy coins to make money," but "establish a cognitive firewall" to avoid starting with pitfalls that lead to zero.

(1) Core Concepts You Must Understand (Reject Superficial Knowledge)

1. Basic Cognition: The core of blockchain is "decentralized distributed ledger," which allows transactions without third-party intermediaries. Its security depends on cryptographic algorithms, not platform credit; distinguish between public chains (like Bitcoin, Ethereum), consortium chains, and private chains. Focus on the ecological value of public chains rather than just token prices.

2. Coin Classification: Clearly differentiate the three main types of coins to avoid blind following. Store-of-value coins (like Bitcoin), regarded as "digital gold" due to scarcity, suitable for long-term holding; public chain ecosystem tokens (like Ethereum, Solana), as infrastructure for decentralized applications, value depends on ecosystem activity; application tokens (like DeFi, GameFi tokens), representing usage rights of specific platforms, with very high risk, requiring judgment based on actual application scenarios.

3. Key Terms: Master core terms like "private key, wallet, exchange, contract, leverage, Gas fee, unlock, rug pull"—the private key is the sole proof of ownership of assets, equivalent to "bank card password + ID card," losing it means assets are gone; wallets are divided into cold wallets (offline storage, secure) and hot wallets (online storage, convenient); contracts and leverage are tools to amplify gains and risks—beginners should avoid them.

(2) Pitfall Avoidance: Three Absolute Taboos (Newbie Red Lines)

1. Taboo One: Avoid "air coins, dog coins." These tokens lack real technical support, team anonymity, and rely solely on fake celebrity endorsements, fabricated hot topics to inflate prices, attracting retail investors to chase and then dump for cash, ultimately leading to zero value. Cases of Elon Musk rumors inducing buy-ins are common.

2. Taboo Two: No borrowing, no leverage, no all-in. The crypto market volatility can reach 76%, 4.7 times that of the S&P 500. With 10x leverage, a 10% price move can trigger liquidation. Many have accumulated debt overnight due to borrowing and leverage; never invest all your funds at once, always reserve emergency funds.

3. Taboo Three: No believing in "insider info or guru calls." Recommendations of "100x coins," "guaranteed profit," or "insider setups" on social media are scams—either project teams find someone to take over or "gurus" earn commissions. Independent research is more reliable than blindly following.

(3) Tool Preparation: Choose the Right Tools to Avoid Detours

1. Exchange Selection: Prioritize licensed and compliant platforms. Avoid unlicensed, high-rebate (rebates over 30% may involve pyramid schemes) small platforms to prevent platform collapse or fund theft.

2. Wallet Choice: Use a "cold wallet + hot wallet" strategy. Large assets (over $5000) should be stored offline in cold wallets (like OneKey, Ledger), with private keys kept offline to prevent hacking; small assets (for daily trading) can be stored in hot wallets (like MetaMask) for easy connection to DApps and exchanges.

3. Auxiliary Tools: Essential market analysis tools (AiCoin, TradingView), on-chain data analysis (DexScreener, Nansen), risk monitoring (CoinGlass), and authoritative info sources (CoinDesk, Golden Finance) to stay updated on market dynamics and project data, avoiding delayed information pitfalls.

2. Security Measures: Protect Your Capital, and You Win Half the Battle

Risks in crypto come from market volatility and security vulnerabilities—exchange collapses, wallet thefts, phishing scams, project scams—each can wipe out your capital. Good security is the foundation of survival.

(1) Asset Security: Build Three Defensive Lines

1. First Line: Private Key Security (Most Important). Never disclose your private key or mnemonic phrase to anyone. Do not store them on phones, computers, or cloud services. Best practice: handwritten backups stored securely and discreetly. Avoid clicking unknown links or scanning unfamiliar QR codes to prevent phishing theft. Keep cold wallets offline; disconnect after each transaction to prevent hacking.

2. Second Line: Platform Security. Do not store large assets on small exchanges. Regularly check exchange account security, enable two-factor authentication (2FA), bind to trusted devices, and avoid remote logins. If suspicious activity occurs, freeze the account and transfer assets immediately. Beware of exchange "cutting off the internet" (stop trading during sharp market swings). For large transactions, choose platforms with sufficient liquidity and optimal timing.

3. Third Line: Trading Security. Avoid trading or operating wallets over public WiFi. Do not authorize DApps to access your wallet without caution; revoke permissions promptly. Before trading, verify token contract addresses to prevent sending to fake addresses—once sent, it’s unrecoverable. Start with small amounts to test, and only proceed with larger transactions after confirming correctness.

(2) Scam Identification: Avoid Four Common Traps

1. Trap One: Ponzi schemes and high-yield scams. Posing as "quant trading platforms" or "staking mining projects," promising 20%-50% monthly returns, allowing small withdrawals initially to create trust, then absconding with funds after large investments. Essentially, new user funds pay old user returns; insufficient inflow causes collapse.

2. Trap Two: DeFi protocol technical traps. Some decentralized projects set backdoors in smart contracts, such as unlimited token minting or wallet asset theft after authorization, executing Rug Pull scams. Due to blockchain anonymity and irreversibility, victims rarely recover losses.

3. Trap Three: Fake airdrops and phishing scams. Using "free airdrops" or "high rebates" to lure users into revealing private keys, authorizing wallets, or paying "fees" to claim airdrops—stealing assets. Phishing sites mimic legitimate exchanges or wallets, tricking users into inputting passwords and private keys—always verify URL domains carefully.

4. Trap Four: Fake projects and team fakes. Projects that forge whitepapers, exaggerate technical capabilities, fabricate partnerships and use cases, with anonymous or fake team resumes. After token listing, they quickly pump and dump, then disappear with funds. To identify such projects, scrutinize team transparency and open-source code.

3. Investment Strategies: Rational Allocation, Reject Gambling Mentality

Making money in crypto isn’t about "guessing price movements," but "following the trend with discipline." Whether holding long-term or trading short-term, a clear strategy and strict adherence are essential—avoid emotional decisions.

(1) Capital Management: The Most Critical Survival Rule

1. Idle Funds Principle: Invest only with "funds that won’t affect your daily life if lost." Do not invest more than 10% of your liquid assets. Strictly prohibit borrowing, misusing living expenses, or mortgage funds into crypto to prevent market swings from impacting normal life.

2. Position Allocation Strategy: Use a "mainstream coins as core, altcoins as supplement" model. For beginners: 50% in Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other major coins (resilient, moderate volatility); 30% in top 100 compliant altcoins (growth potential); 20% in cash or stablecoins (USDT, USDC) for extreme market moves or bottom-fishing. Advanced investors can adjust ratios but keep individual project investments under 5% of total funds to diversify risk.

3. Stop-Loss and Take-Profit Principles: Set predefined stop-loss and take-profit levels and strictly follow them. Stop-loss: exit if a single project drops more than 15%-20%. Take-profit: realize 30%-50% gains (adjusted per coin volatility), sell in parts, lock in profits, and use trailing stops to follow market trends—avoiding missing out or giving back gains.

(2) Core Investment Strategies (for Different Needs)

1. Long-term Holding (HODL, suitable for beginners): Focus on core coins like Bitcoin and Ethereum, ignore short-term fluctuations, and adopt dollar-cost averaging—buying at fixed intervals and amounts to smooth out volatility. Hold for 2-4 years, waiting for market cycles to recover. Suitable for investors without time or expertise for active monitoring. Note: long-term holding isn’t "playing dead"; if fundamental risks (like tech abandonment or regulatory bans) emerge, cut losses promptly.

2. Cycle Rotation Strategy (for advanced investors): Adjust asset allocation dynamically based on bull-bear cycles. Bottom of bear market: focus on Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other foundational assets to build positions; early bull: increase holdings in high-performance public chains and emerging ecosystems; mid-bull: allocate to hot sectors like AI+Blockchain, RWA, Layer2, but beware of bubbles; late bull: gradually convert some profits into stablecoins to reduce risk and lock gains.

3. Ecosystem Participation Strategy (for seasoned investors): Gain additional income by deep involvement in blockchain ecosystems—staking (e.g., Ethereum staking with 4-6% APY), providing liquidity (market making on DEXs like Uniswap), governance participation (holding governance tokens to vote, possibly earning airdrops). Be aware of impermanent loss and smart contract risks.

(3) Project Screening: Avoid Air Coins, Choose Quality Targets

Focus on "fundamentals," not "hype." Newcomers can follow these four standards:

1. Transparent Team: Core members with real identities, LinkedIn profiles, and project histories. Anonymous teams are high risk—skip.

2. Technical Feasibility: Clear whitepaper explaining industry pain points, backed by actual technology, with ongoing GitHub updates. Projects only discussing concepts without real implementation are high risk.

3. Reasonable Token Economics: Fair token distribution, no unlimited minting or zero circulation models, clear inflation mechanisms, and explicit core uses (governance, payments, incentives). Avoid token concentration among few holders to prevent dumps.

4. Active Ecosystem: Vibrant community (Telegram, Discord), ongoing developer updates, real use cases (DeFi lending, NFT trading, RWA tokenization), not just hype-driven speculation.

4. Mindset Management: Overcoming Human Weaknesses for Long-Term Survival

Crypto is a magnifier of human nature—greed, fear, luck, herd mentality—each weakness can lead to failure. Ninety percent of losses are due to emotional imbalance and lax discipline, not market conditions.

(1) Overcome Four Deadly Mindsets

1. Overcome FOMO: Seeing others’ coins skyrocket and blindly chasing, fearing missing out on "100x coins." Remember: opportunities always exist; missing one isn’t a loss. Chasing and getting trapped is deadly. Analyze hot topics calmly before entering—don’t be driven by emotion.

2. Overcome Fear and Panic Selling: During market crashes, sell impulsively and regret missing rebounds later. Distinguish between "temporary correction" and "fundamental collapse." If only normal volatility and fundamentals remain, hold firm or add small positions with idle funds. If serious issues arise, cut losses decisively—don’t rely on luck.

3. Overcome Greed and Overconfidence: After short-term gains, consider yourself a "trading genius," increase leverage, or concentrate holdings, trying to earn more. This often leads to liquidation. Remember: no "sure-win" in crypto. Lock profits timely, cut losses early, respect the market, and avoid overestimating your abilities to prevent survivor bias errors.

4. Overcome Herd Mentality: Blindly follow "big V calls" or community consensus—buy when others buy, sell when others sell. Lack independent judgment. True experts have their own analysis logic and aren’t swayed by market sentiment. "When others are greedy, I am fearful; when others are fearful, I am greedy"—especially true in crypto.

(2) Build a Healthy Investment Mindset

1. Accept High Volatility as Normal: Daily fluctuations over 20% are normal. Don’t panic over short-term swings. Stay calm, focus on long-term trends, and avoid frequent monitoring (recommend no more than 1 hour daily). Reduce emotional interference.

2. Reject "Get-Rich-Quick" Fantasies: 90% of stories about instant wealth are survivor bias. In 2022, investors worldwide lost over $10 billion to scams and market manipulation. The best approach is steady profits, not overnight riches. Use small funds that can be zeroed out to gradually accumulate experience and gains.

3. Learn to Review and Summarize: After each trade, record your decision logic, profit/loss, and analyze reasons. Avoid repeating mistakes. Monthly review your portfolio, adjust strategies based on market changes, and continuously optimize your investment system.

4. Maintain a Learning Attitude: The crypto industry evolves rapidly—new tech, projects, policies emerge constantly. Stop learning, and you’ll be eliminated. Dedicate at least 10 hours monthly to industry reports, blockchain tech, and regulatory updates to improve your cognition—your knowledge caps your profit potential.

5. Advanced Upgrading: From Survival to Profit, Build Core Competitiveness

Once you can steadily protect your capital and avoid traps, you can gradually enhance your professional skills—shift from "passive survival" to "active profit," and develop your own core competitiveness.

(1) Technical Analysis Basics

No need to master complex indicators—focus on three core skills: candlestick basics (bullish, bearish, doji), support and resistance levels (judging price ranges), volume (market activity and trend strength). Combine on-chain data (whale wallet movements, fund flows, staking volumes) to assist trend judgment, avoiding misjudgments from sole reliance on technical analysis.

(2) Follow Regulatory Trends

Policy risk is one of the biggest systemic risks. Changes in global regulations directly impact markets. Focus on US SEC, EU MiCA framework, Chinese and Southeast Asian policies. Avoid banned coins and trading modes, prioritize compliant projects and platforms, and pre-empt policy risks with contingency plans.

(3) Expand Cognitive Boundaries

1. Deepen Sector Research: Focus on 1-2 quality sectors (like DeFi, RWA, Layer2, AI+Blockchain). Understand their logic, key projects, and trends to become a "quasi-expert" in those areas. Avoid spreading too thin across multiple sectors.

2. Follow Institutional Movements: US spot Bitcoin ETFs are a key channel for institutional entry. Inflows and outflows influence long-term trends. Watch major institutions (like Grayscale, Ark Funds) for holdings changes to help judge market direction.

3. Learn Compliance Knowledge: Understand your country’s crypto tax policies, keep detailed transaction records for tax and audit purposes. Follow compliance developments of centralized stablecoins (like Tether’s freeze mechanisms) to avoid regulatory risks.

6. Ultimate Warning: The Bottom Line Principles for Survival in Crypto

1. Survival First, Profit Second: Always prioritize capital preservation. Better to break even than lose capital. If losses exceed 50%, it’s very hard to recover.

2. Don’t Engage with What You Don’t Understand: If you can’t grasp the underlying logic and risks of a coin or trading mode, don’t participate. Not understanding is the basic rule for survival.

3. Control Trading Frequency: Frequent trading erodes capital through fees. Daily 50 trades can eat up 15% of capital monthly. Beginners should reduce trading, hold long-term or use dollar-cost averaging to avoid high-frequency losses.

4. Accept Failures and Cut Losses Promptly: No one is a perpetual winner. Even seasoned investors make mistakes. Accept occasional losses, cut losses early, and don’t dwell on past errors—focus on the next decision.

5. Stay Away from Leverage and Contracts: For 99% of investors, leverage and derivatives are "loss accelerators." Even short-term profits can lead to total loss after a mistake. Beginners must avoid them; advanced traders should strictly control leverage (no more than 2x) and set strict stop-loss levels.

The crypto space is not a casino but a game requiring cognition, discipline, patience, and risk control. It doesn’t believe in "luck" but rewards "rationality" and "persistence." Those who survive and profit long-term are never relying on "guessing" but on solid cognition, strict discipline, prudent strategies, and mastery over human weaknesses.

Remember: the core of survival in crypto isn’t "how much you earn," but "how long you live." Protect your capital first, then improve your cognition, and finally profit with the trend. This is the most reliable way to survive in crypto. May every investor entering the space stay rational, respect the market, avoid traps, and steadily advance through cycles to achieve their investment goals.