# Day Trading Crypto? Here's What You Actually Need to Know

So you want to day trade crypto. Sounds cool—buy low, sell high, pocket the gains before bed, right? Well, it's a bit more complicated than that.

**What's day trading anyway?**

Basically, you open and close positions on the same day. Sometimes you're in and out in minutes, sometimes hours. Most day traders watch 5-min, 15-min, 30-min, or 1-hour charts. It's fast-paced, requires constant attention, and demands discipline.

**The non-negotiable: A solid strategy**

Here's the harsh truth—trade without a plan, lose money guaranteed. A real trading strategy answers four core questions for EVERY trade:

✓ What signals the entry?
✓ What signals the exit?
✓ Where's your stop loss?
✓ How big's your position?

Without these, you're just gambling with extra steps.

**Building your edge**

Your strategy needs three layers: market analysis rules (when to spot opportunities), entry/exit rules (when to act), and risk management (how much you can afford to lose). Pick a strategy that fits your style, experience level, and how much time you can actually dedicate. A pre-built strategy works for both manual trading and bots—the key is having one.