Long vs short

Make money when it goes up, or when it goes down.

Long: up is good. Go long when you think the price will rise. If BTC goes from 100 to 110, a 1 BTC long makes 10. If it falls to 90, it loses 10.

Short: down is good. Go short when you think the price will fall. If BTC goes from 100 to 90, a 1 BTC short makes 10. If it rises to 110, it loses 10.

Same size, mirror P&L. Long and short are mirror images. The move that pays one hurts the other by the same amount. Neither side is the safe side.

Shorts can lose more than 100%. A coin can only fall to zero, but it can rise without limit. A short against a coin that triples is in deep trouble. Leverage makes that happen faster.

Pick a side with a reason. Before you press Long or Short, say why in one sentence. If you cannot, you are flipping a coin with fees attached.