Each can be used for analysing different order flow readings for understanding market sentiment.
...chart layout ↓
(3/9)
Cluster types
This visually explains what's happening inside of each candle.
We separate each candle into different sections of the same size. We do this by the tick size chosen.
Tick sizes are different for different assets. 1 tick represents the smallest amount price can change on a pair.
3 main types of clusters :
Profiles - showing visually different sizes of either volume, delta, bid-ask or open interest at each cluster level. Shading can also be applied if delta profile or open interest profile is applied.
Clusters - Simply show amount of volume or delta at a given cluster group of data. It does so by shading different clusters different colours depending on whether thats for high/low volume, delta etc.
Ladders - similar to profiles but will show for delta and open interest whether they are positive/negative, increasing/decreasing by being placed on different sides to each other.
...here's what this looks like ↓
(4/9)
Range charts
The range of a candle is the price difference between its high and low price ($50,100 low $50,400 high = $300 range).
A range chart uses tick sizes to keep the range of every candle printed constant. A new candle is printed each time a given range value is reached.
Good for isolating candle sizes to compare different order flow metrics such as delta & volume.
...explained below ↓
(5/9)
Volume charts
Total candle volume can be calculated by summing the absolute total of all the bids and asks filled at a price level.
A volume chart prints a new candle once a certain volume limit is reached.
This helps keep it as if almost a control variable (constant value) and to better analyse other metrics such as delta or liquidations.
...volume chart ↓
(6/9)
Delta charts
Candle delta can be calculated by the following : asks filled - bids filled.
A delta chart prints a new cnadle every time a chosen delta limit is reached. Helping keep delta as a control variable (constant).
By doing so we can compare other metrics such as volume, max & min delta without interfering with the final candle delta.
...delta chart ↓
(7/9)
Text type
These display numeric values inside of a candles cluster type to represent exact figures of order flow.
...all text types ↓
- bid-ask
- volume
- delta
Open interest:
- removed vs created
- total
- created
- removed
- removed vs created delta
- new shorts vs new longs
- Long exits (sells) vs Short exits (buys)
- Long exit (sells) vs New Longs (buys)
- New shorts (sells) vs Short exits (buys)
- Long exits + New shorts (sells) vs Short exits + new longs
(8/9)
Conclusion
If you all enjoyed this thread covering footprint charts make sure to leave a like for more and a follow (if new).
For those wanting to understand more about order flow make sure to give my order flow thread a read, where I dive deeper into understanding metrics such as volume delta and open interest.
For those new, I post educational content on order flow and technical analysis as a full-time intra-day trader of BTC for others to learn.
• Where to pull anchored vwaps from.
• Identifying support and resistance in anchored vwaps.
• Identifying weakness using anchored vwap.
• Where to find anchored vwap.
2/7
Where to pull anchored vwap
Anchored vwap's allow you to have a chosen starting point.
Best way I use is from certain swing pivots on a chart.
Looking for pivots that have aggressive impulses away from them. Below explains this with examples.
A way of measuring a strategies performance with no risk involved using historical data available.
Pros:
• Requires the trader to make no risks before hand.
• Provides hindsight confidence to a traders nerves (especially when in periods of drawdown).
• Gives a clear plan to what you are trading.
Cons:
• Does not reflect the real performance as does not account for mistakes, emotions and convenience in times.
• Does not account for real-time market changes in the world.
Best and simplest way to back test, is through using a simple excel spread sheet layout. Google sheets works just as well.
Positive expectancy (3/8)
When it comes to understanding profitability in trading, the first thing that comes to mind would be to have positive expectancy.
This gives a measured outlook of your strategy to classify it as profitable.
When this value is positive, you can expect this strategy to be profitable. You can apply this to any backtested strategy by keeping
Calculate this by the following...
Expectancy = (Win rate x Average win) - (Loss rate x Average loss)
Get the values for these either through backtested values or your journal.
• The 4 sessions
• Asia Break
• London H/L
• Discretion
• VWAP retests
The 4 sessions
Something I've used on an every day basis throughout my trading to make it easier to analyse price through different time sections of a trading day.
This was specifically as Bitcoin operated and traded on a 24 hour clock. A market that never ends.
All based on UTC time and I never change these throughout the year, regardless of adjustments to time zones. This keeps the time a constant which can help measure other factors of price more fluently.
The 4 sessions are as follows. Asia, London, New York & Close.
Using the sessions has helped me develop an understanding to the way Bitcoin trades and operates. This thread will discuss a few.
...below shows the 4 sessions on a TPO chart basis (this is how I view the sessions) ↓
• Order types
• Depth of market
• Tape
• Footprint
Order types
Orders come in the form of two types.
1. Limit orders. These are orders that are set at a pre-determined price level above or below price.Fundamentally, these are traders who are willing to wait for their positions to be filled by the market.
Limit orders provide liquidity to a market and are referred to as 'maker' orders. Fees when using a limit order will be cheaper than market orders as they provide liquidity to an exchange, which is good for a market.
2. Market orders. These orders will execute immediately and fill at the current price of an asset. They are bad for liquidity as they remove it from the books. However, market orders are what actively move price as they fill the limit orders, moving price to the next best level.
Market orders will have higher fees than limit orders as they remove liquidity from the traded exchange.
Understand that market orders are what move price by removing limit orders from a price level.
When the liquidity (volume of limit orders) at a price level is completely bought up or sold by market orders, price then moves to the next best level.
Positions are onside when they are in unrealised profits.
Offside positions are those who are in unrealised drawdowns.
Being in drawdown, means that the trader within that position has become trapped by the market, and must now look to make a decision to remain in or exit the position they are in.
The factors that may effect a traders withdrawal from the market are most commonly time & displacement.
The more time spent underwater the less convicted a trader naturally becomes. As well as the further the move away from one’s entry is , the more likely they are to look to close their position.