From liquidation to reconstruction, a guide to self-help in the crypto market downturn

  • Emotional Management: The article emphasizes handling emotions before making financial decisions after a major loss. It advises pausing, reflecting, and seeking support rather than acting impulsively.

  • Rebuilding Strategy: Instead of revenge trading, focus on stability—diversify assets, secure income, and think long-term. The key is not to recover losses quickly but to rebuild sustainably.

  • Learning During Downturns: Use the bear market to improve skills like on-chain analysis, DeFi risk control, and trend spotting. Winners prepare in silence, not during market hype.

  • Avoiding Perfect Timing Myths: Markets don’t wait for ideal moments. Act decisively in short windows or stay patient during prolonged slumps. Exiting or taking profits is strategic, not surrender.

  • Smart Money Moves: Track real trends (e.g., Sonic ecosystem, Berachain DeFi, AI/RWA sectors) and fund flows (stablecoins, DEX volume, whale wallets) instead of following hype.

  • Survival Mindset: Adapt to market changes, hold only long-term convictions, and avoid FOMO. Patience preserves capital; impulsiveness destroys it.

  • Final Perspective: Bear markets test resilience. Success depends on preparation, not luck. The goal isn’t just to survive but to position wisely for the next bull run.

Summary

Author: CryptoGirlNova, @kceeonyekachi1

Compiled by: Dingdang (@XiaMiPP)

Editor's note: The market has never lacked ups and downs, nor has it lacked people who passively endure it. Losses, liquidation, and even zero are not unfamiliar to those who have experienced multiple cycles. But when this really happens to you, the shock and helplessness are still real. Some friends I know have experienced such moments recently. This is not a story about failure, but about how to pick yourself up and stand up again after the chaos.

What really widens the gap between people is not the moments of ups and downs, but the choices made at the bottom.

You can continue to worry, doubt, and escape, or you can start to reflect, repair, and reconstruct. Neither method is more "advanced", but only the latter can allow you to truly gain a foothold before the next opportunity comes.

Odaily Planet Daily compiled and sorted out the real sharing of some users on the X platform. It is not chicken soup, nor is it a call for orders, but a survival guide for long-term players summarized from personal experience and in-depth conversations.

I hope you can draw some strength from this, or even a new perspective.

Deal with emotions first, then assets

When experiencing a major loss, the brain's first reaction is often to "do something immediately" - liquidate, increase positions, or even exit completely. But this is usually the worst time.

Please pause for a moment. Take a deep breath and think calmly. Emotions must be dealt with, don't rush to "suppress them with reason".

You have to understand that self-worth is never equal to your account balance. Losing money does not define who you are. You just have a tough battle, you have scars, and you feel like it's over. But remember: your net worth and your self-worth are two completely different things.

Talk to someone you can trust, and don't shut yourself off. Almost all of my friends who have come out of this crisis did the same thing: talk to someone and receive support. Don't underestimate the power of being heard, it's more effective than you think.

You can't control the market, but you can control how you deal with it.

Don't let the market take away your right to restart

Next, calmly assess the current situation. What assets are salvageable? Are there emergency expenses? Are there tax or leverage risks?

Although these problems are painful, the sooner we face them, the sooner we can find the starting point for reconstruction.

Revenge trading is the instinctive reaction of many people in desperate situations - "I must win back!" I have seen friends almost lose their last capital in order to "win back a game". Don't go this way.

The first step in reconstruction is not doubling, but stability. A stable source of income, diversified asset allocation, and longer-term strategic thinking are the underlying logic for a long-term and sustainable development.

Don't forget your original intention. You entered the crypto field because you saw some possibility or had some desire. This original intention and experience will not disappear because of a round of decline. It may seem like a failure, but you have gained experience and growth.

Most people would choose to leave at this stage. Frankly speaking, my friends were also on the verge of giving up. But they finally decided not to escape, to review the situation carefully, to bear the losses, and then quietly start the next journey.

The next round of opportunities will not belong to those who rely on luck, but to those who are willing to persist, learn lessons and remain resilient.

When you are at your lowest point, waiting is not in vain.

The trough period is the window for preparation. Don't wait until the market explodes before you want to learn. It will be too late to learn the strategy after the market comes.

Now what you can now do is:

  • Improve your on-chain analysis capabilities and learn to understand data;
  • Master basic DeFi operations and be familiar with risk control;
  • Capture early signals of trends in advance, and don’t wait until they become “hot searches” before following them.

The real winner is not the one who makes decisions when the market explodes, but the one who has already made plans when no one is paying attention.

Don’t wait for the “perfect moment”, use every window

Many people fall into a misunderstanding: I will wait for the perfect time - for example, sell everything in Q1 and buy at the bottom in Q2.

But the reality is:

  • Sometimes the market only gives you a short window and you have to act decisively;
  • Sometimes things don’t work for several months in a row, so be patient and don’t make any changes.

Take what the market gives you, otherwise it will take more from you.

Exiting and taking profits is not giving up, it is maturity.

Welcome to a market where the only rule is "survive".

Accept the reality: the market doesn’t owe you new highs, nor does it care about your persistence.

Don’t be the prey, think like a predator

The market is not "broken", it's just "changed". Smart people don't complain about the market, they adapt to it.

Want to turn the tables? Don’t gamble, learn to stand firm first.

  • Save cash instead of trading frequently
  • Only invest in projects that you truly believe in in the long term
  • If a coin drops by 70%, ask yourself honestly: would I buy it today? If the answer is no, then sell it immediately.

Patience creates wealth, while impulse burns the principal. What really destroys an account is never the market, but FOMO and anxiety.

Making money is not about chasing green bars, but being in the market before the market starts:

  • Firmly hold on to the chips you truly understand
  • Avoid impulsive actions
  • Don’t chase highs, don’t buy at the bottom, and don’t believe the slogan “this is the last chance”.

Remember: only if you are alive are you eligible to enjoy the next round of dividends.

Watch where the smart money is flowing, not just the calls

Even in times of chaos, trends are quietly forming. Now you can pay attention to:

  • Sonic ecosystem is gaining popularity
  • Berachain DeFi sector gradually heats up
  • AI/RWA sector is attracting incremental funds

Instead of listening to orders, it is better to track the flow of funds. Especially the movement of stablecoins, the trading volume of DEX, and the wallet behavior of whales. These are the real map of the next round of opportunities.

Last words

We are experiencing a bear market with high uncertainty. Maybe now is the lowest point, maybe it is not the bottom yet. But it doesn’t matter.

What matters is whether you have organized yourself, whether you can hold your ground in the chaos, and whether you can truly stand in a good position before the next opportunity comes.

This is not an inspirational article, but a survival guide.

May you not just be alive, but ready for the next upswing.

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Author: Odaily星球日报

This article represents the views of PANews columnist and does not represent PANews' position or legal liability.

The article and opinions do not constitute investment advice

Image source: Odaily星球日报. Please contact the author for removal if there is infringement.

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