Do you mean the big institutions are the major players? It feels like retail is just along for the ride and are at the mercy of the institutions and whales.

All the analysis in the world (both technical and fundamental) doesn't seem to matter at all as long as the big players are in control. As a retail investor it honestly seems like market direction is a coin flip (especially now).

I entered the market this year and gradually put in more and more money to the point where it made me uncomfortable, so I sold with some profit after the recent crash and slight recovery. I'll regret if the market pumps from here but the risk was too great to handle another dump.

It seems to me that the "safest" way to invest is to gradually accumulate in the bear market years and then gradually sell during the bull market, while keeping the most promising bags for the long long term. I just got into crypto too late to build a proper foundation that could handle the volatility. But the lessons I've learned have been valuable. I bought back in at the last mini dip for a fraction of what I had invested before. Will suck if we just go up from here but the stress is palatable now. Just have to learn the right way to invest now.