Having worked in this market for seven or eight years, my biggest insight is one sentence—smart people trying to take shortcuts are more likely to crash, while those who follow the rules tend to live longer. Today, I summarize 9 practical mental strategies. I can't guarantee they will make you profit without loss, but they can definitely help you avoid pitfalls. These are all lessons learned through blood and tears, so listening won't hurt.

**During sharp declines, the defending coins often have a role**
When the market is halved, if a certain coin's decline is significantly weaker than the market, it's usually because someone is defending it. Once the market rebounds, these coins often surge especially strongly. Don't be driven out by panic; a smaller decline itself is a sign of strength.

**Moving averages are the final discipline line**
Short-term: stick to the 5-day moving average—hold when above, exit when below, no fuss. Mid-term: watch the 20-day moving average, same rule, just filters out daily fluctuations. This approach may sound rigid, but it helps you escape the deadly emotional trap of "I think it can still go up." The crypto market's biggest enemy is lack of discipline; winning depends entirely on rhythm.

**Volume-price relationship determines whether to hold**
A rise with no trading volume is basically a false breakout. But if during a main upward wave, the price continues to rise on decreasing volume, it indicates low selling pressure and you can keep holding. If volume surges and breaks the trendline, especially with a huge single-day bearish candle, you must reduce your position immediately. Don't fight the trend; whales won't notify you in advance when they are offloading.

**The 3-day short-term rule**
If my short-term position shows no signs of movement within 3 days, I will withdraw even if I only lose a little. Time cost is also a cost; with so many opportunities, there's no need to wait idly on weak coins. If losses exceed 5%, stop-loss unconditionally—this is an iron law, with no exceptions.

**Oversold rebound is a gamble on emotional recovery**
After a coin's price halves from its high point, a short-term rebound essentially bets on the market sentiment quickly recovering. These rebounds are usually fast and fierce, but they can also easily reverse. The key is to find the emotional critical point to enter; a slightly poor timing can lead to catching the bag.

**Whale movements hint at market direction**
Monitoring large holders' positions and on-chain transfers can reveal some clues. But don't over-interpret; sometimes whale actions are just the tip of the iceberg in market manipulation.

**Technical patterns are more reliable than stories**
No matter how beautiful the narrative or concept, nothing beats the weight of candlestick charts. Classic patterns like double bottoms and triangle breakouts are still effective in the crypto market.

**Swing trading mindset vs. timing dilemma**
Instead of guessing tops and bottoms every day, it's better to segment your trades into swings. Capturing a clear upward phase is much safer than frequent trading. Your mindset determines how long you can hold.

**Risk control always comes first**
There is no perfect strategy, but there is perfect risk management. Position size, overall leverage, stop-loss points—these must be set before entering the market. The market will teach discipline-breaking traders harsh lessons; the cost can be high.