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SMC

SMC Concept: Defining the Trading Range (Step 1) On CADJPYCAD/JPY, 4H Timeframe (as demonstrated) This post outlines the first step in a methodology focused on identifying key market structure levels. The goal is to objectively define a trading range, using CAD/JPY as the example. The Process: Of a bullish Structure Identify the range Low: Locate the last retracement from the previous high, the low is deepest price level retraced to. Find the Inducement: Mark the low of the most recent pullback (retracement) before the price made a new high. Wait for Confirmation: The high is only confirmed once price returns to hit this inducement level. This validates the high as an official range boundary. A break of the confirmed high is a break of structure (BOS). A break of the confirmed low suggests a change of character (CHoCH), shifting sentiment. This is the foundational step for identifying future points of interest. The next step involves plotting POIs based on this confirmed range. This methodology is based on one that I learned from someone else on Youtube, but I have changed many details to suit my style. As a thank you note, I have referred to this person on other paltforms, but unfortunately, I don't think I can do this here as I might be violating this platform's rules. I will be posting the next steps that would lead to deciding on a trading position on step by step basis. I am already making videos but I might be using this platforms video option for later posts.
Education
by TheInvestor_Diary
Review of Gold's expected rally and why we entered long todayLook at this chart and understand why it was the only move that was likely to happen today: Firstly we already corrected all of the range down (balanced), that was the first key that we're potentially going to correct the drop next. This is how markets work; correction of imbalances and continuations of the master trend direction. The master/macro trend target is always the easiest no brain target for those of us who actually make money trading. Anytime we correct imbalances, we are looking to buy, only degenerates are looking for the short target and never realize where it is or when it's been hit--hello? It's the imbalanced ranges below, write this down: When we are bullish, price will only go down to correct the major imbalanced ranges and then continue bullish. There is no supply zone until the large wick range. I will help you understand this stuff tirelessly even for free although I charge a $100/mo mentorship I don't care if people pay me, I just want you to see the easy truths about the chart most don't see 🫡
PEPPERSTONE:XAUUSDEducation
by HollywooodTrades
Sniper Entries Made Simple: The Power of Confirmation“Smart traders don’t predict. They wait for the market to confirm their idea — then act.” Finding a mitigation zone is only half the job. Confirmation is what separates professional patience from random guessing. It’s the step that keeps you from catching a falling knife or buying too soon. Why Confirmation Matters Jumping in blindly at the zone can work sometimes — but most of the time, it’s a gamble. Confirmation gives you: Higher probability setups (not every zone holds) Tighter entries (better RR) Fewer unnecessary stop-outs The Confirmation Playbook Here’s a simple process you can use. Refer to the Gold M15 Bullish Chart (Sep 2, 2025) above — it shows this process step by step. Step 1: Mark the Zone Identify your mitigation block or demand zone after a BoS. Step 2: Wait for Price to Tap Be patient — let price react at this zone. Step 3: Look for a Sweep Notice how price often sweeps liquidity below the zone first — this fuels the reversal. Step 4: Drop to Lower Timeframe (M1 or M5) Watch for micro-structure shift in your favor: micro-ChoCH micro-BoS Strong rejection wicks or engulfing candles Step 5: Enter with Tight Risk Take the trade after confirmation and set SL just beyond the sweep. This gives you a small stop with a high RR potential. Live Example (Gold) In the XAUUSD bullish M15 chart above, you can see: BoS creates a demand zone Price returns and sweeps liquidity below demand zone On lower timeframe, we get micro-ChoCH → micro-BoS confirmation Entry is taken at micro-POI with tight SL, catching the next impulsive leg Notice how confirmation turned a risky breakout buy into a sniper entry with a clean risk-reward profile. 📘 Shared by @ChartIsMirror Do you already use confirmation techniques like ChoCH + BoS, or do you prefer instant entries at zones? Share your experience in the comments — what’s your go-to trigger?
OANDA:XAUUSDEducation
by ChartIsMirror
Master TradingView Like a Pro – Tools, Alerts, and Hidden Gems!Are you really using everything TradingView has to offer? In this video, I’m breaking down 8 powerful features inside TradingView that most traders don’t fully use — even though they can save time, improve your analysis, and help you catch better setups. Here’s what I’ll walk you through step by step: ✅ How I use Drawing Tools to map market structure ✅ Why I rarely use indicators — but why you should still know them ✅ How to scan markets fast using the Screener & Heatmap ✅ The right way to use the Economic Calendar and avoid news traps ✅ The feature I use daily: Price Alerts (a total game changer) ✅ How to practice with zero risk using Paper Trading ✅ Using Multi-Chart Layouts to watch multiple timeframes ✅ And finally — how the TradingView Community helped me grow and connect Whether you're just getting started or already experienced — this video is packed with value. Watch it till the end, and if you find it helpful — like, comment, and share it to support my work! Best, Arman Shaban
Education
by ArmanShabanTrading
21
SMC Trading Basics. Liquidity Zones & How to Identify Them In the today's article, I will teach you the concept of liquidity zones and how to identify them properly, trading Forex, Gold, Crypto and Indexes. Simply put, a liquidity zone is a certain area on a price chart where a significant concentration of trading volumes occurred. Huge trading volumes signify the presence of big players: hedge funds, banks, etc... Correct identification of liquidity zones is essential for smart money trading, because such zones provide the safest and the most profitable trading opportunities. There are 3 common characteristics of a valid liquidity zone: 1. Huge volume spikes upon its test Take a look at the underlined blue area on USDCAD. We see sharp volume spikes when the market was testing that area. 2. Strong rejections from such an area with a formation of long wicks Look how the price reacts to the liquidity zone on USDJPY. We see multiple strong rejections from that. 3. Long consolidation within that zone Bitcoin was "standing" on a liquidity zone for more than 3 weeks, barely moving while trading volumes were quietly accumulating. 4. Multiple strong bullish or bearish reactions to that area Just look how many times the underlined area was respected by the buyers and by the sellers. That is a perfect example of a liquidity zone. To underline a liquidity zone properly, follow these simple rules: 1. If the price is ABOVE the liquidity zone, its lower boundary will be the lowest wick within that area and its upper boundary will be the lowest candle close. Such a liquidity zone will be called a demand area. Here is the example of drawing a liquidity zone on GBPUSD. The lower boundary of the zone is the lowest wick, while its upper boundary is the lowest candle close. 2. If the price is BELOW the liquidity zone, its upper boundary will be the highest wick within that area and its lower boundary will be the highest candle close. Such a liquidity zone will be called a supply area. Here is the liquidity zone that I identified on Gold following our rules. Remember, that you can identify liquidity zones on any time frame. However, the rule is that the higher is the time frame, the stronger is the liquidity zone. I prefer to analyze the liquidity zones on a daily time frame. Once you underlined liquidity zones, you should realize that within these areas, big players are expected to place their orders in the future. For that reason, after the tests of such areas, a strong bullish or bearish movements will be expected. Here is a huge liquidity zone that I spotted on GBPJPY. Look at a strong bearish movement that initiated after its test. Your task as a smart money trader will be to identify bullish or bearish confirmations and understand the intentions of big players. With experience, you will learn to recognize valid signals. ❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️ I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis.
TRADENATION:XAUUSDEducation
by VasilyTrader
12
Ultimate Guide to Master: Rejection BlocksRejection Blocks (ICT Concept) – Complete Guide 1. What is a Rejection Block? 
 A rejection block is a special type of price level that forms when the market attempts to push through but gets denied and reverses. Unlike a traditional order block, which represents accumulation or distribution by institutions, a rejection block shows a failed attempt to continue in one direction. It is a footprint of rejection and often becomes a strong reaction zone in the future. There are two types: Bullish Rejection Block: Forms from a bearish candle whose low is taken out, but price fails to continue lower and closes back above. The low of that candle becomes the key level. Bearish Rejection Block: Forms from a bullish candle whose high is breached, but price fails to continue higher and closes back inside. The high of that candle becomes the key level. These levels can act as hidden support or resistance and often serve as high-probability entry points when combined with market structure. 2. How to Spot a Valid Rejection Block 
 To correctly identify rejection blocks, you need to look for: 1. Clear Attempt Beyond a Candle 
 Price must trade beyond the high or low of a prior candle, suggesting continuation. 2. Failure and Return 
 After breaching the level, price fails and closes back inside the candle’s body. 3. Liquidity Context 
 A rejection block is more powerful if the wick that caused it swept liquidity (equal highs/lows or a previous key level). 4. Higher Timeframe Confluence 
 The best rejection blocks line up with higher timeframe bias (for example, spotting a bearish rejection block inside a 4H premium zone during a downtrend). 3. How to Trade Rejection Blocks 
 Trading them involves waiting for price to come back to the rejection block level and using it as an entry or reaction zone. Bullish Setup: When price trades below a bearish candle, fails, and closes higher, mark the low of that candle. On a retracement, price often retests that level as support. Bearish Setup: When price trades above a bullish candle, fails, and closes lower, mark the high of that candle. On a retracement, price often retests that level as resistance. Entry Technique: 
 You can enter "blindly" when you're understanding the confluences. But to begin with do this Instead, when price returns to the rejection block, drop to a lower timeframe and look for confirmation such as: * Fair Value Gap (FVG) entries. * Market Structure Shift (MSS). * Liquidity sweeps into the level. Stop Loss Placement: 
 Always place stops beyond the rejection candle itself (above the high for bearish RB, below the low for bullish RB). 4. Practical Examples and Market Context 
 Rejection blocks work best when they appear in the following situations: Liquidity Sweeps: After equal highs or equal lows are taken out, a rejection block often marks the failure point. Inside Premium/Discount Zones: In a bearish bias, look for bearish RBs in premium pricing. In a bullish bias, look for bullish RBs in discount pricing. During Consolidation Breakouts: If the market fakes a breakout and closes back inside, the rejection block often becomes the level to fade the fake move. For example, if BTC takes out a prior daily high, prints a rejection block, and then closes back inside, the odds of reversal are high, especially if price was already in premium territory. 5. Combining Rejection Blocks with ICT Concepts 
 To increase accuracy, always combine RBs with ICT’s other tools: Fair Value Gaps: If a rejection block aligns with an FVG, it adds strength to the level. Market Structure Shifts: A rejection block is more powerful if followed by displacement and an MSS. CISD Pattern: A rejection block often forms right after the “Stop Hunt” part of the CISD sequence, serving as a clean entry. Liquidity Pools: Look for RBs near equal highs/lows, old highs/lows, or session liquidity (London/New York). Conclusion 
 Rejection blocks are subtle but highly effective levels that show where the market tried to extend but failed, leaving behind a hidden form of support or resistance. By themselves they are useful, but when combined with ICT concepts like liquidity sweeps, MSS, and FVGs, they become powerful entry tools. The key is to always wait for price to return and confirm the level before entering, and to only trade them in alignment with higher timeframe bias. Disclosure: I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis. ___________________________________ Thanks for your support!
If you found this idea helpful or learned something new, drop a like 👍 and leave a comment, I’d love to hear your thoughts! 🚀
TRADENATION:BTCUSDEducation
by TehThomas
52
Break of Structure VS Liquidity Grab. How to Identify Valid BoS The main problem with break of structure trading is that you can easily confuse that with a liquidity grab. But don't worry. There is a secret SMC price model that will help you to confirm a break of structure in a second. Learn smart money concepts trading secrets and a simple strategy to trade break of structure on any forex pair. Let's study a break of structure that I spotted on AUDUSD forex pair. We see that the market is bullish on a daily time frame and the price has just violated a previous high with a break of structure. The issue with that is the fact that such a violation can easily be a liquidity grab and a bullish trap . Buying the market immediately after a BoS, we can incur a huge loss . We need something that would help us to accurate validate that. Fortunately, there is a simple price model in SMC that will help. After you spotted a break of structure on a daily time frame, use a 4h time frame for its validation. After a BoS on a daily time frame, the market usually starts retracing , setting a new local high. To confirm that it is not a trap, you will need a break of THAT structure on a 4H time frame. It will increase the probabilities that the entire bullish movement that you see on a daily is not a manipulation. Here is what exactly we need. After the price violated a daily structure and closed above that, we see a minor intraday retracement on a 4h time frame. A bullish violation of the last high there is our BoS confirmation and a clear indicator of the strength of the buyers. You can execute a buy trade, following a simple strategy then. Set a buy limit order on a retest of a broken high on a 4H, a stop loss should be below the last higher low, a take profit is based on the next supply zone on a daily. To avoid the traps, a single time frame is not enough for profitable trading break of structure. Learn to integrate multiple time frames in smart money concepts trading. It will help you make thousands of pips weekly. ❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️ I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis.
TRADENATION:XAUUSDEducation
by VasilyTrader
23
How to Do Structure Mapping with Multiple Time Frames Analysis If you think that structure mapping is not efficient for profitable trading, you get it wrong . What newbies traders always miss is that structure mapping works effectively only with multiple time frame analysis. In this article, I will show you how you can build profitable trading plans and accurate predictions on forex market with structure mapping alone. Learn top-down analysis secrets and how to map structure properly in Smart Money Concepts SMC ICT. In order to effectively use structure mapping for scalping, day trading and swing trading , always start it from higher time frames. Examine my complete structure mapping on USDJPY forex pair on a daily time frame. You can see that first, the pair was trading in a strong bearish trend. Then, we had a confirmed bullish reversal with Change of Character. After that, the market started an extended consolidating movement, not being able to update the highs. And finally, the last bullish wave managed to update a high , confirming a completion of a consolidation and a resumption of a bullish trend. Structure mapping reveals that USDJPY is now bullish on a daily and the last bearish movement is a correction in uptrend. We can expect a start of a new bullish wave soon. To understand when exactly it is going to happen, you will need to dive your analysis deeper . You should start structure mapping on lower time frames. And you should execute a price action analysis there in relation to your structure mapping on a higher time frame. 4H time frame structure mapping will reveal a price action within the last bearish move that we spotted on a daily. We see that the market is trading in a bearish trend and the price started a local correctional movement after a formation of the last low. 4h time frame structure mapping provided a detailed intra week perspective. Hourly time frame analysis, we reveal hidden intraday trends that will unveil more insights. And why are we doing all that? Remember that big waves always start from minor reversals. The earlier you are able to find strong confirmations, the earlier you will open a trading position and the more profits you will make. On an hourly time frame, our structure mapping shows that the market is already bullish. A bearish trend that USDJPY followed is already violated, and the price is updating the highs. Following our analysis, the only thing that we need to confirm a start of a bullish trend is a confirmed trend reversal and a change of character on a 4H time frame. It will validate an intra week bullish trend. We will need the price to break the underlined blue resistance based on the last lower high in a bearish trend. That will provide an accurate signal for us to buy. And we can anticipate a rise a least to a current daily higher high then. When you do structure mapping on forex market, never forget to do that on multiple time frames. Multiple perspectives and short-term/mid-term/long-term projections will help you to build a more efficient trading plan. Remember that you can expand your structure mapping even for minute time frames. It will provide a unique perspective for scalping forex. ❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️
OANDA:XAUUSDEducation
by VasilyTrader
6
Market Manipulations. Bullish Trap (Smart Money Concepts SMC) In the today's article, we will discuss how smart money manipulate the market with a bullish trap . In simple words, a bullish trap is a FALSE bullish signal created by big players. With a bullish trap, the smart money aims to: 1️⃣ Increase demand for an asset, encouraging the market participant to buy it. 2️⃣ Make sellers close their positions in a loss . When a short position is closed, it is automatically BOUGHT by the market. Take a look at a key horizontal resistance on AUDCHF. Many times in the past, the market dropped from that. For sellers, it is a perfect area to short from. Bullish violation of the underlined zone make sellers close their position in a loss and attracts buyers. Then the market suddenly starts falling heavily, revealing the presence of smart money. Both the sellers and the buyers lose their money because of the manipulation. There are 2 main reasons why the smart money manipulates the markets in a such a way: 1️⃣ - A big player is seeking to close a huge long position When a long position is closed, it is automatically SOLD to the market. In order to sell a huge position, smart money needs a counterpart who will buy their position. Triggering stop losses of sellers and creating a false demand, smart money sell their position partially to the crowd. 2️⃣ - A big player wants to open a huge short position But why the smart money can't just close their long position or open short without a manipulation? A big sell order placed by the institutional trader, closing their long position, can have an impact on the price of the asset. If the sell order is large enough, it can push the price downward as sellers outnumber buyers. Smart money are trying to balance the supply and demand on the market, hiding their presence. It is quite complicated for the newbies and even for experienced traders to recognize a bullish trap. One of the efficient ways is to apply multiple time frame analysis and price action. Remember, that most of the time bullish traps occur on key horizontal or vertical resistances. After you see a breakout, analyze lower time frames. Quite often, after a breakout, the market starts ranging . After a breakout of a key daily resistance, gold started to consolidate within a narrow range on an hourly time frame. Bearish breakout of the support of the range will indicate a strength of the sellers and a highly probable bullish trap. Remember, that you can not spot all the traps, and occasionally you will be fooled by smart money. However, with experience, you will learn to recognize common bullish traps. ❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️ I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis.
TRADENATION:XAUUSDEducation
by VasilyTrader
17
Accurate Price Model for Trading Smart Money Concepts SMC (= If you trade Smart Money Concepts SMC, there is one single pattern that you should learn to identify. In this article, you will learn an accurate price model that you can use to predict a strong bullish or bearish movement way before it happens. Read carefully and discover how to track the silent actions of smart money on any market. The only thing that you need to learn to easily find this pattern is basic Structure Mapping . After you map significant highs and lows, you will quickly recognize it. This SMC pattern has 2 models: bullish and bearish ones. Let's start with a bearish setup first. Examine a structure of this pattern it should be based on 2 important elements. The price should set a sequence of equal lows. These equal lows will compose a demand zone. The area where a buying interest will concentrate. The minimum number of equal lows and lowers highs should be 2 to make a model valid. Exhausting of bullish moves will signify a loss of confidence in a demand zone . Less and less market participants will open buy positions from that. At some moment, a demand zone will stop holding. Its bearish breakout will provide a strong bearish signal , and a bearish continuation will most likely follow. This price model will signify a market manipulation by Smart Money. They will not intentionally let the price fall, not letting it break a demand zone. A buying interest that will arise consequently will be used as a source of liquidity. Smart money will grab liquidity of the buyers, silently accumulating huge volumes of selling orders. Once they get enough of that, a bearish rally will start, with a demand zone breakout as a trigger. Though, the chart model that I shared above has a strong bullish impulse, preceding its formation, remember that it is not mandatory. The price may also form a bearish impulse first and for a pattern then. Each bullish movement that initiates after a formation of an equal low should be weaker than a previous one. So that the price should set a lower high every time after a formation of an equal low. Look at a price action on USDCHF forex pair. Way before the price dropped, you could easily identify a market manipulation of Smart Money and selling orders accumulation. A breakout of a horizontal demand zone was a final bearish confirmation signal. Let's study its bullish model. It has a similar structure. The price should set a sequence of equal highs, respecting a horizontal supply zone. Each bearish move that follows after its test should have a shorter length, forming a higher low with its completion. This model will be also valid if it forms after a completion of a bearish impulse. Weakening bearish movements will signify a loss of confidence in a supply zone, with fewer and fewer market participants selling that. Its bullish breakout will be an important even that will confirm a highly probable strong bullish continuation. Smart Money will use this price model to manipulate the market and accumulate buying orders, not letting the price go through a supply zone. They will grab a liquidity of the sellers each time a bearish move follows from a supply zone. When they finally get enough of a liquidity, a bullish rally will initiate and a supply zone will be broken , providing a strong confirmation signal. That price model was spotted on GBPJPY forex pair. Smart Money were manipulating the market, not letting it continue rallying by creating a significant horizontal supply zone. Selling orders that were executed after its tests provided a liquidity for them. A bullish breakout of the underlined zone provides a strong bullish confirmation signal. A breakout and a future rise could be easily predicted once this price model appeared. Why they do it? But why do Smart Money manipulate the markets that way? The answer is simple: in comparison to retail traders, they trade with huge trading orders . To hide their presence and to not impact market prices much, they split their positions into a set of tiny orders that they execute, grabbing the liquidity. The price model that we discussed today is the example how they do it. The important thing to note about this pattern is that it efficiently works on any market and any time frame. You can use that for scalping, day trading, swing trading. And it can help you find great investing opportunities. ❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️ I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis.
TRADENATION:XAUUSDEducation
by VasilyTrader
6
Mastering Buy Side and Sell Side Liquidity - How to trade it!In trading, understanding liquidity is one of the keys to predicting where the market might go next. The Inner Circle Trader (ICT) method teaches traders how to recognize where big players like banks and institutions are likely to enter or exit trades. Two important ideas in ICT trading are buy side liquidity and sell side liquidity. Once you understand what these terms mean and how to spot them on a chart, you can start using them to find better trading opportunities. What will be discussed? - What is Buy Side Liquidity? - What is Sell Side Liquidity? - How do you see Buy and Sell Side Liquidity? - Examples - How to trade BSL and SLL Liquidity? What is Buy Side Liquidity Buy side liquidity is found above market highs. It refers to all the stop loss orders from people who are holding short positions. When the market is going down, some traders sell (or go short) and place their stop losses above recent highs to protect themselves. These stop losses are actually buy orders because closing a short position requires buying. Big institutions know this, so they push price upward to trigger those stop losses and grab that liquidity. That’s why you’ll often see the market spike above a recent high before reversing. That spike is the market grabbing buy side liquidity. What is Sell Side Liquidity Sell side liquidity is the opposite. It’s found below recent lows. This is where traders who are buying (going long) place their stop losses. If someone buys a market, they’ll usually put a stop loss just below a previous low. That stop loss is a sell order. Smart money looks at these areas as pools of sell side liquidity. So when the market moves down quickly and breaks a recent low, it’s likely collecting those sell stop orders. After that, you’ll often see a reversal because the liquidity has been taken. How do you see Buy and Sell Side Liquidity? You can spot buy side and sell side liquidity by looking at the chart and identifying recent highs and lows where many traders might have placed stop losses. These are usually obvious swing highs and swing lows. If you look at a chart and see a clean high where price previously reversed, that’s likely where traders are placing stops. That makes it a target for buy side liquidity. Same for a recent low, if it’s a clean level where people might have bought in the past, that low probably holds sell side liquidity. The more obvious the level looks, the more likely it’s full of stops and therefore a liquidity target. Examples How to trade BSL and SLL Liquidity? Trading liquidity means watching for the market to run above a recent high (to take buy side liquidity) or below a recent low (to take sell side liquidity), and then looking for signs of reversal. Once liquidity has been taken, the market often changes direction. When you’re trading the ICT concept of liquidity, the key is not just spotting where liquidity lies, but also knowing when price is likely to reverse after that liquidity has been taken. Reversals don’t happen randomly, they leave clues on the chart. Here’s how you can recognize those signs in a simple way: 1. Market Structure Break This is one of the clearest signs of a reversal. Let’s say the market grabs sell side liquidity by breaking below a recent low. If price then quickly starts moving up and breaks above the last lower high, that’s a break in structure. It shows that sellers are losing control and buyers are stepping in. It’s the first confirmation that the direction might be changing. 2. Rejection Wicks or Strong Candles After price runs into liquidity (above a high or below a low), watch the candlesticks closely. If you see a long wick rejecting the level, or a strong candle in the opposite direction right after the liquidity grab, that’s a clue. It means price went there, collected the orders, and got rejected fast. That rejection shows the market might be reversing. 3. Fair Value Gaps (FVGs) Fair value gaps are small “windows” left in price when it moves quickly in one direction. After liquidity is taken and price starts reversing, it often leaves an FVG behind. If price pulls back into that gap and holds, that can be a great entry point. FVGs act like magnets and support zones in ICT. 4. Displacement Displacement is a strong, impulsive move that breaks structure. It usually happens right after liquidity is taken. If price moves very fast in the opposite direction after hitting a liquidity level, that’s a good sign smart money is behind the move and it’s not just random noise. That strong push is a hint that a new trend might be forming. 5. Change in Character (CHOCH) This is a shift in how the market behaves. For example, price might be making lower highs and lower lows (a bearish trend), but after liquidity is taken, it suddenly starts making higher highs and higher lows. That change in character tells you the trend might be reversing. ------------------------- Disclosure: I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis. Thanks for your support. If you enjoyed this analysis, make sure to follow me so you don't miss the next one. And if you found it helpful, feel free to drop a like 👍 and leave a comment 💬, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
TRADENATION:BTCUSDEducation
by Youriverse
71
Simple Swing Trading Strategy with Smart Money Concept Explained I will share with you the essential basics of swing trading forex gold with Smart Money Concepts. You will learn how to do swing trading with the best SMC strategy. I will teach you to c ombine order blocks, liquidity zones and imbalances to spot accurate entries and confirmation signals. If you just started learning swing trading Forex with Smart Money Concepts, I strictly recommend trading with the trend only. The cases and examples that we will discuss will be strictly trend-following ones. Swing Trading with SMC in Uptrend For swing buying any forex pair, we will look for the market that is trading in a bullish trend. To confirm that the market is rising, you will need to execute structure mapping and find a forex pair that updates Higher Highs HH and Higher Lows HL. Above is the example how I confirmed that GBPUSD is bullish with structure mapping. You can see that the pair consistently updates the highs. Once you identified a bullish pair, your next step will be to find the zone from where the next swing move will follow. According to the rules, the market remains in uptrend till the price is staying above or on the level of the last Higher Low HL. Here is such a zone on GBPUSD. It is based on the last Higher Low and current price levels. We will assume that buying orders will concentrate within that area and from that a bullish rally will follow. The problem is that this area is extremely wide, and we can not just buy randomly within. Our next step will be to find liquidity zones within. To buy, we need demand areas. I found 4 price action based historic demand zones on GBPUSD. We will need to wait for the test of one of these zones and then wait for an order block - a place where smart money are placing their buy orders. The problem is that we don't know in which of these areas the order block is, so we will need to wait for tests of these zones and a consequent imbalance to confirm it. To confirm a bullish imbalance for swing trading Forex, I recommend analyzing a 4H time frame after a test of a demand zone. According to Smart Money Concepts, a bullish imbalance can be any sign of strength of the buyers : bullish breakout of a vertical/horizontal resistance, change of character, high momentum bullish candle, bullish price action pattern, etc. An order block on GBPUSD was confirmed with a breakout of a resistance line of a falling channel on a 4H time frame. That was the signal that Smart Money are buying, and that is your signal to open a swing long trade. You place a buy position then with a stop loss below the order block and a target - at least a current high. Swing Trading with SMC in Downtrend For swing selling any forex pair, you will need to find a market that is trading in a bearish trend. I suggest applying structure mapping to identify such a pair. It simply should update Lower Lows LL and Lower Highs consistently. USDCAD is trading in a bearish trend. Structure mapping helps to easily confirm that. Then, we will need to identify the zone from where the next bearish wave will start. According to Smart Money Concepts structure mapping rules, the market remains bearish till the price is staying below or on the level of the last Lower High LH. That's such a zone on USDCAD. It is based on current prices and the last Lower High. We will assume that selling orders will be distributed along the entire lenth of our zone. Of course, we can not sell randomly within that zone because it is relatively extended. Our next task will be to find liquidity supply zones within. I found 2 price action based supply zones within our underlined area. Before we sell, we will need to find an order block. A place from where smart money are selling big. To spot that, I suggest waiting for a test of one of our supply zones and wait for a bearish imbalance on a 4H time frame. According to SMC, a bearish imbalance can be a bearish high momentum candle, a bearish CHoCH, a bearish price action pattern, a bearish breakout of a horizontal/vertical support , etc. You can see that a lower supply zone was tested on USDCAD. Our bearish order block confirmation is a bearish Change of Character, a formation of a high momentum bearish candle and a breakout of a rising trend line. After that we can open a swing sell position and expect a bearish movement at least to a current low. Stop loss should lie strictly above the order block. TP should be at least a c urrent low. That is how a trade should be executed on USDCAD pair. Remember that there is no guarantee that the order block will be within a liquidity zone. You should learn to track the signs of smart money and their operations. A proper combination of a trend analysis, liquidity zones and order block is the essential basis of a profitable swing trading Forex. Mastering that, practice recognizing the imbalances and confirmations for spotting the best swing trading entries. ❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️ I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis.
TRADENATION:XAUUSDEducation
by VasilyTrader
4
Mastering the Bollinger Bands- How to use it in trading?What is the Bollinger Bands
Bollinger Bands is a popular technical analysis tool developed by John Bollinger in the 1980s. It is designed to measure market volatility and provide signals for potential price reversals or trend continuations. The Bollinger Bands consist of three lines: a simple moving average in the middle, usually calculated over 20 periods, and two outer bands that are placed a set number of standard deviations above and below the moving average. These outer bands automatically adjust to market conditions, expanding and contracting based on price volatility. The indicator is widely used by traders to understand the relative highs and lows of a financial instrument in relation to recent price action. What will be discussed? - How does it work with the lower band and upper band? - What does the narrowing mean? - What does the widening mean? - How to trade with the Bollingers Bands? ------------------------- How does it work with the lower band and upper band? 
The upper band and the lower band serve as dynamic levels of resistance and support. When the price of an asset touches or exceeds the upper band, it may be considered overbought, suggesting that a reversal or pullback could be near. Conversely, when the price approaches or breaks below the lower band, the asset may be viewed as oversold, indicating a potential rebound. These bands do not generate definitive buy or sell signals on their own but instead help traders assess market conditions. The interaction of price with the upper and lower bands often provides visual cues about the momentum and direction of the market, allowing for more informed decision-making. ------------------------- What does the narrowing mean? 
 The narrowing of the Bollinger Bands occurs when the price becomes less volatile over time. This contraction indicates a period of consolidation or low market activity, where the price is trading in a tighter range. Narrowing bands are often interpreted as a signal that a significant price movement may be coming soon, as low volatility tends to precede high volatility. This phase is sometimes referred to as the "squeeze," and traders closely monitor it to anticipate breakout opportunities. The direction of the breakout, whether upward or downward, is not predicted by the narrowing itself but usually follows shortly after the bands have contracted. ------------------------- What does the widening mean? 
The widening of the Bollinger Bands reflects increasing market volatility. When the price starts to move rapidly either up or down, the bands spread further apart to accommodate this movement. This expansion typically confirms that a new trend is underway or that a breakout has occurred. The wider the bands become, the greater the degree of price fluctuation. During these times, traders may observe stronger momentum in the market, and the continuation of the move may be supported by the growing distance between the bands. However, extremely wide bands may also suggest that a reversal could be nearing, as the market can become overstretched in either direction. ------------------------- How to trade with the Bollinger Bands?
 Trading with Bollinger Bands involves using the bands to identify entry and exit points based on the behavior of price in relation to the upper and lower bands. One common approach is to buy when the price touches or breaks below the lower band and shows signs of bouncing back, and to sell when the price reaches or moves above the upper band and begins to retreat. Another strategy involves waiting for the bands to narrow significantly and then entering a trade in the direction of the breakout that follows. Traders often use Bollinger Bands in combination with other indicators such as RSI, MACD, or volume to confirm signals and reduce the risk of false breakouts. It is important to remember that Bollinger Bands are not predictive on their own but are most effective when used as part of a broader technical analysis framework. ------------------------- Disclosure: I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis. Thanks for your support. - Make sure to follow me so you don't miss out on the next analysis! - Drop a like and leave a comment!
TRADENATION:BTCUSDEducation
by Youriverse
31
How to Trade Liquidity Sweep in Forex Market (SMC Trading) I will show you a real example of trading liquidity sweep with Smart Money Concepts. You will learn the essential SMC liquidity basics, a simple and profitable strategy to identify and trade liquidity sweep. I will share with you an accurate entry confirmation signal that works perfectly on any Forex pair. Liquidity Basics In order to trade liquidity sweeps profitably, you should learn to identify significant liquidity zones. To spot them, analyze a historic price action and find clusters of important historic key levels. Examine a price action on EURUSD on an hourly time frame. I underlined multiple horizontal key levels. The price respected each level, found support on them, and rebounded. What is so specific about these levels is that they are lying close to each other, composing a liquidity cluster. That fact that EURUSD strongly bounced from these levels suggests that buying interest and high buying volumes were concentrated around them. We can unite these levels and treat them as a single demand zone that has just been broken and turned into a supply zone. After we found a valid liquidity zone, we can look for a liquidity sweep. First, we should let the price approach that area and look for a specific price behavior then. That is a perfect example of a liquidity sweep. You can see that the price formed a wide range candle with a long tail. Its high went way beyond the underlined area, but its body closed within. In order to understand, why a liquidity sweep occurred, let's zoom in our chart and try to understand a behavior of the market participants. Our supply zone concentrated selling orders , we assume that sellers were placing their orders across its entire length. Their stop losses were presumably lying above that area. Smart Money know that and with a liquidity sweep they manipulate the market, making sellers close their positions in a loss (buying back their positions from the market) and providing a liquidity for big players. After a formation of a such a candlestick, a reliable confirmation of a saturation of the Smart Money is a formation of a strong bearish candle - a clear sign of strength of the sellers. A bearish engulfing candle above confirmed a completion of a liquidity sweep and indicates a highly probable bearish continuation. Your perfect sell entry is immediately after a close of such a candlestick. Stop loss should strictly lie above the high of a liquidity sweep. Take profit is based on a local low. Look, how quickly the price reached the goal. Your strategy of trading liquidity sweeps of demand zones is absolutely the same. Let the price test a demand zone, wait for a formation of wide range bearish candle with a tail going below its lows. Wait for a bullish imbalance candle and buy immediately then. Stop loss will be below the low of a liquidity sweep, take profit - a local high. This SMC strategy works on any time frame and can be applied for trading any Forex pair, Gold, Silver, Crypto and commodities. Try it by your own and let me know your results. ❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️ I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis.
Education
by VasilyTrader
14
Internal and external liquidity Here's another mechanical lesson for you. In my last post I covered a mechanical technique to identify swing ranges. Rule-based, simple and repeatable. In this post, I want to share another little technique, again part of the mechanical series. But this time I want to talk about liquidity. Most traders talk about liquidity, they might even have a grasp of what it is. But most do not know how liquidity forms the sentiment and how that creates a type of algo for the market. You might have heard of Elliott wave theory. There is a saying along the lines of "you ask 10 Elliott traders for their count and you get 11 answers". But the point is here, when you simplify the concept, it's clear to see that sentiment caused by liquidity swings is what causes a repeatable pattern in the market. Let's take the idea of the ranges from my last post. Now after a fair amount of accumulation, this level becomes "defended" - the price will gradually move up until old short stop losses are tagged and new long entries are entered into. This allows the institutional players to open up their orders without setting off the alarm bells. Price then comes back from external liquidity to find internal liquidity (more on this in a later post). But then it looks for the next fresh highs. As the highs are put in, we can use the range technique to move our range to the new area as seen in the image above. Next we will be looking for an internal move, not just internal to the range, but a fractal move on the smaller timeframe that drives the pullback down. See this in blue. The logic here is simple; on the smaller timeframes we have witnessed an accumulation at the 2 region and as we spike up for 3; we will witness a distribution on the smaller timeframes. Wyckoff called this the accumulation, followed by a mark-up and then the distribution and a mark-down. It is this pattern, over and over again that leads to this type of structure. This will then be re-branded by various analysts who will call it things like a head and shoulders, smart money will see a change of character and a retest before breaking the structure. This is all the same thing - just a different naming convention. Again, I hope this helps some of you out there! Disclaimer This idea does not constitute as financial advice. It is for educational purposes only, our principal trader has over 25 years' experience in stocks, ETF's, and Forex. Hence each trade setup might have different hold times, entry or exit conditions, and will vary from the post/idea shared here. You can use the information from this post to make your own trading plan for the instrument discussed. Trading carries a risk; a high percentage of retail traders lose money. Please keep this in mind when entering any trade. Stay safe.
COINBASE:BTCUSDEducation
by Mayfair_Ventures
10
SMC Trading Basics. Change of Character - CHoCH (GOLD FOREX) In the today's post, we will discuss one of the most crucial concepts in SMC - Change of Character. Change of Character relates to market trend analysis. In order to understand its meaning properly, first, we will discuss how Smart Money traders execute trend analysis. 🔘Smart Money Traders apply price action for the identification of the direction of the market. They believe that the trend is bullish , if the price forms at least 2 bullish impulse with 2 consequent higher highs and a higher low between them. The market trend is considered to be bearish , if the market forms at least 2 bearish impulses with 2 consequent lower lows and a lower high between them. Here is how the trend analysis looks in practice. One perceives the price action as the set of impulse and retracement legs. According to the rules described above, USDCAD is trading in a bullish trend because the pair set 2 higher lows and 2 higher highs. 🔘Of course, trends do not last forever. A skill of the identification of the market reversal is a key to substantial profits in trading. Change of Character will help you quite accurately identify a bullish and bearish trend violation. 📉In a bearish trend, the main focus is the level of the last lower high. While the market is trading below or on that, the trend remains bearish . However, its bullish violation is a very important bullish signal, it is called a Change of Character, and it signifies a confirmed violation of a bearish trend. In a bearish trend, CHoCH is a very powerful bullish pattern. Take a look, how accurate CHoCH indicated the trend reversal on Gold. After a massive selloff, a bullish breakout of the level of the last lower high confirmed the initiation of a strong bullish wave. 📈In a bullish trend, the main point of interest is the level of the last higher low. While the price is trading above that or on that, the trend remains bullish. A bearish violation of the last higher low level signifies the violation of a current bullish trend. It is called a Change of Character, and it is a very accurate bearish pattern. Take a look at the example on Dollar Index below. In a bullish trend, bearish violation of the last higher low level quite accurately predicted a coming bearish reversal. Change of Character is one of the simplest , yet accurate SMC patterns that you should know. First, learn to properly execute the price action analysis and identify HH, HL, LL, LH and then CHoCH will be your main tool for the identification of the trend reversal. ❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️ I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis.
TRADENATION:XAUUSDEducation
by VasilyTrader
9
Learn Best Change of Character CHoCH Model in Trading with SMC Most of the SMC traders get Change of Character CHoCH WRONG! In this article, I will share with you Change of Character models that have a low accuracy and better to be avoided. I will teach you the best CHoCH model for Forex Gold trading and show you how to identify it easily. Let's start with the basic theory first and discuss what Change of Character signifies. Change of Character in Bearish Trend In a downtrend, Change of Character CHoCH is an important event that signifies a violation of a bearish trend. CHoCH is confirmed when the price breaks and closes above the level of the last lower high. Above, is a text book Change of Character model in a bearish trend. For the newbie traders, such a price action provides a strong signal to buy while it fact it is NOT . One crucial thing is missing in this model to confirm a bullish reversal. According to basic trend analysis rules, we say that the market trend is bullish if the price forms a bullish impulse, retraces and sets a Higher Low HH , forms a new bullish impulse with a new Higher High HH. Only then, we can say that the market is trading in up trend. CHoCH model above confirms a bearish trend violation BUT it does not confirm a trend change. Such a model may easily signify a deeper correction. Look what happened with GBPNZD. Though the price formed a confirmed bearish CHoCH, it was a false signal and just an extended correction. That's a perfect bullish reversal model. It combines CHoCH and conditions for a bullish trend. Such a union is extremely accurate in predicting up movements. Examine a price action on USDJPY. Not only the price formed a confirmed CHoCH but also we see a start of a new bullish trend. Change of Character in Bullish Trend In an uptrend, Change of Character CHoCH is a significant event that signifies a violation of a bullish trend. CHoCH is confirmed when the price breaks and closes below the level of the last higher low. Above is a typical model of a bearish CHoCH. For many traders, that is the signal to open short. However, it is not that accurate and one important component is missing there. According to basic price action rules, the market trend is bearish if the price forms at least 2 bearish impulses with Lower Lows LL and a pullback between them with a Lower High LH. Only when these 3 conditions are met, a bearish trend is confirmed . Perfect bearish Change of Character model should include both CHoCH and a bearish trend price action. That will confirm a violation of a bullish trend and start of a new bearish trend. EURCAD has a very strong potential to continue falling: not only we see a valid bearish Change of Character but also a start of a new bearish trend based on a price action. Next time when you identify CHoCH on forex market, make sure that you check the preceding price action. It will help you to more accurate assess reversal probabilities and make a wiser trading decision. ❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️ I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis.
TRADENATION:XAUUSDEducation
by VasilyTrader
1
Mechanical rangesMany traders will talk about things like "Smart Money Concepts" (SMC) and think they have found something new. The truth is, everything in trading stems back to Liquidity. There is no "Algo" nobody is out to get you specifically. The market is always right, where you position yourself is your own choice. I have written several posts on mechanical trading, recorded a number of streams. The more mechanical you can make the process, the less the emotions have a chance to kick your ass. Let me give you a very simple method of being able to identify the ranges. Ignore the timeframes as this will work on any of them, on most instruments. (I say most, as some behave differently due to how it attracts liquidity). Lets assume high end crypto such as Bitcoin (BTC) and of course Forex in the general sense, stocks, commodities etc. This is simple - only 2 rules. You start by zooming out and giving yourself a general feel for the trend. Let's say this looks to be an uptrend - we now need to understand the rules. An opposing candle can simply be defined by a different colour. If the trend is up (Green) and we see a red candle - then it's an opposing candle. The inverse is true, if we are down and the trend is Red. Then a Green candle would be opposing. This is only half of the story. The second rule is a pullback candle or even a sequence of candles. This simply means either the very same opposing candle that doesn't make a new high or low (depending on the trend up not making fresh highs or down not taking new lows). In this image, you can see we have in one candle both an opposing and pullback in one candle. This means we can now mark the high of the range. Working backwards to identify the swing range low. This easy method means I can draw a range exactly the same and mechanically every single time. Giving me a mechanical range. We could then get a lot more technical by looking for liquidity, 50% of the range or places such as supply or demand areas. But these are all for other posts. For now, getting a range on the higher timeframes means you can work down and down into a timeframe you are likely to want to trade on. These ranges will give clues to draws and runs of liquidity. This will also help identify changes in the character and fresh breaks of structure. Here's another post I posted on the mechanical structures and techniques. More in the next post. Have a great week! Disclaimer This idea does not constitute as financial advice. It is for educational purposes only, our principal trader has over 25 years' experience in stocks, ETF's, and Forex. Hence each trade setup might have different hold times, entry or exit conditions, and will vary from the post/idea shared here. You can use the information from this post to make your own trading plan for the instrument discussed. Trading carries a risk; a high percentage of retail traders lose money. Please keep this in mind when entering any trade. Stay safe.
Education
by Mayfair_Ventures
11
Building Liquidity: What It Really Means🔵 Building Liquidity: What it really means Professional traders often need liquidity (buyers and sellers) to enter/exit large positions without moving the market too much. This means manipulating the market within a pre-determined range, which serves as the operating center for everything that follows. 🔹 How is liquidity built Price Ranging: Sideways consolidation before big moves attracts both buyers and sellers. False Breakouts (Stop hunts): Price may briefly break support/resistance to trigger retail stop-losses and fill institutional orders. News Timing: Pro traders often execute during or just before major news when volatility brings liquidity. 🔹 How can you spot a Liquidity-building zone 🔸 Volume Unusual spikes in volume: Often indicate institutional activity. Volume clusters at ranges or breakouts: Suggest accumulation/distribution zones. Volume with price divergence: Price rises but volume falls = possible exhaustion. Volume rises and price consolidates = potential accumulation. 🔸 Price Action Order Blocks / Imbalance zones: Sharp moves followed by consolidations are often pro trader footprints. Break of Structure (BoS): Institutions often reverse trends by breaking previous highs/lows. Liquidity sweeps: Price moves aggressively above resistance or below support then reverses = stop-loss hunting. 🔸 News Reaction Watch pre-news volume spikes. Look for contrarian moves after news — when price moves opposite to expected direction, it often reveals smart money traps. Analyze price stability post-news — slow movement shows absorption by pros. Wick traps and reversals around news events = stop hunting. 🔸 Narrative is Everything Higher timeframe trends show intent. Lower timeframes show execution zones. Look for alignment between timeframes in a specific direction. 🔹 Why do whales move the market in an orderly manner To fill large positions at optimal prices. To create liquidity where there is none. To trap retail on the wrong side of the move. To trap other whales on the wrong side of this move. To rebalance portfolios around economic cycles/news. 🔹 Professionals never forget what they've built When you track price, volume, and news, you’ll find specific bars that form areas that are the foundation for the short-term direction. This is pure VPA/VSA logic, the interplay of Price Analysis ,Volume Analysis and News, where each bar is not just a bar , but a clue in the story that professionals are writing. When you monitor volume, price, and news together and perform multi-timeframe analysis, it becomes clear what the whales are doing, and why. 🔹 From the chart above The market reached a weekly resistance level and then pulled back slightly after whales triggered the stop-losses of breakout traders. Prior to the breakout, whales had accumulated positions by creating a series of liquidity-rich buying zones on the daily timeframe. It's essential to understand the broader context before choosing to participate alongside them—whether you're planning to buy or sell. 🔴 Tips Use volume and price analysis together, not separately. Monitor any unusual volume bars before economic market news. Monitor news and volatility spikes to detect traps and entries. Combine this with liquidity zones (support/resistance clusters). Build a "narrative" per week: What is smart money trying to do? A smart trader understands the tactics whales use, and knows how to navigate around them.
COINBASE:BTCUSDEducation
by AlgoFuego
Mastering the ICT Power of 3 concept - How to use it in trading!The financial markets often appear chaotic and unpredictable, but behind the scenes, institutional players operate with clear strategies that shape price action. One such strategy is the ICT (Inner Circle Trader) "Power of 3" model, a framework used to understand and anticipate market cycles through three key phases: accumulation, manipulation, and distribution. This guide will break down each of these phases in detail, explaining how smart money operates and how retail traders can align themselves with the true direction of the market.

 What will be discussed? - The 3 phases - Examples of the PO3 - How to trade the PO3 - Tips for trading the PO3 The 3 phases Accumulation 
 The Accumulation Phase in the ICT "Power of 3" model refers to the initial stage of a market cycle where institutional or "smart money" participants quietly build their positions. During this time, price typically moves sideways within a tight range, often showing little to no clear direction. This is intentional. The market appears quiet or indecisive, which is designed to confuse retail traders and keep them out of alignment with the real intentions of the market's larger players. In this phase, smart money is not looking to move the market dramatically. Instead, they are focused on accumulating long or short positions without drawing attention. They do this by keeping price contained within a consolidation zone. The idea is to gather enough liquidity, often from unsuspecting retail traders entering early breakout trades or trying to trade the range, before making a more aggressive move. Manipulation The Manipulation Phase in the ICT "Power of 3" model is the second stage that follows accumulation. This phase is where smart money deliberately moves the market in the opposite direction of their intended move to trigger retail stop losses, induce emotional decisions, and create liquidity. After price has consolidated during accumulation, many retail traders are either already positioned or have orders waiting just outside the range, either stop losses from those trading the range or breakout orders from those anticipating a directional move. The manipulation phase exploits this positioning. Price will often break out of the accumulation range in one direction, appearing to confirm a new trend. This move is designed to look convincing, it might even come with a spike in volume or momentum to draw traders in. However, this breakout is a false move. It doesn’t represent the true intention of smart money. Instead, it's meant to sweep liquidity, triggering stop losses above or below the range, and then reverse sharply. This stop run provides the liquidity needed for large players to finalize their positions at optimal prices. Once enough liquidity is collected, and retail traders are caught offside, the real move begins. Distribution The Distribution Phase in the ICT "Power of 3" model is the final stage of the cycle, following accumulation and manipulation. This is where the true intention of smart money is revealed, and the market makes a sustained, directional move, either bullish or bearish. Unlike the earlier phases, distribution is marked by clear price expansion, increased volatility, and decisive momentum. After smart money has accumulated positions and shaken out retail traders through manipulation, they have the liquidity and positioning needed to drive the market in their desired direction. The distribution phase is where these positions are "distributed" into the broader market, meaning, institutions begin to offload their positions into the retail flow that is now chasing the move. Retail traders, seeing the strong trend, often jump in late, providing the liquidity for smart money to exit profitably. This phase is typically what retail traders perceive as the real trend, and in a sense, it is. However, by the time the trend is obvious, smart money has already entered during accumulation and profited from the manipulation. What appears to be a breakout or trend continuation to most retail participants is actually the final leg of the smart money’s strategy. They are now unloading their positions while price continues to expand. Examples of the Power of 3 How to trade the PO3? Start by identifying a clear accumulation range. This typically happens during the Asian session or the early part of the London session. Price moves sideways, forming a consolidation zone. Your job here isn’t to trade, but to observe. Draw horizontal lines marking the high and low of the range. These become your key liquidity zones. Next, anticipate the manipulation phase, which usually occurs during the London session or at the NY open. Price will often break out of the range, triggering stop losses above the high or below the low of the accumulation zone. This move is deceptive, it is not the real trend. Do not chase it. Instead, wait for signs of rejection, such as a sharp reversal after the liquidity grab, imbalance filling, or a shift in market structure on a lower timeframe (like a 1- or 5-minute chart). Once manipulation has swept liquidity and price starts showing signs of reversing back inside the range or beyond, you now look for a confirmation of the true move, this begins the distribution phase. You enter in the direction opposite of the manipulation move, ideally once price breaks a structure level confirming that smart money has taken control. For example, if price consolidates overnight, fakes a move to the downside (running sell stops), and then quickly reverses and breaks above a key swing high, that's your signal that the true move is likely up. Enter after the break and retest of structure, using a tight stop loss below the recent low. Your target should be based on liquidity pools, fair value gaps, or higher-timeframe imbalances. The key to trading the Power of 3 is patience and precision. You're not trying to catch every move, but to wait for the market to complete its cycle of deception and then ride the clean expansion. Ideally, your entry comes just after manipulation, and you hold through the distribution/expansion phase, taking partials at key liquidity levels along the way. Tips for trading the PO3
 1. Learn price movements Before you can effectively apply the ICT Power of 3 strategy, it’s crucial to have a deep understanding of how price behaves. This means being comfortable identifying market structure, recognizing trend direction, and interpreting candlestick dynamics. Since the Power of 3 is deeply rooted in how price moves in real time, a strong grasp of these basics will give you the confidence to read the market correctly as each phase develops. 2. Analyse multiple timeframes Although the Power of 3 pattern shows up on lower timeframes, relying on just one can lead to misreads. You’ll gain a clearer picture when you align the short-term view with higher timeframe structure. For example, what appears to be accumulation on the 15-minute chart may simply be a retracement in a larger trend on the 1-hour or daily. By examining multiple timeframes together, you can better identify the true setup and avoid being tricked by noise. 3. Exercise patience A key part of trading the Power of 3 is knowing when to act, and more importantly, when not to. It’s easy to get impatient during the accumulation or manipulation phases, but entering too early often leads to frustration or losses. True discipline comes from waiting for the expansion or distribution phase, when the market reveals its real direction. This is where the most favorable risk-to-reward setups occur. Thanks for your support. - Make sure to follow me so you don't miss out on the next analysis! - Drop a like and leave a comment!
Education
by Youriverse
64
How to Master Premium & Discount For Better EntriesA lot of traders talk about premium and discount, but very few actually know how to use it properly. Most just draw Fibonacci tools on random legs and try to catch reactions at the 61.8% level. That kind of trading lacks structure and context. If you're serious about using Smart Money Concepts the right way, then you need to understand where value exists in the market and how to position yourself accordingly. This guide is all about mastering the premium vs discount model using a 4H bias, entries on the 1H or 15M, and refinements based solely on Fair Value Gaps. No order blocks. No guessing. Just clean structure, displacement, and a focus on institutional logic. Establishing a Valid 4H Dealing Range Your entire analysis starts with the 4H chart. That’s where you define the dealing range, the leg of price that caused a significant shift in market structure, usually confirmed by displacement and a break of a previous swing. To do this correctly: Identify a 4H swing high to swing low (or low to high) that broke structure and created an imbalance. Anchor your range from that swing point to the extreme, this becomes your dealing range. Mark the 50% of this range — this is your equilibrium line. Everything above this midpoint is premium, everything below is discount. You’re not drawing fibs for retracement levels. You’re using them to separate cheap price from expensive price. Premium vs Discount: Why It Matters The logic is simple: institutions buy at discount and sell at premium. They don’t place large positions in the middle of the range, they accumulate when price is cheap and distribute when price is expensive. Once you’ve marked out your 4H range, you now have a framework: Price in discount (below the 50%) = potential buy setups. Price in premium (above the 50%) = potential sell setups. The key is to only look for trades in the right part of the range. If price is in premium and you're trying to long, you're working against smart money. If it's in discount and you're trying to short, you're fading accumulation. Refining the Setup on 1H or 15M Once price enters the zone you’re interested in, premium or discount. Drop to the 1H or 15M charts to look for entries. But we’re not trading any structure or supply/demand zone. We’re only interested in Fair Value Gaps. Why? Because FVGs are the cleanest way to spot imbalance — they show where price moved too aggressively and left inefficiency behind. Here's what to do: Watch for displacement on 1H or 15M once price taps into the 4H premium or discount zone. The move should break short-term structure and leave a clear FVG. Wait for price to retrace into that FVG. Entry is placed inside the gap, preferably in the upper or lower third depending on direction. Your invalidation is the low or high of the displacement move. The FVG gives you a clean risk-to-reward setup that is backed by structure, context, and smart money intent. Example: Long from Discount Let’s say price is trading inside the discount zone of a 4H bullish dealing range. You now drop to 15M and see a sharp move higher that breaks structure and creates a clean 15M FVG. Now you wait. If price retraces into that gap and shows some form of reaction (volume, reaction wick, or small lower timeframe shift), you have a valid long. The trade is high probability because: It’s inside 4H discount The 15M displacement confirms smart money is stepping in The FVG is your refined entry zone Target is always the next liquidity pool inside premium. Example: Short from Premium Opposite logic applies. If price trades into the premium zone of a 4H bearish range, you drop to 1H or 15M and wait for displacement to the downside. When you get a strong bearish move that leaves behind a Fair Value Gap and breaks intraday structure, you mark the FVG. When price retraces into it, you execute your short. Stop is above the displacement high. Target is the first liquidity level inside discount, such as an old low or a clean equal low. Rules for FVG Entries (1H/15M) To keep your execution sharp, stick to these: Only enter FVGs that form from displacement moves. The FVG must break intraday structure. It must form inside the 4H premium or discount zone, no exceptions. Avoid FVGs that form in the middle of the range or during chop. Make sure higher timeframe context supports the direction. This filters out 90% of weak setups and forces you to trade in sync with value. Targets and Exits Where you enter is based on imbalance and structure, but where you exit is based on liquidity and the premium/discount model in reverse. If you long from discount, you should be targeting premium levels. If you short from premium, you should be targeting discount levels. More specifically: Look for old highs/lows Clean equal highs/lows Unfilled FVGs in the opposite zone This way, you’re always exiting into areas where the market is likely to reverse or stall, and not overstaying your trade. Conclusion Trading from premium or discount zones isn’t just a concept, it’s a framework that puts you in line with institutional activity. When you combine it with FVGs, you have a clean, mechanical way to structure your trades. Keep your bias on the 4H. Mark your ranges clearly. Drop to 1H or 15M only when price is in a valid zone, and only take entries on FVGs that form from strong displacement. If you stay disciplined with this model, you’ll avoid chasing price and start trading from areas of true value. ___________________________________ Thanks for your support! If you found this guide helpful or learned something new, drop a like 👍 and leave a comment, I’d love to hear your thoughts! 🚀 Make sure to follow me for more price action insights, free indicators, and trading strategies. Let’s grow and trade smarter together! 📈
CAPITALCOM:US100Education
by TehThomas
66
BTCUSDT 13R Trade Breakdown: Deep Crab Pattern + SMC Precision Hello Traders! If you enjoyed my previous post on combining Harmonic Patterns with Smart Money Concepts (SMC) for high-precision, high-risk-to-reward trades, then you're going to love this breakdown on BTCUSDT. If you haven’t checked out my earlier content, make sure to scroll below this post and see that first—it sets the foundation for what we’re diving into here. 📈 BTCUSDT Trade Breakdown: Harmonic x SMC Precision Entry This analysis was originally shared around three weeks ago on my YouTube channel, and if you were with me live, you’ll remember I was closely watching for a Bullish Deep Crab Pattern to complete before considering a LONG position. Let’s walk through the setup and outcome step-by-step: 🕰 WEEKLY TIMEFRAME: Price was reacting to a Weekly Fair Value Gap (FVG) and had filled the imbalance. As shown in the chart: 🔍 SETUP: Strategy Confirmation Important Reminder: Just because price hits a key level doesn’t mean we jump in to buy or sell. ✅ There must be a confirmed Harmonic Pattern that aligns with the key SMC level. On the Daily Chart, we identified a valid Bullish Deep Crab Pattern: B-point at 0.886 PRZ (Potential Reversal Zone) at 1.618 FIB Extension This PRZ aligned perfectly with the key level identified on the Weekly chart. 🎯 ENTRY STRATEGY (15-Minute Chart): We zoomed into the 15M chart for an SMC-based entry. Supply-to-demand flip confirmed with a visible liquidity inducement—textbook confirmation. Entry was just a few pips below the recent swing low to limit downside risk in case of invalidation. Take Profits (TPs) were set using standard Deep Crab targets, based on FIB retracements from A to D: ✅ TP1 at 0.382 ✅ TP2 at 0.618 ✅ TP3 at 0.786 ✅ TRADE OUTCOME: Entry was cleanly triggered and the price followed through as expected. All three profit levels were successfully hit: ✅ TP1 ✅ TP2 ✅ TP3 We secured an impressive 13R on this single BTCUSDT trade —a solid example of what happens when Harmonics and Smart Money Concepts are aligned. 💬 Your Turn: Did you take this BTC trade using a different strategy? Or did you spot the pattern and enter alongside me? Drop your thoughts and experiences below this analysis—let’s learn together!
Education
by HenryDGREATFX
Simple Break of Structure BoS Trading Strategy Explained One of the best and reliable strategies to trade break of structure BoS is to apply multiple time frame analysis. In this article, I will teach you my break of structure gold forex trading strategy. You will get a complete step-by-step guide with examples. Let's start with a quick theory and let me explain to you what is break of structure BoS in Smart Money Concept SMC trading. In a bullish trend, break of structure BoS is an important event that signifies a continuation of an uptrend. It is based on a violation and a candle close above the level of the last higher high (HH). After a breakout, the broken level becomes the first strong support for trend-following buying. Check multiple examples of confirmed breaks of structure BoS on GBPNZD forex pair on a weekly time frame. In a downtrend, Break of Structure BoS means a bearish trend continuation . Break of Structure is considered to be confirmed when a candle closes below the level of the last lower low (LL). The broken key level becomes the closest strong support for buying. That's the example of a healthy downtrend on USDJPY forex pair on a daily. Each break of structure BoS pushed the prices lower, providing a strong signal to sell. What newbie traders do incorrectly, they trade break of structure without a confirmation strategy, and it leads to substantial losses. Though GBPCHF is trading in a bullish trend and though each BoS provided a trend-following signal. The price retraced significantly lower below the broken structure before the growth resumed. When the price retests a broken structure after BoS in a bullish trend, start lower time frame analysis. If you identified a break of structure on a daily, analyze 4h/1h time frames. If on a 4H, then 30/15 minutes. After the price sets a new higher high with BoS in uptrend, it usually starts trading in a minor bearish trend on lower time frames. With our strategy, your signal to buy will be a retest of a broken structure and a consequent bullish Change of Character CHoCH . That will provide an accurate bullish signal. In a bearish trend, analyze the lower time frames after a retest of a broken structure. Your signal to sell will be a bearish Change of Character CHoCH. Look at a price action on EURCHF on a daily. We see a strong bullish trend and a confirmed Break of Structure BoS. According to the rules of our trading strategy, we start analyzing 4h/1h time frames after a retest of a broken level of the last Higher High. Our signal to buy is an intraday bullish CHoCH. We open a long trade after that with the stop loss below the intraday lows and take profit being a current high. That's how simple this strategy is. Multiple time frame analysis provides the extra level of security. Strong lower time frame confirmation substantially increases the win ratio of a trading setup. ❤️Please, support my work with like, thank you!❤️ I am part of Trade Nation's Influencer program and receive a monthly fee for using their TradingView charts in my analysis.
TRADENATION:XAUUSDEducation
by VasilyTrader
24