Log is the only scale that makes sense.
1k to 2k should be seen as the same as 10k to 20k, or even $10 to $20, even if the feel very different in your mind. It is the same percentage change.
If the price moves $100 today, no one would think anything about it, that is mere slippage now, but I remember the price going to $100 for the first time and that was a huge deal at the time. The chart should reflect the magnitude of the change at that time and not be hidden by the pixel resolution of your chart.
Topic: Arithmetic (linear) vs Logarithmatic charts - which one do you use and why? (Read 122 times)
January 05, 2018, 08:24:38 PM
January 05, 2018, 08:01:58 PM
I use the logarithmatic charts for years now. Every reputable trader is now using logarithmatic charts because after some time during bitcoin's price evolution, if you zoom out and watch the all time chart, it constantly looks like it's going up, it looks bubbled.
This is exactly why people have been calling a bubble for years. "Look at the chart, it looks bubbled". I have been hearing this since $1000. Try looking at the log chart and not linear chart.
This is exactly why people have been calling a bubble for years. "Look at the chart, it looks bubbled". I have been hearing this since $1000. Try looking at the log chart and not linear chart.
It's still a bubble, dude! Some of my holdings are up 8000x in 6 years and of that, 7500x in the last year.
I use Log scale most of the time. Only very short time frames would I ever use linear and at those resolutions, it doesn't even matter which you use.
January 05, 2018, 11:43:11 AM
I use the logarithmatic charts for years now. Every reputable trader is now using logarithmatic charts because after some time during bitcoin's price evolution, if you zoom out and watch the all time chart, it constantly looks like it's going up, it looks bubbled.
This is exactly why people have been calling a bubble for years. "Look at the chart, it looks bubbled". I have been hearing this since $1000. Try looking at the log chart and not linear chart.
This is exactly why people have been calling a bubble for years. "Look at the chart, it looks bubbled". I have been hearing this since $1000. Try looking at the log chart and not linear chart.
December 29, 2017, 01:04:24 PM
I mostly use linear charts, but sometimes it helps to use a logarithmic chart to look at the bigger picture. Due to the amplitude of the booms and busts of Bitcoin it's close to impossible to distinguish the separate growth phases on a linear scale when viewing the last 5 years for example.
In general I guess the main argument for using logarithmic charts is that growth is usually expressed as percentages, which isn't reflected as well in a linear chart.
In general I guess the main argument for using logarithmic charts is that growth is usually expressed as percentages, which isn't reflected as well in a linear chart.
December 29, 2017, 11:03:32 AM
So I sometimes post a chart of bitcoin and people ask me why i'm not using Logarithmatic scaling? What exactly is the difference? I can see that visually it makes a world of difference, switching to loga the chart perceivably shows some steady growth as opposed to the linear explosive growth. But this is visually deceiving as the scale is compressed at the end.
Also the dips are look less threatning on a loga chart as opposed to a linear chart.
Why would I use logarithmatic scaling as opposed to linear? And does Logarithmatic scaling not give certain visual illusions about the price on a chart? Or on the contruary, does it give some insights that can't be found on the linear chart? Which one do you prefer and why? Is it situational?
Also the dips are look less threatning on a loga chart as opposed to a linear chart.
Why would I use logarithmatic scaling as opposed to linear? And does Logarithmatic scaling not give certain visual illusions about the price on a chart? Or on the contruary, does it give some insights that can't be found on the linear chart? Which one do you prefer and why? Is it situational?
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