Stepping into the crypto world, the most important thing to shed is those self-deceiving illusions.

Honestly, how many people are actually accumulating and waiting for a double on coins like $ZEC? I used to think the same way. But reality isn’t so gentle—most people simply can’t hold on. If your principal is small, you have to endure the wait over time. Missing out on a bull market could mean several years of a blank period. Even worse, if the project team suddenly runs away without a word, your coins are wiped out. Can your mindset withstand the wait? Can your account really hold up?

Later, I changed my approach and started exploring derivatives. Not because I enjoy the thrill, but for efficiency. Trading on BTC, ETH allows quick feedback on whether your judgment is right. If wrong, stop-loss immediately; the cost is clear at a glance. The value of perpetual contracts lies here—low threshold, quick response, giving retail traders their first chance to enter and exit the market with the same rhythm as big funds. Without these derivative tools, the crypto industry wouldn’t have grown to its current scale.

But here’s the most important premise: only trade mainstream coins.

Shitcoin derivatives have only one outcome—either wipeout or massive loss. Going long on trash coins is like jumping into fire yourself; when the project withdraws, the chart drops sharply, and no technical analysis or risk control strategy can save you. It’s not the derivatives’ problem; it’s that you chose the wrong battlefield. No one forces you to chase 100x aircoins.

I’ve also blown up positions before, really. That experience made me realize—problems are never with the tools themselves, but with people. The greed that shouldn’t be there, pretending to be an expert despite knowing nothing, refusing to admit mistakes after losses.

How many people can truly make money? Honestly, not many. But how many survive? Whether trading spot or derivatives, they’re doing one thing: only betting where there’s consensus, locking risks in a cage. In other words—this tool, derivatives, can amplify gains for ordinary people, but also amplify losses. Using it on mainstream coins can improve efficiency; using it on trash coins is suicide. The tool itself won’t harm you; what’s deadly is that heart that dreams of overnight riches but refuses to learn or follow rules.

Finally, I ask you one question: are you entering this market to trade, or to gamble? If you can’t figure this out, it’s the same wherever you go.