The numbers in the account are jumping, and the heartbeat is racing faster.

Recently, I dug out a liquidation report from 2025 and saw a series of suffocating figures: when Bitcoin's daily volatility exceeds 20%, it can trigger billions of dollars in positions. This is nothing new, but every time I see such data, I think of that night three years ago.

That night, a friend's account was wiped out in 30 minutes. Using 10x leverage to go long, the direction was correct, but he didn't make it to dawn. The words he said afterward I still remember: "I read the market pulse correctly, but I lost in the waiting process."

This is the most painful part of the futures market—precise prediction sometimes can't save you at all. Traders who survive from a bear market to a bull market, and then through the next bear, they don't win because they can perfectly catch the bottom or escape the top. What do they win? Survival. Those who live on can naturally see the next opportunity.

**Lock in profits**

When I first started, my master told me a sentence that I now realize is truly heartfelt: "The unrealized profit shown in your account is essentially a loan from the market. Until you close the position, everything is an illusion."

I vividly remember the Luna incident in 2023. How many accounts dropped straight from the peak to the bottom in just 15 minutes, with millions of assets on paper instantly disappearing into zero. A few traders I know had floating profits of over four figures at the time, but what happened? All gone.

Since then, I changed my approach. As soon as floating profit reaches 20%, I will close half of the position first. For example—if you entered a long position at 30,000 on Bitcoin and it rises to 36,000, sell half of the position first. With this approach, the remaining position's cost basis is already around 18,000. Even if the market reverses later, you're risking profit to chase gains, and your principal is never touched.

The most dangerous time in a bull market is precisely during the rapid surge. I've seen too many people relax their vigilance then, moving their stop-loss orders upward, thinking "this time is different." Then the market undergoes a deep correction, and all profits vanish instantly. The most ironic part is—they read the big trend correctly but get out because of greed.

True trading wisdom isn't about selling at the absolute top—that's unrealistic. Wisdom lies in making sure the profits you earn are actually deposited into your account, turning into available funds. Ensuring your capital's safety is a thousand times more practical than chasing perfect returns.

**Stop-loss is the art of survival**

Many people get nervous at the words "stop-loss," thinking it's a sign of giving up. Actually, it's the opposite—stop-loss is to preserve the capital needed to keep fighting.

Think about it: every dollar in your account is your ammunition. If a wrong judgment depletes your ammo, how can you continue? All the big losers I've seen share a common trait: they refuse to admit defeat. They think if they wait long enough, the market will turn back. Sometimes it does, but sometimes it never comes back.

The core logic of setting a stop-loss is simple: use a tolerable loss to increase the chance of not being completely broken. During a bull market, everyone makes money, and it's hard to tell who is truly capable. The real difference is made by those who survive the bear markets. And the secret to survival is often sticking to your stop-loss when it’s time.

**Rhythm and discipline are the secrets of evergreen success**

Recently, I’ve been pondering: why can some traders consistently make money while most end up losing everything? Money management, risk awareness, psychological resilience—all are important, but I think the most critical factor is—execution.

Execution means: when floating profits reach your preset target, you truly dare to close part of your position. When losses hit your stop-loss point, you truly admit defeat. It sounds simple, but sticking to this discipline amid market chaos requires an incredible level of resolve that most people can't imagine.

Veteran traders who have survived since 2017 are not necessarily the smartest, but they are definitely the most disciplined. They've experienced the madness of altcoins, the nightmare of liquidation, the despair of a bull market, and the torment of a bear market. Having survived all this, they have paid with blood and gained the most precious thing—the right to stay alive.

So if you're still in the market now, ask yourself: are you gambling on the direction, or planning to survive? The former always ends in loss; only the latter can turn you into a winner. The futures market is never short of smart people, but what’s missing is those who can survive to the next bull run.