Currently Bitcoin is expected to have a bull run and halving in coming time as we all know it.
Now if you were to make an investment of $100 as a beginner regardless of your country and as it stands Bitcoin is experiencing a bear market (an example) after you made 5% capital.
Initially you want to hold for a very long time but as a result of the bear market you loose your capital and half your investment yet the market is showing no sign for you to recover.
What's your next step as a first timer in Bitcoin /Altcoin trading?
You don't lose money in Bitcoin unless you sold. There is a profits and loss in buying and selling of Bitcoin and there is also Unrealized loss and profits, this is what you get when the assets you bought is showing you that you have had appreciation or depreciation but these profits and loss isn't what to you actually have until you have sold that Bitcoin, take correction when you are communicating about profits and loss so that people can understand you very well.
Bear market is inevitable in any of the market, if your focus is a long term holding and you were caught between the devils market crash, you continue to hold and buy more as the market continue to dip, buying that way is what is term as dollar cost average(DCA), you will reach a break even points where you wouldn't have profits and loss, you can chose to withdraw your investment in case you change your mind or you may hold as you intended from the beginning.