A few thousand dollars to start, want to turn things around in the crypto world? Instead of chasing every pump and dump, gambling on bottom signals, it's better to learn a set of truly effective trading rules.

I've seen too many retail traders, holding just a little capital, start recklessly adding leverage, only to be liquidated and end up with nothing. The problem isn't the small amount of money, but the lack of discipline. Today, I want to share a method I've actually used. Many people have grown their small funds into six figures using this logic, with only four key rules.

**First, watch for the daily MACD death cross.** Don't be swayed by market sentiment; those big influencers' calls and "bottom theories" are all false. The truly reliable signal is technical—when the death cross appears below the zero line, that's when you have the confidence to open a short position.

**Second, stick firmly to the 20-day moving average.** Hold your position when the price is below it; close your position when it rises above. It sounds simple, but 99% of people can't do it—they always wait for a rebound, only to get trapped. There's no room for luck here.

**Third, combine volume and price to take partial profits.** When the price breaks below the 20-day moving average and volume increases simultaneously, go all-in short. When the decline reaches 40%, reduce your position; at 80% drop, cut it in half. Follow the moving average with the remaining position, and close everything if there's a rebound. This way, you can capture big swings and also lock in profits in time.

**Fourth, use the closing price as the only stop-loss standard.** If the closing price closes above the 20-day moving average, regardless of what happens the next day, close your position. Many people fall here—trusting a bit of luck can wipe out a month’s worth of profits. Missing out isn't shameful; when the next signal appears, the opportunity will still be there.

Honestly, this method is quite dull—no fancy tricks. But in the long run, the people making money in crypto are often those who are the most boring and rule-abiding.

For example, during that recent ETH decline, as long as you opened shorts at the death cross signal and took profits according to the rules, a large portion of profits would have easily been in your account. Meanwhile, those who kept saying "I should have shorted earlier" couldn't even follow basic rules.

If you now have a few thousand USD in capital and want to turn things around with short positions, just use this "simple method." There are no shortcuts—discipline is the only leverage.