One of the illusions in the crypto world.

Many people entering the contract market share a common misconception — as long as you identify the correct trend direction, making money is a matter of riding the wave.

But speaking this way, you are doomed to lose.

I was the first to fall for this trap. During the half-year I was involved in contracts, I lost 800,000 directly, and my account was completely wiped out. Ironically, when I reviewed those settlement orders, I realized that I had correctly predicted all the directions. But in the end? I didn’t make a single cent, and instead was cleaned out entirely.

The problem isn’t the market trend; the problem is—I simply didn’t understand how the market makers operate.

**Trap 1: Impulsive Opening of Positions**

When the market just started to move, I couldn’t wait and rushed in. Seeing a breakout level, I would go all-in, thinking I might miss a huge opportunity if I didn’t.

And what happened? As soon as I entered, the main players countered with a quick spike, knocking me out immediately. I finally understood that my opening signals were like inviting them to cut my position.

**Trap 2: Stubbornly Holding onto Stop-Losses**

I used to think fixed stop-losses of 3% or 5% were impenetrable walls. Setting a stop-loss made me sleep peacefully, feeling I was very secure.

But in the high-volatility waves of the contract market, that’s like handing knives to the market makers. I was swept three times by “false breakouts,” watching helplessly as the market hit my stop-loss and then reversed sharply in my predicted direction. That feeling was even worse than losing money directly.

**Trap 3: Heavy Position Betting**

Going all-in at once is like putting your entire account on one bet. Even if the direction is right, just a few reversed candles can wipe out your account completely.

One night, I got liquidated. When I saw the balance drop to zero, I froze. That feeling, even now, makes me shiver.

**Survive to Make Money**

Since then, I set three ironclad rules—these are the secrets that allowed me to survive:

1. Never go all-in—divide your position into three parts and trade in rounds;

2. Follow the volatility with your stop-loss—don’t stick to fixed numbers; adjust according to support and resistance;

3. Stay out of the market when it’s unclear—better to wait for a confirmed signal than to force a trade.

Relying on these three rules, I gradually climbed out of the abyss of consecutive liquidations and started making steady profits. Over a year, my account tripled from the bottom.

The money you make in crypto never comes from how accurately you predict the trend. The real big earners are those who survive the longest. Because the longer you survive, the more opportunities you have.

Correct direction is a matter of probability; surviving is a matter of certainty.