After 5 years in Crypto Trading. I Finally “Made It”. Here’s What Actually Worked

I started trading crypto in 2018. Like many, I got in with zero experience, thinking I’d get rich fast. Spoiler: I didn’t.

Bought TRX, XRP, and a bunch of random altcoins. Lost $2,700 in a few months. Then I tried margin trading (big mistake), got liquidated, and was left staring at an empty account. Honestly, I almost quit.

In 2019, I decided to stop gambling and start learning. I studied charts, watched real traders, read books, and backtested strategies. I didn’t trade real money for a while—just practiced and journaled everything.

By 2020, I was finally making small profits. Took only setups I trusted, avoided hype, and managed risk properly. Made around $4,800 on a $3K account. Nothing crazy, but it felt earned.

2021 bull run? I was ready. I grew my account to over $43K trading ETH, SOL, and a few strong alts. But I got cocky, messed with leverage again, and gave back a chunk. That lesson hurt, but it stuck.

2022 was survival mode. I traded less, avoided trying to “buy the dip,” and focused on capital preservation. Profits were small, but I didn’t lose.

From 2023 to now, I’ve kept it boring: 1% risk per trade, only 2–3 reliable setups, and strict journaling. I don’t trade every day. I don’t chase pumps. I just stick to what works.

In 2024, I crossed $100K in my trading account. No moonshots. Just consistency over time.

TL;DR

Lost money in 2018 (like most beginners) Started learning & tracking everything in 2019 Profitable by 2020, stayed consistent Bull run helped, but greed punished me in 2021 Focused on capital protection in 2022 2023–2025: steady growth, no drama Finally passed $100K in 2024 Biggest Lessons:

You won’t get rich overnight. Risk management > everything. You don’t need to trade every day. Journaling your trades = free edge. Survive long enough, and your edge will show up. Happy to answer questions if anyone’s stuck in the early phase like I was. Stay in the game.