Crypto 101: Buy Sell Trade Cryptocurrency for Profit 2022

Moving Average (MA) is a price based, lagging (or reactive) indicator that displays the average price of a security over a set period of time. A Moving Average is a good way to gauge momentum as well as to confirm trends, and define areas of support and resistance. Essentially, Moving Averages smooth out the “noise” when trying to interpret charts. Noise is made up of fluctuations of both price and volume. Because a Moving Average is a lagging indicator and reacts to events that have already happened, it is not used as a predictive indicator but rather an interpretive one, used for confirmations and analysis. In fact, Moving Averages form the basis of several other well-known technical analysis tools such as Bollinger Bands and the MACD. There are a few different types of Moving Averages which all take the same basic premise and add a variation. Most notable are the Simple Moving Average (SMA), the Exponential Moving Average (EMA) and the Weighted Moving Average (WMA).

The Stochastic Oscillator (STOCH) is a range bound momentum oscillator. The Stochastic indicator is designed to display the location of the close compared to the high/low range over a user defined number of periods. Typically, the Stochastic Oscillator is used for three things; Identifying overbought and oversold levels, spotting divergences and also identifying bull and bear set ups or signals.

The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is a well versed momentum based oscillator which is used to measure the speed (velocity) as well as the change (magnitude) of directional price movements. Essentially RSI, when graphed, provides a visual mean to monitor both the current, as well as historical, strength and weakness of a particular market. The strength or weakness is based on closing prices over the duration of a specified trading period creating a reliable metric of price and momentum changes. Given the popularity of cash settled instruments (stock indexes) and leveraged financial products (the entire field of derivatives); RSI has proven to be a viable indicator of price movements.

Definition

MACD is an extremely popular indicator used in technical analysis. MACD can be used to identify aspects of a security's overall trend. Most notably these aspects are momentum, as well as trend direction and duration. What makes MACD so informative is that it is actually the combination of two different types of indicators. First, MACD employs two Moving Averages of varying lengths (which are lagging indicators) to identify trend direction and duration. Then, MACD takes the difference in values between those two Moving Averages (MACD Line) and an EMA of those Moving Averages (Signal Line) and plots that difference between the two lines as a histogram which oscillates above and below a center Zero Line. The histogram is used as a good indication of a security's momentum.

Definition

Bollinger Bands (BB) are a widely popular technical analysis instrument created by John Bollinger in the early 1980’s. Bollinger Bands consist of a band of three lines which are plotted in relation to security prices. The line in the middle is usually a Simple Moving Average (SMA) set to a period of 20 days (The type of trend line and period can be changed by the trader; however a 20 day moving average is by far the most popular). The SMA then serves as a base for the Upper and Lower Bands. The Upper and Lower Bands are used as a way to measure volatility by observing the relationship between the Bands and price. Typically the Upper and Lower Bands are set to two standard deviations away from the SMA (The Middle Line); however the number of standard deviations can also be adjusted by the trader.

Definition

Directional Movement (DMI) is actually a collection of three separate indicators combined into one. Directional Movement consists of the Average Directional Index (ADX), Plus Directional Indicator (+DI) and Minus Directional Indicator (-DI). ADX's purposes is to define whether or not there is a trend present. It does not take direction into account at all. The other two indicators (+DI and -DI) are used to compliment the ADX. They serve the purpose of determining trend direction. By combining all three, a technical analyst has a way of determining and measuring a trend's strength as well as its direction.

Definition

The Average Directional Index (ADX) is a specific indicator used by technical analysts and traders in order to determine the strength of a trend. The trend can be going either up or down, which is shown by two indicators which often accompany ADX, the Positive Directional Indicator, commonly known as +DI, and the Negative Directional Indicator, also known as -DI. It is for this reason that the average directional index is presented with three separate lines, symbolizing each indicator. Each line is used to help assess a trade and whether or not it should taken long or short, if at all. The ADX indicator on TradingView does not display the +DI and -DI lines by itself, but you can use the Directional Movement Index (DMI) indicator to see all three at the same time.

Definition

Volume Profile is an advanced charting study that displays trading activity over a specified time period at specified price levels. The study (accounting for user defined parameters such as number of rows and time period) plots a histogram on the chart meant to reveal dominant and/or significant price levels based on volume. Essentially, Volume Profile takes the total volume traded at a specific price level during the specified time period and divides the total volume into either buy volume or sell volume and then makes that information easily visible to the trader.

Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP) is a technical analysis tool used to measure the average price weighted by volume. VWAP is typically used with intraday charts as a way to determine the general direction of intraday prices. It's similar to a moving average in that when price is above VWAP, prices are rising and when price is below VWAP, prices are falling. VWAP is primarily used by technical analysts to identify market trend.