Trading Strategies in the Crypto Bull Market – Lessons from Adam Cochran

If you frequently follow Crypto Twitter, you have surely come across countless bewildering posts, frustrating memes, and the laments of traders. Especially during market boom periods (bull run), the trading strategy of many quickly collapses. Famous analyst and investor Adam Cochran has shared a series of valuable experiences on how to manage trades in a strong bull market, emphasizing market structure, volatility, and discipline – key factors for surviving and thriving in the crypto market.

1. Volatility When the Cycle Peak is Near Cochran points out that as we approach the peak of the cycle, the volatility ( increases. This means that: Strong rises/falls occur. Pullbacks happen quickly and deeper. Traders using high leverage are easily “burned” out of their accounts. Therefore, a smart trading strategy during a bull run is not just about seeking profits, but also about preparing to survive through the brutal fluctuations.
2. “Weekend Trap” – Why Is Sunday a Nightmare for Traders? One of Cochran’s interesting observations is the weekend liquidity manipulation strategy: “Sundays are often the time when the ‘big players’ push prices up in thin liquidity conditions, forcing traders who are going against the trend to close their positions. After that, they heavily sell spot, causing the market to reverse and wipe out anyone using excessive leverage.” Understanding this helps traders avoid “long traps” at the end of the week – where many accounts get wiped out in just a few hours.
3. The Golden Rule About Leverage – Don’t Overdo It, Don’t Do It Too Soon Cochran shares the principles he applies: Only consider using leverage after the market has corrected at least 4–5%. Large leverage should only be used after a deep drop of 15–20% accompanied by a retest. The lesson from ETH in the previous cycle clearly demonstrates this: ETH once dropped from $2,600 to $2,000 )–20%( before really recovering. Those who “caught the bottom” too early with leverage were eliminated from the game before the real breakout occurred. It is this patience that helped Cochran climb to the top of the PnL leaderboard on FTX and Binance – where only traders with profits in the 7–8 figure range are recognized.
4. Survival Principles During Bull Run )Playbook( Hold spot as the core, only use light leverage after a correction of >5%, strong leverage after a drop of 15–20%. Do not FOMO “chase” green candles. Take profits periodically, transfer some profits into stablecoins to maintain a safety cushion. Avoid leverage with small altcoins, only use it when there is a large amount of collateral. Diversify the portfolio, do not put all into a non-top asset. Always keep 10% cash reserve before the weekend. Predict weekend “tricks”, prepare for unexpected reversals. Put profits into safe places ) like USDC deposited in Aave(, absolutely do not “touch” it. Never go all-in. Know when to leave the table when the market is too euphoric – signs of a peak often come when everyone thinks “it can’t lose.”
5. Final Message – If You Are Afraid of 2% Volatility, Don’t Rush to Join Cochran concluded: “If a mere 2% drop makes you panic, perhaps you are trading too riskily and are not ready for a real bull run.” The crypto bull run market is a golden opportunity to build wealth, but it is also a harsh place that eliminates those who lack discipline and risk management.