#美联储降息 Small capital startup, how to establish a foothold in the crypto world? I hear this question a lot.

No storytelling, just share a recent real case—A friend entered the market three months ago with $3,000, and now his account holds $52,000. How did he do it? Actually, no black tech involved, just sticking to one bottom line.

Before you press the trade button, you must ask yourself two questions: "How much can I lose at worst?" and "At what profit target will I stop?" Most people think backwards, first aiming to double or triple their money, but they haven't even figured out how to avoid being liquidated.

Stop-loss and take-profit are the tickets to survival.

**Three strategies I personally use:**

**Contract short-term — Stop-loss tight**
Leverage amplifies every 1% loss, which can be deadly. I usually use 5x leverage, aiming for 6-8% gains, with a stop-loss no more than 3%. It may seem insignificant per trade, but over a two-week cycle, this accumulation often surprises you.

**Spot trading swing — Let the trend support you**
In big markets, you must withstand the fluctuations. Set stop-loss at technical support levels (like previous lows or 4-hour charts). The trick for take-profit is to scale out—take half when BTC rises 35%, and use trailing stops for the rest—exit completely if it retraces 8%. With this logic, you already outpace most people in the market.

**Position size affects your sleep quality**
The size of your position directly impacts how many hours you can sleep at night. There's a saying I strongly agree with: over-leverage without stop-loss is like removing the brakes on a speeding car.

Ultimately, stop-loss is proof that you are alive; take-profit is just the dividend the market gives you. Before each trade, ask yourself these two questions again—your capital is the key to returning to the battlefield.