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Ten Key Crypto Technical Indicators for Beginners To Know in 2024
Jun. 27, 2024.
7 mins. read.
15 Interactions
Crypto trading mastery: what are the essential indicators for successful Crypto Traders. Werner V. explores the 10 most crucial crypto trading indicators that every aspiring crypto trader should master.
About the Writer
Note from the editor: This is not financial advice. The claim that technical indicators predict future price movements better than chance has not been validated by Mindplex.
The Bitcoin halving has come and gone, and crypto markets are in the doldrums of summer. Explosive growth has settled into a cruise, presenting the perfect opportunity to master an important component of crypto investment success: technical indicators, which are tools used to perform technical analysis (TA).
Are you new to the world of cryptocurrency trading and feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of technical indicators available? Or you’re an inexperienced investor that just can’t figure out what’s going to happen next? That’s because the crypto market is dominated by short-term trading, mostly with bot trading tools, that look at specific indicators to devise an optimal strategy. Therefore, while you don’t have to be a pro trader, you should at least know the rules of the trading game before you invest in shorter time frames.
In this article, I’ll cover ten important crypto trading indicators that any crypto trader can try and master in 2024 to manage their Bitcoin and Ethereum. These indicators (which I’ll explain in descending order of importance) will help you make more informed trading decisions in the dynamic crypto market.
It’s important to note that no single indicator should be viewed in isolation. Instead, traders should use a combination of indicators to confirm signals and make more informed decisions. By using multiple indicators together, you can gain a more comprehensive understanding of market trends, potential entry and exit points, and overall market sentiment.
1. Moving Averages
What is a Moving Average?
A moving average is a technical analysis tool that smooths out price data by creating a constantly updated average price over a specific period.
What does it do?
Moving averages help identify trends and potential support and resistance levels. They can also serve as a foundation for other technical indicators.
How it works
The two most common moving averages are the simple moving average (SMA) and the exponential moving average (EMA). An SMA is calculated by taking the average price over a set number of periods – while an EMA gives more weight to recent prices.
2. Relative Strength Index (RSI)
What is a RSI?
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is an unmissable momentum indicator that measures the speed and magnitude of price changes. Its stochastic RSI variant is said to provide an easy visual way to see whether prices are bottoming or topping.
What does it do?
RSI helps identify overbought and oversold conditions, which can signal potential reversals or trend confirmations.
How it works
RSI oscillates between 0 and 100. Readings above 70 suggest an overbought condition, while readings below 30 indicate an oversold condition.
3. Bollinger Bands
What are Bollinger Bands?
Bollinger Bands are volatility indicators that consist of a middle band (typically a 20-day SMA), plus two outer bands set two Standard Deviations above and below that middle band.
What does it do?
Bollinger Bands help identify potential overbought and oversold conditions, as well as potential breakouts when the price moves outside the bands.
How it works
When the price touches the upper band, it’s considered overbought, and when it touches the lower band, it’s considered oversold. A squeeze in the bands often precedes a breakout.
4. Fibonacci Retracement
What is a Fibonacci Retracement?
Degen traders’ favorite tool of choice, Fibonacci retracement levels are based on the controversial Fibonacci sequence and are used to identify potential support and resistance levels.
What does it do?
Fibonacci retracement levels allegedly help traders set price targets and determine entry and exit points.
How it works
The most commonly used Fibonacci retracement levels are 23.6%, 38.2%, 50%, 61.8%, and 78.6%. These levels are plotted on a chart by drawing a line from a swing high to a swing low (or vice versa) and then dividing the vertical distance by the key Fibonacci ratios.
5. On-Balance-Volume (OBV)
What is an OBV?
On-Balance-Volume (OBV) is a volume-based indicator that helps confirm price trends and predict potential reversals.
What does it do?
OBV can help identify divergences between price and volume, which can signal a potential trend reversal.
How it works
OBV adds or subtracts volume based on whether the price closes higher or lower than the previous day. If OBV is rising while the price is flat or declining, technical analysts claim that suggests a potential price increase, and vice versa.
6. Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD)
What is a MACD?
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) is a trend-following momentum indicator that shows the relationship between two moving averages.
What does it do?
MACD helps identify trend changes, momentum, and potential buy and sell signals.
How it works
MACD consists of a MACD line (the 12-day EMA minus the 26-day EMA) and a signal line (a 9-day EMA of the MACD line). When the MACD line crosses above the signal line, it’s a bullish signal, and when it crosses below, it’s a bearish signal.
7. Stochastic Oscillator
What is a Stochastic Oscillator?
The Stochastic Oscillator is a momentum indicator that compares the closing price of an asset to its price range over a specific period.
What does it do?
The Stochastic Oscillator helps identify overbought and oversold conditions and potential reversals.
How it works
The indicator consists of two lines: %K and %D. When %K crosses above %D, it’s a bullish signal, and when it crosses below, it’s a bearish signal. Readings above 80 suggest an overbought condition, while readings below 20 indicate an oversold condition.
8. Ichimoku Cloud
What is an Ichimoku Cloud?
The Ichimoku Cloud is a comprehensive indicator that provides a quick overview of an asset’s price action, trend direction, and potential support and resistance levels.
What does it do?
The Ichimoku Cloud helps traders identify the prevailing trend, gauge momentum, and spot potential buy and sell signals.
How it works
The Ichimoku Cloud consists of five lines: the Tenkan-sen, Kijun-sen, Senkou Span A, Senkou Span B, and the Chikou Span. When the price is above the cloud, it’s considered bullish, and when it’s below the cloud, it’s considered bearish.
9. Aroon Indicator
What is the Aroon Indicator?
The Aroon Indicator is designed to identify trend changes and measure the strength of a trend.
What does it do?
The Aroon Indicator can help traders spot trend changes and potential entry and exit points.
How it works
The indicator consists of two lines: the Aroon Up and the Aroon Down. When the Aroon Up is above the Aroon Down, it indicates an uptrend, and when the Aroon Down is above the Aroon Up, it indicates a downtrend.
10. On-Chain Metrics
What are On-Chain Metrics?
On-chain metrics provide valuable insights into the fundamental health and activity of a cryptocurrency network. Looking at data such as total market cap, circulating supply, fully diluted value, total value locked, dApp activity, transaction count, user activity and more can help you see through all the smoke and mirrors in a bull market.
What do they do?
By monitoring on-chain metrics, traders can gauge the overall sentiment and growth potential of a particular cryptocurrency.
How it works
Some important on-chain metrics include transaction volume, active addresses, network value to transaction ratio (NVT), and realized cap. These metrics can be tracked using various blockchain explorers and analytics platforms.
Conclusion
In conclusion, these ten essential crypto technical indicators provide a powerful foundation for beginner traders in 2024, but it’s good to keep in mind that it barely scratches the surface of what’s possible in technical analysis.
You can test out applying these indicators for yourself, and see if they help you make more informed trading decisions or improve your chances of success in the dynamic crypto market.
However, it’s crucial to remember that no single indicator is perfect, and relying on just one can lead to suboptimal results. Maybe using a combination of indicators to confirm signals will help you gain a more comprehensive understanding of market trends and sentiment.
As you continue your trading journey, stay committed to continuous learning and adapting to the ever-changing crypto landscape. With dedication and practice, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a proficient trader in the exciting world of cryptocurrencies.
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4 Comments
4 thoughts on “Ten Key Crypto Technical Indicators for Beginners To Know in 2024”
I am beginner and this article went over my head. Am I missing something?
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Thanks for sharing Werner,
I wonder how this game is going to be played in the future?
Imagine an AI that is owned by no one, and trades for itself, independently...
Can you imagine that?
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As a beginner, this article is helpful. However, it misses the most important message that crypto newbies like me would love to know.
Okay, we understand what the indicators are and how they work, but shouldn’t you add the crucial message? For example, if the final stand of an indicator is X, then it is advised to Buy; if it is Y, then Sell; or if it is Z, then Hold.
Dear Werner, I, and thousands like me expect a similar guideline that includes the final suggestion for buy, sell, and hold. Because understanding all these indicators finally boils down to these three decisions: buy, sell, hold!
Yes, we know nothing is a concrete fact and each trader has to do their own due diligence. We are not imbeciles; we are just newbies. So we know the risks and that these indicators will never tell the full story individually or even when combined. Yet, we need a starting point to understand the game. I hope Mindplex will publish such an article soon. Indicators, their meanings, and then the final suggestion: buy, sell, hold.
Oh, it would be insanely cool if my suggested article could also include the combinations’ results as well. For example: “If Indicator X, Y, and Z show certain condition T, then this T is a buy signal, and if at least Indicator M, N, and O are closer to this T condition in their own respective, then this is a strong buy.” Or, even though M, N, and O fulfill certain conditions that suggest a buy, there is a strong variation in Indicator X, Y, and Z, and therefore, no buy is advised until at least Y aligns with the others.
I know I am fishing here?? Well, I am hoping someone at Mindplex will write such an end-to-end guideline.
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I know the feeling! Yeah such an article will be great, at least, for it's educational value. As for trading, it is useless: the crypto market now, well it started in 2020, is always manipulated artifically, at least in the last four years. It is no longer the game of ??, it is only for the big ? ?, the corporate ?, or maybe for the army of the auto ?! The promised sea of decentralized markets is now a dying pond.
In the immortal words of the nastiest anti hero, which then are tweaked by yours truly, "I'll tell you who we are in their eyes, we're morons. 'Translucent' doesn't even mean 'invisible,' it means 'semi-transparent'".
I know the feeling! Yes, such an article would be great, at least for its educational value. As for trading, it's useless. The crypto market, starting from 2020, is artificially manipulated! It's no longer a game for small ?. Instead, it's dominated by big ??, the corporate ?, and damn armies of trading ??. The promised sea of decentralized markets has become a dying pond.
To paraphrase the words of the most notorious anti-hero: "I'll tell you who we are in their eyes: we're morons. 'Translucent' doesn't even mean 'invisible,' it means 'semi-transparent'."
🟨 😴 😡 ❌ 🤮 💩