The crypto world of 2026 is no longer the same gameplay as a few years ago. From 2024 to 2025, the underlying logic of the market has quietly changed, and many people haven't realized it yet. Here are ten lessons learned from blood and tears, summarized for friends still struggling in this market.

First, stop obsessing over the idea that "long-term holding will inevitably lead to gains." That was the story of the previous cycle. In a market dominated by institutional capital, the era of rapid surges is gone; what remains are precise capital flows. You might think you’re holding a diamond hand, but in the eyes of quantitative trading, that’s just a set of predictable position data. Looking back at the coins you stubbornly refused to sell in 2024-2025, most of them have already failed to reach previous highs. At this point, "holding" shifts from virtue to a lock, sealing your funds’ vitality while giving market makers room to maneuver.

Second, remember this: your assets must be stored in your own wallet. Leaving them on an exchange is equivalent to transferring risk to an institution you can’t see through. Every time there’s news of a platform collapse, it tells the same story—those without private keys in hand can’t retrieve their coins in the end. A bear market is not just a price decline; it’s a stress test for the entire trust system. When liquidity dries up, many exchanges’ true liabilities are far darker than their surface numbers. Cold wallets are the last line of defense you can control in this crazy market.