Know the asset you are investing in. If you decide to buy Bitcoin, read about Satoshi Nakamoto’s white paper first, learn how blockchain technology works, what is a public and a private key, what is proof of work, etc. If you are buying Ethereum, learn about smart contracts, how initial coin offerings and decentralized finance platforms work, etc. There are a lot of free resources on the internet with easy-to-understand explanations.
For more information, check out my big step-by-step guide about how to properly research crypto projects and crypto currencies here:
Know the crypto regulations in your country. What kind of cryptocurrencies are you allowed to buy and hold in your country? What kind of documents do you need to provide when buying crypto? How does the crypto tax regulation work? When you want to sell, always contact your crypto broker/exchange in advance to ask for the cash-out procedure, contact your bank in advance to ask what you need to provide in case you have a large amount of money flow into your account. Remember, always research these things in advance, even if you do not plan to sell immediately because it probably takes a very long time for those institutions to check and verify everything.
Do not invest more than you can afford to lose. Do not use your emergency money because crypto prices are very volatile and you might not get your money back when you need it urgently. Invest an amount that will not put you in a difficult situation if you lose it.
Never go all-in. After you have decided the total amount, you want to invest, for your first-time investment only spend part of it to buy whichever cryptocurrency you have researched and think is promising. Always have some cash at the side to buy the dip. This also reduces your risk of losing all the money when your expectation does not work out.
Accumulate knowledge about the crypto/blockchain space, such as new protocols, new developments, new projects, new regulations, general sentiments, price models, and so on. Blockchain and crypto are still at the early development stage. That is also why there are a lot of opportunities in this space. The market changes very fast, there are lots of news and developments every day. That is what makes the whole space exciting and interesting. Spend some time to read the news, you do not need to read every detail, but just the headlines and summaries are enough.