7 Years of Life and Death in Crypto: 6 Iron Rules That Decide Who Lives and Who Dies

In the crypto market, there is no shortage of “overnight success” stories, but behind most long-term wins, it’s not luck—it’s discipline and the ability to withstand the harshest market phases.

After 7 years of surviving wild pumps, sudden dumps, and everything in between, most players gradually realize one thing: The person who can survive the longest is the ultimate winner.

From countless hard-learned lessons, the long-time trading community in crypto has distilled 6 “iron survival rules.” Each rule is drawn from thousands of real observations, statistics, and direct market experience.

Below is the most clearly systematized and explained version—helping newcomers save 3 years of “tuition,” and reminding veterans with another wake-up call.

1. “Fast Up – Slow Down” Is Not a Bad Signal: It’s a Silent Accumulation Phase

Many people see a vertical price surge followed by a slow decline, panic, and rush to cut losses. But this pattern often appears when market makers are testing sentiment and quietly accumulating what is being sold by impatient investors.

Key point: “Slow decline” is not a signal of a top. A true top usually comes with: rapid pump – sharp dump in a very short time. Those who sell early during the “slow decline” often lose the best positions.

2. “Sharp Drop – Mild Bounce” Is a Warning Signal: 80% of the Time It’s a (bull trap)

After a price crash, the market often shows a strong green candle—making many believe a bottom is in and rush to catch it.

Common mistake: See a green candle → assume a reversal. But in reality, it’s a distribution phase, where whales take advantage of excitement to offload the rest. Statistics show in this pattern, the market will mostly continue to fall.

3. A Top with Large Volume Isn’t Scary—No Volume Is What’s Concerning

A dangerous misconception: “High price + rising volume = exhausted buying power, time to run.” Reality: High volume at the top means buying power is still absorbing. The market often has a 2nd or 3rd wave up afterwards. The most dangerous situation is: Volume suddenly dries up at a high price area → this is the real sign of a market about to go “clinically dead.” Experience shows that within 1–3 days after this phase, a correction is highly likely.

4. A Bottom with One Big Volume Candle Isn’t the Real Bottom—There Must Be a Series of Rising Volume

Many people see a giant green candle at the bottom and FOMO in immediately. But a true bottom doesn’t appear thanks to a single signal. A real bottom needs: 2–3 sessions of consecutively rising volume Price does not fall back to the previous area Clear buying absorption This is the sign that big money is stepping in and wants to maintain position.

5. Understanding Volume Means Understanding the Market—K-line Is Just the Surface

K-line (candlestick) only reflects: Open price Close price Range But it doesn’t show the most important thing: whether money is flowing in or out. Volume is where you see: Who controls the market Whether buying/selling force is truly strong or weak Whether the trend is likely to continue or reverse A good trader doesn’t look at where the price “is going,” but where the money is choosing to flow.

6. Knowing When to Stay Out Is the Most Important Skill

Most people lose not because of wrong analysis, but because they can’t stay out when the market is chaotic.

Survival principle: Not clear → don’t enter Not sure → don’t trade Not confident → keep your money Crypto has no shortage of opportunities. The only thing lacking is the discipline not to trade when unnecessary. Not entering a trade is also a form of “trading.” Not losing money is a kind of indirect profit.

Conclusion: The Market Is Never Wrong—It’s the Trader’s Emotions That Are Wrong

Crypto loves no one, nor does it hate anyone. It only punishes: The impatient The undisciplined The emotional trader Those who want to get rich too quickly And it rewards: Those who understand volume Those who know how to wait Those who only trade when the odds are high Those who survive long enough to see the next cycle In a harsh market like crypto, surviving longer than 90% of players is already the biggest win.