LC: Trend & Momentum Indicator
The "LC: Trend & Momentum Indicator" was built to provide as much information as possible for traders and investors in order to identify or follow trend and momentum. The indicator is specifically targeted towards the cryptocurrency market. It was designed and developed to present information in an way that is easy to consume for beginner to intermediate traders.
Indicator Overview
While the indicator provides trend data through a number of components, it presents this data in an easy to understand colour coded schema that is consistent across each component; green for an uptrend, red for a downtrend and orange for transition and/or chop. The indicator allows traders to compare price trends when trading altcoins between USD pairs, BTC pairs and the BTC/USDT pair. This is achieved by representing price trends in easy-to-consume trend bars, allowing traders to get as much information as possible in a quick glance. The indicator also includes RSI which is also a useful component in identifying trend and momentum. The RSI component includes a custom RSI divergence detection algorithm to assist traders in identifying changes in trend direction. By providing both Price Trend comparison and RSI components, a full picture is provided when determining trend and momentum of an asset without having to switch between trading pairs. This makes it particularly useful for the beginner to intermediate trader.
The indicator is split into three components:
RSI
The RSI is colour-coded to identify the RSI trend based on when it crosses an EMA. Green indicates that the RSI is in a bullish trend, red indicates a bearish trend and orange indicates a transition between trends. RSI regular divergences are detected using a custom algorithm built from the ground up. The algorithm uses a combination of ATR and candle structure to determine highs and lows for both price action and RSI. Based on this information, divergences are determined making sure to exclude any invalid divergences crossing over highs and lows for both price action and RSI.
Asset Price Trend Bar
The asset price trend is detected using a cross over of a fast EMA (length 8) and slow EMA (length 21) and is displayed as a trend bar (First bar in the indicator). There are additional customised confirmation and invalidation algorithms included to ensure that trends don't switch back and forth too easily if the EMAs cross due to deeper corrections. These algorithms largely use candle structure and momentum to determine if trends should be confirmed or invalidated. For price trends, green represents a bullish trend, red represents a bearish trend and orange can be interpreted as a trend transition, or a period of choppy price action.
BTC Price Trend Bars
When Altcoins are selected, a BTC pair trend bar (Second bar in the indicator) as well as a BTCUSDT trend bar (Third bar in the indicator) is displayed. The algorithm to determine these trends is based on exactly the same logic as the asset price trend. The same colour coding applies to these price trend bars.
Why are these components combined into a single indicator?
There are two primary reasons for this.
1. The colour coded schema employed across both RSI and price trends makes it user-friendly for the beginner to intermediate trader. It can be extremely difficult and overwhelming for a beginner to identify asset price trend, BTC relative price trends and the RSI trend. By providing these components in a single indicator it helps the user to identify these trends quickly while being able to find confluence across these trends by matching the colour coded schema employed across the indicator. For experienced traders this can be seen as convenient. For beginners it can be seen as a method to identify, and learn how to identify these trends.
2. It is not obvious, especially to beginners, the advantage of using the RSI beyond divergences and overbought/oversold when identifying trend and momentum. The trend of the RSI itself as well as it's relative % can be useful in building a picture of the overall price trend as well as the strength of that trend. The colour coded schema applied to the RSI trend makes it difficult to overlook, after which it is up to the trader to decide if this is important or not to their own strategies.
Indicator Usage
NOTE: It is important to always back test and forward test strategies before using capital. While a strategy may look like it is working in the short term, it may not be the case over varying conditions.
This indicator is intended to be used in confluence with trading strategies and ideas. As it was designed to provide easy-to-consume trend and momentum information, the usage of the indicator is based on confluence. It is up to a user to define, test and implement their own strategies based on the information provided in the indicator. The indicator aims to make this easier through the colour coded schema used across the indicator.
For example, using the asset price trend alone may indicate a good time to enter trades. However, adding further trend confluence may make the case stronger to enter the trade. If an asset price is trending up while the BTCUSDT pair is also trending up, it may add strength to the case that it may be a good time to enter long positions. Similarly, extra confluence may be added by looking at RSI, either at divergences, trend or the current RSI % level.
Indicator Overview
While the indicator provides trend data through a number of components, it presents this data in an easy to understand colour coded schema that is consistent across each component; green for an uptrend, red for a downtrend and orange for transition and/or chop. The indicator allows traders to compare price trends when trading altcoins between USD pairs, BTC pairs and the BTC/USDT pair. This is achieved by representing price trends in easy-to-consume trend bars, allowing traders to get as much information as possible in a quick glance. The indicator also includes RSI which is also a useful component in identifying trend and momentum. The RSI component includes a custom RSI divergence detection algorithm to assist traders in identifying changes in trend direction. By providing both Price Trend comparison and RSI components, a full picture is provided when determining trend and momentum of an asset without having to switch between trading pairs. This makes it particularly useful for the beginner to intermediate trader.
The indicator is split into three components:
RSI
The RSI is colour-coded to identify the RSI trend based on when it crosses an EMA. Green indicates that the RSI is in a bullish trend, red indicates a bearish trend and orange indicates a transition between trends. RSI regular divergences are detected using a custom algorithm built from the ground up. The algorithm uses a combination of ATR and candle structure to determine highs and lows for both price action and RSI. Based on this information, divergences are determined making sure to exclude any invalid divergences crossing over highs and lows for both price action and RSI.
Asset Price Trend Bar
The asset price trend is detected using a cross over of a fast EMA (length 8) and slow EMA (length 21) and is displayed as a trend bar (First bar in the indicator). There are additional customised confirmation and invalidation algorithms included to ensure that trends don't switch back and forth too easily if the EMAs cross due to deeper corrections. These algorithms largely use candle structure and momentum to determine if trends should be confirmed or invalidated. For price trends, green represents a bullish trend, red represents a bearish trend and orange can be interpreted as a trend transition, or a period of choppy price action.
BTC Price Trend Bars
When Altcoins are selected, a BTC pair trend bar (Second bar in the indicator) as well as a BTCUSDT trend bar (Third bar in the indicator) is displayed. The algorithm to determine these trends is based on exactly the same logic as the asset price trend. The same colour coding applies to these price trend bars.
Why are these components combined into a single indicator?
There are two primary reasons for this.
1. The colour coded schema employed across both RSI and price trends makes it user-friendly for the beginner to intermediate trader. It can be extremely difficult and overwhelming for a beginner to identify asset price trend, BTC relative price trends and the RSI trend. By providing these components in a single indicator it helps the user to identify these trends quickly while being able to find confluence across these trends by matching the colour coded schema employed across the indicator. For experienced traders this can be seen as convenient. For beginners it can be seen as a method to identify, and learn how to identify these trends.
2. It is not obvious, especially to beginners, the advantage of using the RSI beyond divergences and overbought/oversold when identifying trend and momentum. The trend of the RSI itself as well as it's relative % can be useful in building a picture of the overall price trend as well as the strength of that trend. The colour coded schema applied to the RSI trend makes it difficult to overlook, after which it is up to the trader to decide if this is important or not to their own strategies.
Indicator Usage
NOTE: It is important to always back test and forward test strategies before using capital. While a strategy may look like it is working in the short term, it may not be the case over varying conditions.
This indicator is intended to be used in confluence with trading strategies and ideas. As it was designed to provide easy-to-consume trend and momentum information, the usage of the indicator is based on confluence. It is up to a user to define, test and implement their own strategies based on the information provided in the indicator. The indicator aims to make this easier through the colour coded schema used across the indicator.
For example, using the asset price trend alone may indicate a good time to enter trades. However, adding further trend confluence may make the case stronger to enter the trade. If an asset price is trending up while the BTCUSDT pair is also trending up, it may add strength to the case that it may be a good time to enter long positions. Similarly, extra confluence may be added by looking at RSI, either at divergences, trend or the current RSI % level.