Having been in the crypto world for 8 years, I have seen too many people lose everything because of a single decision, and I have also seen some quietly accumulate and eventually turn their fortunes around. What I want to talk about today is not those fanciful dreams of getting rich, but the pitfalls I have encountered—the real secret to surviving is not making money, but rather not losing your principal.

**The Big Gamble of 2016**

Business failed, and there were only 50,000 yuan left in my bank account. I spent an entire week outside the exchange, and in the end, I gritted my teeth and went all in — 8 BTC at an average price of 6000. At that moment, there was only one thought in my mind: burn the boats.

Luck indeed favored me. During that market surge in 2017, Bitcoin skyrocketed by 1700%, and my account surged to 800,000. During that time, I watched the candlestick charts every night, truly believing I had become the chosen one. But the crypto world is best at teaching humility — in 2018, it dropped, shrinking by 70%, and my account returned to 180,000. After finishing half a pack of cigarettes that night, I finally understood: the numbers on my account that I hadn't withdrawn were just numbers.

**Three Life-Saving Rules**

The first rule is that preserving your capital is always more important than making profits. During the wave of altcoins in 2021, I followed the trend and bought a popular project. When it rose by 50%, I withdrew my principal directly and let the profits continue to grow. Later, it plummeted by 90%, but I had already won by lying down. There are indeed many opportunities in the crypto world, but if you lose your principal, the game ends immediately. It’s like playing cards – you must always have chips on the table.

The second rule is to only invest in money that you understand. I once made a hasty investment in projects due to FOMO (fear of missing out), and ended up being severely affected by a scam coin. Since then, I've learned one thing: no matter how popular a project is, if I don't understand it, I won't touch it. This isn't being conservative; it's a prerequisite for leaving the gambling table alive.