Surviving bull and bear markets: two core principles. 1. **Mindset: Let go of the idea of earning interest** We’re used to earning interest on deposits—that’s the fiat world’s default thinking. But why do we need interest? Because fiat currencies inflate, and interest just slows down the devaluation. Bitcoin is different. Its supply is hardcoded, no central bank can change its monetary policy, and no one can print more of it. Its value model is like gold, not bonds. It doesn’t rely on paying interest to appreciate—it’s all about consensus. Holding Bitcoin means you profit from price increases, not from additional issuance. So stop thinking about "earning interest"—that’s leftover fiat thinking. 2. **Action: Minimize the time your funds stay on exchanges** Use a cold wallet. Here’s a fun fact: cold wallets don’t just store BTC and ETH; they can also store stablecoins like USDT and USDC. Treat exchanges as tools, not banks. Keep all your funds in your wallet most of the time. Only deposit them into exchanges when you’re ready to trade, and withdraw them immediately after. Let’s do some math: assuming an exchange can operate stably for an average of four years, if you limit your funds’ stay to under an hour each time, your risk of getting caught in a collapse is 1 in 35,000. That’s a risk worth taking.