Looking at the account balance, is your first thought "Big move, can double"? I have to tell some harsh truths: the less money you have, the easier it is to lose it all in one go. The crypto world isn't like a casino; it's a real jungle—only those who survive until the end are the winners.

Last year, I took a friend from a state of despair with only $500 left in his account and managed to grow it to $18,000 in three months, without a single liquidation. This isn't a luck story; there are three strict rules behind it.

**Rule 1: Money must be divided into three parts**

What are small funds most afraid of? Losing everything from a single spike. So your principal must be allocated as follows:

Guerilla position — 30% — Focus on intraday volatility, only trade mainstream coins like BTC and ETH, and exit immediately after earning 3%-5%. This is for practicing and earning some pocket money.

Main position — 30% — Wait until the trend is truly clear before acting, such as a volume breakout on the daily chart before entering, and take profits within a maximum of 5 days.

Safe reserve — 40% — This is your lifeline, do not touch it even if the sky falls.

See, those who go all-in get wiped out during extreme market conditions. But those who keep their bottom line? Even if they lose ten times in a row, they can still turn things around with this 40% safety reserve.

**Rule 2: Only eat the fat, not the bones**

The market spends 70% of its time oscillating. Frequent trading just pays fees to the exchange. My approach is: only place orders when two signals confirm.

Short-term signal: check if the 15-minute K-line has volume breakout;
Long-term signal: look for MACD golden cross or death cross on the daily chart.

Real opportunities only come a few times a year, but the profits from one trend can offset ten small losses. When profits reach 12%, first take out half of the principal, and for the remaining part, use a trailing stop to lock in profits.

**Rule 3: Treat yourself as an emotionless machine**

Why do retail traders generally lose money? Because they hold on stubbornly when losing and rush to sell when making profits. This is a human weakness. The solution is simple—let discipline completely lock down your operations.

Once stop-loss is set, stick to it no matter how uncomfortable. When take-profit is hit, lock in the profit. Never think "wait a bit longer, it might earn more"—greed is poison in the crypto world.

Three months from $500 to $18,000—there's no luck involved in this process. Frankly, these three iron rules are at work every day. Diversifying funds reduces risk, confirming signals increases win rate, and disciplined execution protects profits. Most people lose because of poor fund management, frequent trading, and plans that can't keep up with market changes.