The two biggest concerns for people in the crypto world are—funds being frozen during withdrawal and wallet theft. This is not alarmist talk, but real risks. Newcomers entering the space about 80% will stumble into these two pitfalls.

How to safely operate USAT deposits and withdrawals? How to smoothly cash out stablecoins? Never store mnemonic phrases online; once leaked, the consequences can be disastrous. For experienced veterans, these issues are easy to solve, but for beginners, they could mean losing everything.

The first step is choosing the right exchange. This affects your entire experience in the space. Top-tier exchanges are relatively reliable, but there have been incidents in the past—AEX once collapsed, Zhongbi encountered problems, and the foreign exchange FTX went bankrupt suddenly. These are vivid lessons.

If someone recommends some domestic platforms you've never heard of, don't believe it. Besides the industry-recognized top few, others can generally be considered scams or pump-and-dump schemes. Want to be clever and step into traps? Then experience it yourself. Anyway, the consensus among seasoned crypto users is—just pick the top big exchanges and go with your eyes closed.

Let's also talk about the fundamental issues with centralized exchanges. In theory, as long as it's a centralized platform, your private keys are not in your control at all. Your assets are held by the exchange, which essentially means storing your money with someone else. This requires you to constantly monitor the platform's status and beware of platform risks. True ownership can only be achieved with self-custody wallets. But for beginners, the learning curve and operational risks are another matter altogether.