Having been in the crypto world for ten years, I’ve seen too many retail investors holding only a few thousand U.S. dollars—hands trembling with their money, wanting to turn things around but afraid of losing it all. Honestly, to survive and leave the market with this small capital, it’s not about mastering complex candlestick patterns, but about following a few survival principles that help control your mindset.

**Rule One: Learn to accept your situation and make peace with yourself.** A few tens of thousands of yuan in capital here is nothing; don’t dream of multiplying your money a hundred times—that’s gambling with your life. Small retail investors can’t afford to take such risks. Set a realistic goal: preserve your capital, let your money grow slowly with the market during a bull run, and if you can beat BTC’s gains, you’re a winner.

**Rule Two: Quit the addiction to chasing meme coins.** When others show off tenfold gains and you get itchy to jump in, beware. If you’re investing with a small amount, one wrong move can cut your principal in half, and your mindset will shatter. Treat yourself like a mini fund manager—each U is ammunition. Use 500U to buy BTC and ETH as a foundation, so you can sleep well during bear markets; allocate 300U to top projects in AI, DePIN, or new public chains you understand—don’t constantly watch them, just let them grow; keep the remaining 200U in reserve, ready to buy the dip when BTC drops 15%, or jump on any high-confidence opportunity.

**Rule Three: Don’t obsess over the charts; give yourself time to recharge.** Staring at the screen for 12 hours a day only increases anxiety, and eventually, a shaky hand will cause you to lose your principal. The true advantage of retail investors is their keen sense for new projects. Instead of obsessively watching candlesticks every day, spend time reading books, dissecting whitepapers, and researching project plans—this is a thousand times more efficient than staring at charts.

**The most crucial point: Make money outside the crypto circle.** A few thousand U can’t withstand market volatility or urgent cash needs. What truly saves you is stable cash flow outside the market. Deliver food, drive for ride-hailing services, take on part-time jobs—anything. With steady income, you can stay calm while watching the market and holding your positions, avoiding panic selling at the bottom. This is ten times more important than chasing the so-called hundredfold coins.

All I do is real trading. For friends who want to avoid pitfalls and make steady profits, don’t walk blindly in the crypto world alone. Keep up with the rhythm, and use proven strategies to make your money reliably.