Methodology

A way to evaluate centralized exchanges as operational systems — not as price venues. The goal is to reduce avoidable losses caused by access, custody, withdrawal, and jurisdictional failure modes.

• Focuses on operational risk: access, custody, withdrawals, account control, and policy shocks.
• Asks “what can break?” before asking “what can I earn?”
• Prioritizes predictability and survivability over upside narratives.

A framing method that treats every user action (deposit, trade, withdraw) as part of a pipeline. If the pipeline is fragile, trading skill won’t save you.

• Pipeline thinking: entry → custody → ops → withdrawal → exits.
• Identifies bottlenecks (KYC, limits, freezes) and single points of failure.
• Turns “tips” into repeatable procedures and checklists.

A multi-CEX setup blueprint designed to reduce platform dependency. Instead of trusting one exchange with everything, you distribute roles across exchanges and keep exits ready.

• Role separation: where you access, where you custody, where you execute, where you route.
• Redundancy: at least one alternative path for critical operations.
• Built for failure: assumes an exchange can block withdrawals or lock accounts at the worst time.

An operating philosophy: you don’t optimize for the best month — you optimize to still be alive after the worst week. Systems that survive volatility beat strategies that only win in ideal conditions.

• Redundancy: backup access, backup routes, backup liquidity paths.
• Drills: practice withdrawals and exits before you need them.
• Exit discipline: define what triggers an exit, and execute without negotiation.

A practical mental model for how funds move and where they can get stuck. Most losses happen during constraints: limits, reviews, compliance holds, and routing mistakes — not during trades.

• Custody is not just “where my funds are” — it’s who can block, delay, or reverse access.
• Withdrawals are an ops process: limits, whitelists, address hygiene, timing, and fallback routes.
• A safe system has a documented withdrawal plan and a tested backup route.