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Topic: Why I never use indicators when I trade bitcoin (Read 536 times)

legendary
Activity: 2408
Merit: 1009
Legen -wait for it- dary

What do you use, moon cycles? Green candle means buy? How do you gauge when momentum in a trend is slowing and is time to exit or enter?
Pro traders trade by "gut feelings and emotion"?

Yep, you stare at the charts for hours and hours until you can see momentum build and predict how far the momentum will swing, then trade into the momentum..

Yeah, I'll keep my indicators as confirmation. I don't have the time I once did to devote to charts.
sr. member
Activity: 423
Merit: 250

What do you use, moon cycles? Green candle means buy? How do you gauge when momentum in a trend is slowing and is time to exit or enter?
Pro traders trade by "gut feelings and emotion"?

Yep, you stare at the charts for hours and hours until you can see momentum build and predict how far the momentum will swing, then trade into the momentum..
legendary
Activity: 2408
Merit: 1009
Legen -wait for it- dary
1. All Indicators Lag Price
2. Indicators Are Noise
3. Pro Traders Don't Use Them
4. How To Trade The Right Way

https://blog.whaleclub.co/why-i-never-use-indicators-when-i-trade-bitcoin-19df707ab81c

What do you use, moon cycles? Green candle means buy? How do you gauge when momentum in a trend is slowing and is time to exit or enter?
Pro traders trade by "gut feelings and emotion"?

Edit:
Something else, RSI is not "14 days of lag" It is an average of the last 14 days of calculations so it has today's data incorporated in it. Though it does take 14 days to be fully factored. But that's why you don't trade the Daily time frame. It's too slow unless you want to only trade a few times a month.

There are plenty of oscillators that are very good in Bitcoin. I have written some very specialized indicators, too. I have no issues with what I use. I do agree however, that MACD, RSI and BB aren't the best ones with the latter being the best of the three...especially when set up properly for a 24/7/365 market
legendary
Activity: 2101
Merit: 1061
Interesting read thanks
newbie
Activity: 12
Merit: 0
The author is not completely wrong. Most basic indicators like MACD, RSI, MA crosses,... are worthless.
Just try to implement them in a "dumb" and emotionless algorithm and backtest them on historical data (code the algo to buy when RSI<20 and sell when RSI>80 for example) : you will get terrible results, whatever the timeframe and the input parameters. Even when they achieve decent (theoretical) profits, it's just curve fitting. Also, when someone tells you to buy because MACD moves this way or Fisher transform is doing that, just ask them what parameters they are using and why they chose these parameters. They won't be able to provide a logical answer. Most of the time they just use the "default" parameters, whatever that means  Grin

That being said, there are some good performing indicators (mostly oscillators). Especially when they are improved with numerical tricks, they can yield significant profits.
member
Activity: 96
Merit: 10
Whaleclub.co – Digital Currency Powered Trading
1. All Indicators Lag Price
2. Indicators Are Noise
3. Pro Traders Don't Use Them
4. How To Trade The Right Way

https://blog.whaleclub.co/why-i-never-use-indicators-when-i-trade-bitcoin-19df707ab81c
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