Read market structure
Mark trend, range, support and resistance without cluttering the chart.
01
Structure before indicators
Begin with swing highs and swing lows. A sequence of higher highs and higher lows suggests an uptrend; lower highs and lower lows suggest a downtrend. When neither sequence is clear, price may be ranging. Indicators can support this reading, but should not replace it.
02
Draw zones, not promises
Support and resistance are areas where behaviour previously changed. Use a zone wide enough to include clusters of closes and wicks. Treat it as a decision area: price can react, break through or briefly sweep it before returning.
03
Work from high to low
Start on the weekly or daily chart to identify the broad environment, then move down to the four-hour or one-hour chart for detail. A lower-timeframe signal that fights a strong higher-timeframe trend carries additional risk.
Practice exercise
Open a clean BTC chart. Mark the most obvious weekly support and resistance zones, then describe the current structure in one sentence without using an indicator.
Knowledge check
Why should support and resistance be marked as zones?
Markets rarely reverse at one exact price. A zone better represents the area where buying or selling behaviour has previously changed.
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