?>

Beginner’s Guide to Understanding Trading Charts

2.7 k views
bitcoin could go up to 10k in near term
In financial markets, trading charts provide a basis for technical analysis to determine market direction. Trading charts consist of trends and patterns that enable you to form a market view and make successful trading decisions.

Most crypto trading beginners often challenge by reading trading charts, especially those with no prior experience trading in traditional financial markets such as stocks and forex. However, reading and understanding trading charts are necessary to determine precise market entry and exit points for overall trading success. 

Whether you are a day trader or a long-term crypto investor, understanding trading charts is mandatory to succeed in the crypto space. This beginner’s guide will look at some fundamentals on reading and analyzing standard crypto charts to enable you to make profitable trading decisions.    

The Line Chart

A line chart is one of the most familiar charts used in financial markets. It’s a basic level chart connecting a series of data points with a line. For example, a line chart in cryptocurrency trading represents a coin’s performance (price action) over a particular period, usually represented by the line. 

line chart bitcoin or other cryptocurrency

Line charts can represent any time frame from days, months, and even years. Sometimes, line charts may encompass two scales: linear and logarithmic. In the linear scale chart, the price scale is separated into equal sections, while in the logarithmic chart, the price of a digital asset is scaled based on the percent changes. 

This means that if two price changes have a different absolute values yet are equal in percentage, the two price points will be represented by the same vertical shift on the log scale. 

Linear charts are mainly used to represent the rate of market price changes, while logarithmic charts depict the price trend. Sometimes, a volume indicator is placed at the bottom of the crypto line chart to indicate the coin’s trading volume defined in the chart. 

Trading volume is a fundamental indicator of crypto price direction and can indicate the price direction. Also, line charts may sometimes feature multiple lines representing different aspects of the coins, such as market share or price movement. 

When analyzing line charts, you should first determine whether the price is on a downward or upward trajectory, how the coin is performing in the short term and whether the price is stable or volatile. Analyzing a line chart is simple; you can quickly identify patterns and key trends. 

Candlestick Charts

Numerous crypto traders prefer candlestick charts as they indicate more market information than the crypto price movement alone, as with line charts. In addition, a candlestick chart can provide information on several metrics relating to the coin, such as price, market cap, and volume. 

BTC candlestick patterns

It provides a much deeper insight into how a particular coin performs over a specific period- why it has become popular with crypto traders. Candlestick charts are made up of candles, representing various statistics such as the highest market price, the lowest price, the opening price, and the closing price of the specified period. 

The lines (wick) at the bottom and top of each candle indicate the selected timeframe’s highest and lowest trading prices. In addition, the candle’s body is often shaded in two colors, i.e., green or red, to represent the market trend, whether bearish or bullish. 

A green shade points to a bullish trend, meaning the closing price was higher than the opening price. On the other hand, a red shade indicates a bearish trend, meaning that the closing price was lower than the opening price. 

There are more than ten candlestick patterns, giving crypto traders various trends. The most common types of candlestick patterns include hammer (bullish pattern), inverse hammer (bullish pattern), hanging man (bearish pattern), shooting star (bearish pattern), and Dojis (continuation candlestick pattern).    

Support and Resistance Levels

Support and resistance levels play a crucial role in technical analysis. It’s based on a simple concept of identifying price levels where the market price reacted by either moving past or reversing below the barrier. 

BTCUSD Support and Resistance Levels

Support occurs where a price downtrend is expected to slow down primarily due to increased demand. On the flip side, resistance occurs when a price uptrend is likely to pause for a short time, primarily due to excessive supply. 

Support and resistance levels exist due to an influx of buyers and sellers at a certain point and are usually important market turning points, round numbers, and congestion areas. Analyzing support and resistance level can assist you in determining market breakouts and trade reversals. 

Market Depth Chart

Market depth charts are not very common in crypto but can give you a rough idea about coin demand and supply. These charts consist of two colors, i.e., red (sell) and green/blue (buy). 

btcusd market depth chart

The shades indicate the total number of coins bought and sold orders at the prevailing market price. The buy-side is usually green and represents open buy orders below the last traded price, i.e., bid. The sell-side is shaded red and indicates all current sell-orders above the last traded price, i.e., ask. 

Moving Average

Cryptocurrencies are very volatile and thus carry significant risks. Therefore, a moving average trend line indicates the overall price trend over a particular time. 

BTCUSD Moving Averages Chart

Moving averages are crucial in technical analysis to predict market movements and determine support at a specific price. The moving average represents the average price of a digital asset based on its value for the past period. In most cases, crypto exchanges display three moving averages, usually based on the close prices for the previous 7, 25, and 99 days. 

The higher a moving average value is, the more significant the price direction is. There are different moving averages, notably Simple, Exponential, Smoothed, and Weighted. Moving averages are essential in determining market trends and signals for existing or entering a position.  

OHLC Chart

OHLC charts are similar to line charts in that they indicate the closing prices of the coins. However, unlike line charts, the OHLC chart displays open, high, low, and closing prices for each period. 

btc OHLC Chart

These charts are vital in determining market direction as they constitute four major market data points representing decreasing or increasing momentum over time. The price action has strong momentum when the opening and closing momentum are far apart. 

On the other hand, when the open and close points are close together, the market has a weak momentum. OHLC charts can also determine the price volatility of a particular coin using the high and low points. Traders can use these charts to decide whether or not it’s right to sell or buy.  

Conclusion

Reading and analyzing trading charts is a vital skill in the crypto space. It can be a little confusing for beginners like you to analyze trading charts, but you’ll get used to it with time. 

Even the most seasoned traders sometimes have difficulties analyzing charts; therefore, you should give yourself time. Nonetheless, continually reading and interpreting graphs using the most common indicators will ensure you get better with time.

Bitcoin coin symbol
Btc
Bitcoin
$62.547
price
red chart
decrease symbol0.84959%
price change
TRADE NOW

This guide only outlines the basic concepts of understanding trading charts. It may be best to strengthen your knowledge using a practical approach and develop a crypto strategy that suits you.     

Previous

Three Awesome Exchanges Everyone Should Try

Next

Bitrue Partners with Blockchain Payments Network Terra

Written by

282 posts

Adam is an outgoing young lad who likes adventures and discovering new things.

VIEW AUTHOR

More author posts

Four Reasons Why National Governments Should Hold Bitcoin in their National Reserves

The dawn of cryptos ushered in what we can term as the next step in the evolution of money. Unlike the tradition of fiat currencies, they offer a financial world that lacks a central authority that controls the money-making process. In addition, transaction costs are comparatively cheaper thanks to its peer-to-peer network system. While the positives are in the open for all to see, cryptos' uptake by governments has been, at best, disheartening. This is because they prefer to stick…

Earliest Cryptocurrencies with DeFi-like Characteristics

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is the center of these crypto transactions. However, DeFi is an innovative niche that many enthusiasts still need to explore fully. Nevertheless, numerous smaller crypto assets with similar characteristics to DeFi tokens already exist. Binance Chain, PancakeSwap, and Uniswap are examples of DeFi platforms that harbor such investments. However, the others operate on their blockchain networks. What are Some DeFi Characteristics DeFi represents an experimental form of finance that does not depend on central intermediaries like banks,…

Which Altcoins Made The News in H1 of 2021

Altcoins are constantly jostling to make a mark in the crypto world. After Bitcoin and Ethereum, the race to be the third cryptocurrency force keeps heating up yearly. Many strong contenders with different use cases promise more than the big two currently offer. As a result, many are making their mark in a big way, for good and not-so-good reasons, as long as they stand out from meme coins that ride the celebrity popularity wave and crash just as fast…

Has El Salvador’s Bitcoin Legal Tender Stance Impacted the Crypto Adoption?

El Salvador is a country in Central America that borders the Pacific Ocean to the north. It also borders Guatemala to the southeast and Honduras to the southwest. It has recently adopted Bitcoin as its legal tender. BTC is now a lawful means of payment in the country. For some time now, many countries have turned their attention to the "future of finance." This act has triggered numerous reactions worldwide. Also, many countries take sides between backing and condemning crypto adoption.  Why…

How Profitable is Crypto Yield Farming?

At its core, Yield farming, also known as liquidity harvesting, involves the art of lending cryptocurrency. It provides more lucrative returns than any other cryptocurrency or conventional investment. It's a chance for the bold and risk-averse digital holders to win big. The United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is considering whether to regulate the process. In lending cryptocurrencies, the owner profits when the coin appreciates. Therefore, yield farming is an incentive that stimulates the adoption and growth of cryptocurrencies. Yield farming…

Which CBDC is Likely to Dominate the Global Financial Markets?

In a volatile crypto market, developers found a way to stabilize trade. The solution comes from the invention of stablecoins, which entered the market in 2014. Stablecoins are digital currencies linked to an asset or a currency. Some of the most popular assets include gold and fiat currencies. The promise of CBDC currencies can lead this evolution to the next step. The US Dollar backs the majority of stablecoins circulating the DeFi ecosystem. Therefore, the value fluctuations of digital currency remain at…

Publish your own article

Guest post article. Guaranteed publishing with just a few clicks

START PUBLISHING ADVERTISE WITH US

Browse categories

Explore trending topics in the crypto community right now.

Bitcoin

SEC Greenlights Multiple Bitcoin ETFs, Signaling Major Leap for Cryptocurrency Markets

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has made a landmark decision by approving 11 spot bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs). This move represents a significant moment in the cryptocurrency industry, marking a shift towards greater institutional adoption and accessibility for investors. The approved ETFs include products from major firms such as BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust, Grayscale Bitcoin Trust, ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF, Bitwise Bitcoin ETP Trust, WisdomTree Bitcoin Fund, Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Trust, VanEck Bitcoin Trust, Invesco Galaxy Bitcoin…

Bitcoin Should be Banned in the United States: Charlie Munger

Berkshire Hathaway’s vice chairman, Charlie Munger, called for a ban on cryptocurrency in the United States on Monday, similar to the one in China.  In an op-ed published with the Wall Street Journal, Munger argued that Bitcoin isn’t a currency, commodity, or security, but simply a form of gambling “ with a nearly 100% edge for the house. As such, the enactment of a federal law should ban such things from happening. Munger cited the Chinese communist party’s ban on…

Tesla’s BTC Positions Remained Unchanged in Q4 of 2022

According to a new earning report from automotive manufacturer Tesla, the company did not sell any of its BTC holdings in the fourth quarter of 2022. Amid speculations that the company had traded BTC during the testing bears, CEO Elon Musk revealed it was yet holding on to its BTC stash. Tesla Maintains Holdings After Initial Sell-Off In Q2 of 2022, Tesla opted to sell 75% of all its BTC. The car manufacturer received close to $950M in exchange. Notably,…

Here’s When Grayscale Debates the SEC in Court on its Bitcoin Spot ETF

The District of Columbia Court of Appeals has marked a date for when Grayscale and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) may present oral arguments regarding the approval of a Bitcoin spot ETF.  Each side will present its case at 9:30 am ET on March 7, with the SEC arguing against the product, and Grayscale arguing in favor.  Grayscale VS SEC The court date – revealed in a court order filed on Monday according to CNBC – is much earlier…

MORE ARTICLES

Ethereum

Ethereum’s Zhejiang Staking Withdrawal Testnet for Shanghai is Live

At 15:00 UTC on Wednesday, the much-anticipated Zhejiang testnet for staking withdrawal went live on Ethereum’s Beacon chain. Zhejiang will enable the testing of the Ethereum Improvement Proposal (EIP) 4895 which allows for staking withdrawals. This is in preparation for the network’s next major update, the Shanghai hard fork slated to launch sometime in March. Users Can Make Simulated Withdrawals with Zhejiang In a tweet yesterday, DevOps engineer at Ethereum foundation Barnabas Busa gave details about the Zhejiang testnet slated…

Ethereum Devs Disagree Over Technical Tweak as Shanghai Upgrade Nears

Post-merge Ethereum users have been eagerly awaiting the commencement of the network’s next major upgrade, Shanghai. However, after over 3 months of prep time, it appears the Shanghai rollout isn’t going as smoothly as expected. What Exactly is the Shanghai Upgrade? In September last year, the much-publicized Ethereum Merge also known as the Ethereum 2.0 upgrade went live. Ethereum underwent some significant changes as its consensus mechanism transitioned from proof-of-work to a cost-efficient proof-of-stake system.  However, since the Beacon launch…

FTX Hacker Converts 50k Stolen ETH to BTC

Per a report from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis, the attacker behind the Nov 11 FTX exploit, is converting the stolen ETH to Bitcoin. There were muted fears the seemingly inexperienced perpetrator could dump all its ETH holdings. On Sunday, the attacker dumped 50k ETH on-chain, with ETH's price dipping by almost 7%.  https://twitter.com/chainalysis/status/1594349583416840199?s=20&t=pgvQHeVytI20eKQ1ls9bxw Hacker Moves 50,000 ETH to New Address Over the past week, the perpetrator had been steadily swapping the cryptocurrencies they had carted off for Ether tokens. This…

Censorship Concerns: 51% of Ethereum Blocks Now OFAC Compliant

According to new data, over half of the blocks on the Ethereum network now reportedly comply with the US Treasury OFAC’s standards. This comes roughly a month after the platform’s monumental merge update. Phasing Out Tornado Cash The Office of Foreign Assets Control is the intelligence and enforcement agency of the US  Treasury Department. Indeed, the OFAC administers and enforces US  financial sanctions. A prime example of this is the recent, highly-publicized ban on crypto mixer Tornado Cash.  According to…

MORE ARTICLES

Trading

How to Leverage Arbitrage Opportunities in Crypto Markets

Cryptocurrency arbitrage has become an increasingly popular investment strategy as the crypto market grows and evolves. Arbitrage involves taking advantage of pricing discrepancies between markets or exchanges to profit.  Investors can leverage profit opportunities by understanding cryptocurrency arbitrage while managing associated risks. In this guide, we'll explore cryptocurrency arbitrage and how it works. A Bitcoin-related example will help us illustrate the concepts of this strategy. What is Arbitrage and How Does it Work in Crypto Markets Crypto arbitrage trading is…

The Different Types of Copy Trading in Crypto

Are you interested in trading cryptocurrencies but feel intimidated by the complexity of the process? Copy trading is a great way to get into crypto without needing to be an experienced trader. With copy trading, investors can benefit from the experience and knowledge of more experienced traders, allowing even beginners to succeed. How does copy trading work, and which tips do you need to know to succeed? In this article, we'll explore all aspects of copy trading in crypto. What…

How to Spot an Unsafe Crypto Exchange

Cryptocurrency exchanges have become increasingly popular as they provide a platform for people to buy and sell digital assets. Unfortunately, not all crypto exchanges are safe or reliable.  With the rise of cybercrime and fraud, you must learn to spot an unsafe crypto exchange before investing your money. This guide will help beginners identify and avoid potential risks when selecting a cryptocurrency exchange.  The Role of Crypto Exchanges on the Digital Assets Market Cryptocurrency exchanges play a crucial role in…

What Is Grid Trading in Crypto?

Crypto grid trading has become a popular strategy because of its ability to help traders capitalize on market volatility. Grid trading means you can produce consistent profits by taking advantage of price differences in different markets or time frames. By establishing buy and sell orders at predetermined intervals, you can take advantage of these fluctuations in an automated way. This guide will explore the different aspects of grid trading and provide an overview of its benefits, challenges, and more. Through…

MORE ARTICLES

Tech

Introducing una Messenger: A Paradigm Shift in Blockchain Connectivity

The digital landscape is set for an unprecedented transformation with the introduction of una Messenger, the latest innovation from web3 development powerhouse Wemade. This platform represents an evolution of the "PAPYRUS Messenger," serving as the cornerstone of the ambitious "unagi" initiative, aimed at catalyzing the mass adoption of blockchain technology. The "Unbound Networking & Accelerating Growth Initiative" seeks to bridge the divides between diverse blockchain services and networks, heralding a new era of interconnectedness. A New Frontier in Blockchain Communication…

Bit2Me Champions WEMIX Token in Pioneering European Listing

Bit2Me, Spain's premier virtual asset exchange, has recently broadened the horizons for cryptocurrency enthusiasts by listing WEMIX, the cornerstone token of the WEMIX3.0 blockchain ecosystem. This marks a notable achievement as WEMIX's inaugural venture into the European market, emphasizing the token's role in facilitating a range of blockchain-based activities, from gaming transactions to decentralized finance (DeFi) applications. Launched with the intention to democratize access to WEMIX for the 450 million Spanish speakers around the globe, this strategic move aligns with…

CryptoVirally Expands with Fresh Crypto Marketing Offers and Cointelegraph Upgrades

In an exciting update for the cryptocurrency marketing landscape, CryptoVirally has announced a series of new entries and enhancements to its already comprehensive range of services. These updates, aimed at providing tailored marketing solutions for crypto projects, include new limited-time offers and expanded options for Cointelegraph publications. Limited Offers: A Game-Changer in Crypto Marketing  CryptoVirally's limited offers section presents an enticing opportunity for crypto projects to leverage high-impact marketing services at discounted rates. These offers, available for a limited period,…

Breaking Boundaries in Blockchain: WEMIX’s ‘una Wallet’ Sets New Standard for Multi-Chain Asset Management

The WEMIX Foundation has unveiled 'una Wallet,' a revolutionary digital wallet designed to offer unparalleled convenience and security in managing digital assets across various blockchain networks. The announcement, made on January 17, 2024, signifies a new era in the seamless integration of multiple blockchain protocols, including Arbitrum, Avalanche, BNB Smart Chain, Ethereum, Kroma, Optimism, Polygon, and WEMIX3.0. 'una Wallet' is more than just a digital wallet; it represents the culmination of WEMIX's innovative efforts in the blockchain space. It serves…

MORE ARTICLES