What each indicator measures, how traders actually use it, and where it fails. Every one is free to try on live crypto charts in Genni Charts.
They smooth price into one line so the trend is easier to see.
The average price of the last N candles, with recent candles counted more. Popular lengths are 9, 21, 50 and 200.
How traders read it: Price above a rising EMA suggests an uptrend; below a falling EMA, a downtrend. A fast EMA crossing a slow one (9 over 21) is a classic trend signal.
Watch out: In a sideways market EMAs cross back and forth and give many false signals.
The plain average of the last N closes. The 50 and 200 SMA are watched by almost everyone.
How traders read it: The 50 crossing above the 200 is the "golden cross"; below it, the "death cross". Price often reacts when it touches the 200 SMA.
Watch out: It reacts slowly, so signals arrive after a good part of the move.
Like the SMA, but each newer candle counts a little more than the one before.
How traders read it: Read it like an EMA: slope for direction, price crossing it for a change of pace.
Watch out: Rarely better than an EMA; choose one and stay consistent.
A moving average built to be smooth and fast at the same time.
How traders read it: Traders watch its slope: turning up is bullish, turning down is bearish.
Watch out: Its speed means it also turns on small pullbacks.
Volume Weighted Average Price: the average price paid today, counting each trade by its size.
How traders read it: Day traders treat price above VWAP as buyers in control and below as sellers in control; big funds use it as a fair-price benchmark.
Watch out: It resets every day, so it matters most on intraday charts.
They draw a range around price to show when it is stretched.
A 20-period average with a band two standard deviations above and below. The bands widen when the market is volatile and tighten when it is quiet.
How traders read it: A squeeze (very tight bands) often comes before a big move. In a range, touches of the outer bands tend to fade back to the middle.
Watch out: In a strong trend price can ride the upper or lower band for a long time; a touch alone is not a signal.
An EMA with bands set by the Average True Range instead of standard deviation, so they are smoother than Bollinger Bands.
How traders read it: A close outside the channel shows unusual strength. Bollinger Bands moving inside the Keltner Channel is the well-known "squeeze".
Watch out: Breakouts fail often when volume is low.
The highest high and lowest low of the last N candles.
How traders read it: A close above the upper line is a breakout to a new high: the core of the famous Turtle trading rules.
Watch out: Many breakouts pull straight back; traders usually pair it with a stop below the middle line.
Five lines that show trend, momentum and future support or resistance in one picture.
How traders read it: Price above the cloud is bullish, below is bearish, inside is undecided. A thick cloud is strong support or resistance.
Watch out: It looks busy at first and is slow on short timeframes.
They answer one question: is the market trending, and which way?
A line that trails price using the Average True Range. It flips from below price (green) to above (red) when the trend changes.
How traders read it: Simple to read: stay long while price is above the line, stay out or short while it is below. It also works as a trailing stop.
Watch out: Whipsaws in a range; many traders only take it in the direction of a higher timeframe.
Dots that trail price and speed up as the trend continues.
How traders read it: Dots under price mean uptrend; dots above mean downtrend. A flip is a possible exit.
Watch out: Flips constantly in sideways markets.
ADX measures how strong a trend is (not its direction); +DI and -DI show which side is stronger.
How traders read it: ADX above 25 means a real trend, below 20 means a range. +DI above -DI means buyers lead.
Watch out: ADX rises late, after the trend has started.
They swing between fixed levels and show momentum and overbought or oversold conditions.
A 0 to 100 reading of how strong recent gains are against recent losses. The standard length is 14.
How traders read it: Above 70 is overbought and below 30 is oversold. Divergence (price makes a new high but RSI does not) warns that a move is tiring.
Watch out: In a strong uptrend RSI can stay above 70 for weeks; overbought does not mean "sell now".
The gap between the 12 and 26 EMA, a 9-period signal line, and a histogram of the difference.
How traders read it: The MACD line crossing above its signal line is bullish, below is bearish. Above zero the bigger trend is up.
Watch out: It is built from averages, so it lags in fast markets.
Where the close sits inside the recent high-low range, from 0 to 100.
How traders read it: Above 80 is overbought, below 20 oversold; crosses of its two lines give the signals.
Watch out: Best in ranges; in trends it stays pinned at the extremes.
The Stochastic formula applied to RSI, which makes it faster and more sensitive.
How traders read it: Used for early timing of pullbacks inside a trend.
Watch out: Very jumpy: confirm with something slower.
Commodity Channel Index: how far price is from its average, in units of normal deviation.
How traders read it: Above +100 shows strong upside momentum, below -100 strong downside.
Watch out: The levels are not hard limits; it can run far beyond them.
A close cousin of Stochastic, plotted from 0 to -100.
How traders read it: Above -20 is overbought, below -80 oversold.
Watch out: Gives the same information as Stochastic; no need to use both.
The percentage price change over the last N candles.
How traders read it: Above zero momentum is positive; a rising ROC means the move is speeding up.
Watch out: One old candle leaving the window can swing it sharply.
They show how much is being traded and how big the moves are.
How much was traded in each candle.
How traders read it: Moves on rising volume are more trustworthy than moves on falling volume. A huge volume spike often marks a turning point.
Watch out: Volume differs from exchange to exchange.
A running total that adds volume on up candles and subtracts it on down candles.
How traders read it: OBV rising while price is flat can show quiet buying before a breakout.
Watch out: The absolute number means nothing; only its direction matters.
An RSI that also counts volume.
How traders read it: Above 80 overbought, below 20 oversold, with divergences read like RSI.
Watch out: Thin volume makes it noisy.
The average size of a candle, including gaps. It measures volatility, not direction.
How traders read it: Used to set stops and position size: a stop 1.5 to 2 ATR away sits outside normal noise.
Watch out: It says nothing about where price will go.
Data from the futures market that spot charts do not show.
The fee perpetual-futures traders pay each other every 8 hours to keep the contract near the spot price.
How traders read it: High positive funding means longs are crowded (and paying); negative funding means shorts are crowded. Extremes often come before a squeeze the other way.
Watch out: A crowded trade can stay crowded for a long time.
The total value of futures contracts still open.
How traders read it: Price and open interest rising together shows new money entering; price rising while open interest falls shows shorts closing.
Watch out: Read it together with price and funding, never alone.
This page is education, not investment advice. Trading involves substantial risk of loss. Read next: Trading indicators · Trading strategies · Candlestick patterns
