Do you still remember who you were three years ago? Shouting “buy the dip and double your money” in group chats every day, only to end up chasing some so-called star token and losing half a year’s rent in the blink of an eye. Back then, I’d stare at the charts until my eyes turned red in the middle of the night—looking back now, it all seems so absurd.

Recently, I've seen a lot of newcomers in groups hyping things up with shouts like “Go go go!” and “Get on board and get rich!” Suddenly, I feel like I’m watching my former self. To be honest, this market has never been a playground where you can get rich on luck alone—it’s more like a battleground between whales and retail traders.

After being schooled by the market countless times, I’ve summed up a few ironclad rules from real experience. If new friends can remember these, at least you’ll avoid most of the pitfalls.

**About Chasing the Top**

I’ve told many people who ask me for advice: those parabolic rallies may look tempting, but they’re sugar-coated traps. Last month, there was an animal-themed token that suddenly skyrocketed 180%, and the group was full of people wailing about missing out. A friend of mine FOMO’d in late at night, and by the next day was stuck, questioning his life choices.

These sharp upward moves without any pullback are essentially whales luring in buyers so they can offload their bags. You think you’re catching a deal, but you’re actually holding someone else’s hot potato.

Real opportunities are often hidden when no one is paying attention: after at least three days of sideways movement, when the candles are as flat as an EKG, or when the price pulls back to a previous support level (like around the daily MA30). Building a position slowly at these times is much safer than chasing a pump.

Last year, when I positioned myself in a major coin, I waited until it pulled back to a key price and moved sideways for 48 hours before entering. Two weeks later, I got a 40% gain. Isn’t that way better than buying the top and getting stuck?

**Candles Speak Louder Than Words**

A lot of people only watch price movements, but candlestick patterns, trading volume, and support levels are the real language of the market. The market doesn’t lie, but it does fool those who only look at the surface.