Common Mistakes
Most traders don't lose because they pick bad coins. They lose because they can't control themselves.
Fix the emotional mistakes and your results improve faster than you'd expect.
Chasing pumps
You see a big green candle, you buy, and five minutes later you're exit liquidity for everyone who got in early.
If you missed it, you missed it. Prepare for the next one instead of forcing your way into something that's already moved.
If it looks unstoppable, you're probably late.
Sizing too big
This is the mistake that turns every other mistake into a disaster.
When you size too big:
A normal dip feels like a crisis
You panic sell at the worst time
One bad trade can wipe out weeks of progress
Your position size should be small enough that you can think clearly when it moves against you. If you're watching every tick and can't look away, you're size is too big.
The goal isn't to get rich on one trade. It's to stay in the game long enough to catch many.
Not taking profits
"Maybe it goes higher" is how most wins turn into breakevens or losses.
Take profits in parts as it runs
Lock in gains while there's momentum
Let a smaller portion ride if conditions stay strong
Unrealized gains aren't real. They only count when you sell.
Holding bags forever
Not every coin comes back. Most don't.
Signs it's dead:
Community stopped posting
No volume for days
Narrative moved on
Decide your exit before you enter. If the story dies, cut it. Hope doesn't make prices go up.
Overtrading
Trading because you're bored is one of the most expensive habits you can have.
Signs you're doing it:
Constantly flipping between charts
Entering random coins with no thesis
Feeling like you need to "be in something"
The fix is simple. Wait for clarity. Take fewer, better trades. Sitting on your hands is a skill.
Sometimes the best trade is no trade.
Letting losses spiral
A small loss is fine. A small loss that turns into a big loss because you refused to cut is not.
Danger signs:
Moving your stop lower
Adding to a losing position
Telling yourself it'll come back
Cut it. Review what went wrong. Move on.
Revenge trading
You just took a loss and now you want to make it back immediately.
This is when your worst trades happen. You're emotional, your judgment is off, and you're not thinking about whether the setup is good. You're just trying to recover.
The market doesn't know you lost money. It doesn't owe you anything. Jumping straight back in usually turns one loss into two or three.
After a loss, step away. Even 10 minutes helps. Come back when you're thinking clearly, not when you're trying to prove something.
The next trade should be based on the setup, not on what happened in the last trade.
Stepping away after a loss isn't weakness. It's a deliberate choice pros make regularly. More on this in: When Not Trading Is the Trade
Thinking this is easy money
When everything is pumping and everyone on your timeline is posting wins, it feels like free money.
It's not. The same volatility that creates 10x gains creates 90% drawdowns.
Respect the risk or it will humble you.
The market punishes ego faster than anything else.
Before you enter any trade
Am I chasing something that already pumped?
Is my size small enough that I can think clearly?
Do I have a plan to take profits?
Do I know where I'll cut if it fails?
Am I trading because I'm bored or emotional?
Mistakes happen. You're not trying to be perfect. You're trying to recognize the patterns and fix them before they cost you real money.