Don't decide
how much on a hunch
Work out how much you can afford to lose first; talk about gains later. These notes come from someone who lived through a brutal 2022 crash, written for you before you step on the same rakes.
Run the full calculator → Or plan a DCA with the calculator →You have in spare money. How much should you put in?
An investment cap estimated against a worst-case 70% crypto drawdown — so even at that brutal a fall, you only get hurt down to the line you can live with.
The few rules I set for myself
Not one of them is clever. Every one was learned the hard way, after it hurt.
Only invest what you can afford to lose
Before you buy, ask yourself one thing: if this money vanished entirely, would I still be okay? If the answer is no, you've invested too much. The calculator on the top right works out exactly that line.
Don't go all in at once
Split your ammunition. Get it wrong and you still have a second and third shot; go all in and get it wrong, there's no next time. Buying in batches isn't cowardice — it's leaving yourself room to be wrong.
When it runs up, take some principal back first
This isn't about selling at the top — nobody can do that. It's about pulling some of your principal out while you're still excited and haven't gotten cocky. What's left is the part you can truly afford to gamble with.
Don't make decisions while it's falling
Where you'll admit you were wrong should be written down when the market is quiet and your head is clear. The you whose hands are shaking mid-crash has no business deciding for the clear-headed you.
If you don't understand it, leave it alone
You don't need to catch every opportunity. Missing one has never bankrupted anyone; going in heavy on something you don't understand will. Accepting that some money isn't yours to make is where maturity begins.
What's inside these notes
Four long reads to start, from how much to invest all the way to how to hold on through a crash. Money, allocation, mindset, DCA and a dozen more are in the full index.
How much to invest without losing your head?
Use the "even if it all vanished, my life wouldn't change" line to back out the number you can really invest.
Core and satellite: how to arrange your money
The bulk goes where you can sleep at night; only the small slice gets the upside bets.
When to walk away, when to admit you're wrong
Not on gut feel, but on a take-profit line and an admit-defeat line you wrote down in advance.
How not to scare yourself into selling during a crash
What kind of position lets you hold on, plus first aid for when your fingers get itchy.
About these notes
I'm not an analyst — just an ordinary person who piled in at the 2021 top and made it through the 2022 crash. After losing money, I realized: there are far too many people online teaching "how to buy" and far too few teaching "how not to lose it all." These notes are the handful of rules I paid for in real money, written for you before you step on the rakes. More about me →
Risk warning: crypto prices are extremely volatile and you can lose your entire principal. Everything on this site is investor education and personal experience, not investment advice, and is not responsible for any investment outcome. Past performance does not indicate future returns.
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