Crypto

Complete Guide to Getting Started Trading Cryptocurrencies

Astron Team · 09/24/2026 · 6 min read

Few markets generate as much enthusiasm and as much confusion at the same time as cryptocurrencies. It's a market that runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with price moves that can be much sharper than what's seen in traditional stocks or currencies. That attracts people looking for opportunity, but also exposes those who enter unprepared to quick losses.

This guide covers what really matters for beginners: understanding the market's dynamics, crypto-specific risks, and how to build a plan before trading.

What makes the crypto market different

Unlike traditional stock exchanges, which have set operating hours, the crypto market never closes. That means news released overnight, on holidays, or on weekends can generate significant moves without the trader watching. On top of that, trading volume can vary a lot between different coins: while the best-known ones usually have high liquidity, smaller coins can have wider spreads and more erratic moves.

Another important point is that a cryptocurrency's value is heavily influenced by regulatory news, institutional adoption, technological changes on the network itself, and overall market mood — factors that don't always follow the logic of fundamentals used to value a publicly listed company.

Volatility: the main characteristic to respect

It's common for a cryptocurrency to move several percentage points in a single day, something rare in traditional currencies outside of crises. This volatility creates opportunities for gain, but in the same proportion creates risk of loss. Trading crypto with the same position size used on a less volatile asset can expose capital to swings much bigger than planned.

How to build a plan before trading

• Adjust position size to volatility: on more volatile assets, many traders reduce position size to keep the risk in money equivalent to trades on more stable assets.
• Set the stop and target before entering, since the speed of the moves leaves little time to decide mid-trade.
• Follow the calendar of relevant events for the sector, like regulatory decisions, since these events tend to trigger volatility spikes.
• Avoid trading based only on social media hype — moves driven by hype tend to reverse as fast as they appear.

A risk-sizing example

Suppose a trader with R$ 4,000.00 in capital, willing to risk 1% per trade, or R$ 40.00. On a traditional asset with an average daily change of 1%, a stop 2% away from the entry price would represent a position of approximately R$ 2,000.00. On a cryptocurrency with an average daily change of 5%, keeping the same R$ 40.00 risk would require a proportionally wider stop or a much smaller position — something close to R$ 800.00, keeping the same percentage stop distance. Ignoring this volatility difference between assets is one of the most common mistakes made by those moving from traditional markets to crypto without adjusting the plan.

Risks that go beyond price

Besides volatility, it's worth considering risks like regulatory changes in different countries, which can affect access to certain coins, and the liquidity gap between the thousands of existing crypto assets — trading lesser-known coins can mean difficulty exiting a position at the desired moment.

Practical conclusion

Trading crypto can be part of a trading strategy, as long as the trader understands they're dealing with one of the most volatile assets available in the market. That calls for adjusted position size, a well-defined stop, and realistic expectations about gains. Platforms like Astron give access to this market, but easier access doesn't reduce the risk: it still exists at any volume traded, and there's no guarantee of return on any digital asset.

Round-the-clock trading calls for its own routine

Since the crypto market never closes, it's easy to fall into the temptation of watching the screen all the time, afraid of missing a move. That usually generates more impulsive decisions than consistent results. A healthier alternative is setting specific windows during the day to review open positions and look for new opportunities, leaving stop and target orders already set for periods outside that routine, instead of trying to watch the chart nonstop.

It's also worth remembering that the variety of crypto assets available is huge, and not all of them have the same level of public information, track record, or liquidity. Focusing your initial learning on a few more established coins tends to be more productive than spreading attention and capital across dozens of lesser-known assets at once.