I once thought a strong BTC setup deserved a bigger position. I used 10x leverage, entered with confidence, and watched a small move against me turn into a $200 loss.

The painful part was that my market direction wasn't completely wrong. My position was simply too large for my account. With 10x leverage, a normal BTC move against me had a much bigger impact on my capital, and I had given myself almost no room for error.

1. Never choose leverage before choosing your risk. Decide how much you can afford to lose first.

2. Keep your position size small. A good setup can still fail.

3. Always have an exit plan. Don't wait until emotions take control.

My current rule is simple: I protect my capital before thinking about profit. I use lower leverage, calculate my position size before entering, and place my stop loss where the trade idea is actually invalidated.

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