In the last bull market, five of my buddies all saw their account balances soar past a million. But when the bear market hit, they were wiped out— not because they picked the wrong assets, but simply because they didn’t know how to cash out.

They kept trying to time their exit at the exact peak. Honestly, who can nail the very top? In the end, all their profits went right back to the market.

Back then, I entered with $150,000 and eventually withdrew $380,000, pocketing a net profit of $230,000. My strategy was the “step-down exit” method. Today, I’ll break down exactly how I did it.

**Step One: Sell 30% Immediately After Doubling, Secure Your Principal**

In March 2021, my ETH went from $1,800 to $3,600, doubling in value. Without hesitation, I sold 30% of my position. I got my $54,000 principal back, and the remaining $126,000 became a “zero-cost position.” This is the most crucial step—once your principal is safe, you can sleep soundly regardless of future price swings.

**Step Two: Sell 40% When Topping Signals Appear, Lock In Major Profits**

Around mid-May, friends who never touched crypto started asking how to open accounts. In the community, every minor dip had people shouting “buy the dip!” On-chain data showed big money quietly exiting. I immediately sold another 40% at $3,800, locking in $150,000 in profits. ETH eventually peaked at $4,878, but I didn’t feel bad—at least I preserved most of my gains.

**Step Three: When the Bear Market Is Confirmed, Sell the Remaining 30%**

By January 2022, ETH had dropped by more than half from its peak, sliding down for three months straight. No one in the community was talking about the market anymore. I cleared out my final 30% at an average price of $2,800.

In the end, I put in $150,000 and cashed out $380,000, netting $230,000.

The method is actually extremely simple. The hard part is controlling your greed.

Too many people always think, “Let’s wait a little longer,” and end up giving all their profits back.

Write out your exit plan in advance and execute it step by step, mechanically. Making money in a bull market isn’t hard; the real challenge is actually getting it into your own pocket.