I have a friend who achieved financial freedom by trading Link.

A friend of mine achieved financial freedom through cryptocurrency investment, and his experience can be described as a real-life success story, making him a legendary figure in our social circle. Now he travels the world every day, experiencing the sweet troubles of "having money but nowhere to spend it"~

Five years ago, he was just an ordinary office worker like us, living a routine life of clocking in and commuting every day. A chance encounter at an industry exchange meeting introduced him to the disruptive potential of blockchain technology. At that time, his understanding of cryptocurrency was limited to the term Bitcoin, and he couldn't even distinguish between a wallet address and a private key. However, with a keen business sense and the courage to try new things, he boldly stepped into this field full of opportunities and risks.

The investment that truly changed his fate occurred in 2018. While the market's attention was focused on Bitcoin and Ethereum, he took a different path and noticed Chainlink (LINK), a project that was ranked 97th by market capitalization at the time. He made a significant investment at an average price of less than $1, a decision that was met with skepticism from everyone around him. However, through in-depth research of the white paper, he discovered the innovative solutions the project offered in the blockchain oracle space and firmly believed that its technological barriers would lead to explosive growth.

The initial phase of investment was not smooth sailing. The crypto winter at the end of 2018 saw his holdings temporarily lose 30%, and many investors around him chose to cut their losses and exit. In the face of market panic, he chose to hold firm against the trend, even using spare cash to buy more at the $0.3 price level. This determination paid off handsomely in 2020— as the DeFi ecosystem exploded, LINK's price broke through the $20 mark, ultimately taking profits in batches around the $30 range, with a single profit exceeding $5 million.

In addition to LINK, he accurately positioned himself in protocol tokens like UNI and SNX during the DeFi boom in 2021, averaging returns of 5-10 times. However, the investment journey was not all roses; in 2019, a leveraged short operation on Bitcoin led to a 40% loss of his principal due to a misjudgment of market trends. This lesson made him completely abandon high-leverage speculation and instead establish a strict risk control system.

Now that he has achieved financial freedom, he has shifted his focus to global travel and quality living. For investors still exploring the crypto market, he has summarized nine golden rules:

1. Know when to take profits#

When your account profits exceed 50% of your expectations, it is advisable to cash out part of your position immediately. The best way to preserve profits is to take regular profits, avoiding the temptation of "just a little more increase." The cash-out funds can be reinvested in stablecoins or temporarily exited, waiting for the market to clarify before re-entering.

2. Reflect on losses exceeding 10%#

If you experience three consecutive trades with losses of 10%, immediately pause all operations. Take three days to review your trading logs and check whether the losses were due to technical misjudgments, emotional trading, or changes in market conditions. Create a list of mistakes to avoid repeating them.

3. Avoid unclear opportunities in short-term trading#

When encountering favorable news but unclear technical conditions, it is better to miss out than to engage. Short-term trading is essentially a probability game; only participate in clear signals with a win rate exceeding 70%.

4. Follow coins that have risen over 50%#

For altcoins that surge over 50% within 24 hours, the risk of chasing is as high as 90%. Such movements are often driven by speculative funds, and ordinary investors are likely to become bag holders.

5. Control emotions during high-volume rises, avoid envy#

When a certain coin's daily chart shows continuous rises accompanied by a sudden increase in trading volume, it is often a signal for major players to offload. At this time, be wary of "FOMO emotions" and strictly adhere to profit-taking discipline.

6. Buy low in weak markets, buy on pullbacks in strong markets#

During bear markets, focus on building positions in quality projects within the top 50 by market capitalization in batches; during bull markets, wait for a 20%-30% technical pullback to enter. Never chase prices at historical highs.

7. Do not increase positions without 100% certainty; phased entry is safer#

Any position increase must meet the following criteria: ① The original position has gained over 10% ② A new strong support level has emerged ③ The overall market trend has not changed. It is recommended to use the 334 pyramid method for increasing positions.

8. Operate within familiar patterns#

Establish a dedicated trading system: for example, only trade Bitcoin quarterly contracts, focusing on a MACD + Bollinger Bands strategy. Refuse to try unfamiliar new coins or derivatives.

9. Do not easily participate in weekly pullbacks#

Monthly adjustments typically last 3-6 months; to bottom-fish, wait for three consecutive bullish weekly candles with steadily increasing volume. Avoid left-side trading in a downtrend.

These experiences, bought with real money, reveal the essence of cryptocurrency investment: 80% of profits come from 20% of correct decisions. In this highly volatile market, emotional management and risk control are more important than technical analysis. Remember, living long is more important than making quick profits.

OKX Activities This Month#

New users registering on OKX this month can receive blind boxes or Dogecoin gift packs. In China, you can register directly: Click here –> Go to the official website to register an OKX account; some regions may require a VPN or alternative link

The latest ranking of the top ten virtual currency trading platforms in China for 2025 is out 🔥【Worth collecting】

【Real stories of wealth in the crypto world】Many people ask me how I went from 0 to 11 million and then into debt of 100,000 after so many years of trading coins?

欧易NFT