Swingfailurepattern
Understanding SFP In Trading1. What is a Swing Failure Pattern (SFP)?
A Swing Failure Pattern (SFP) occurs when the price temporarily breaks a key swing high or low but fails to continue in that direction, leading to a sharp reversal.
This pattern is often driven by liquidity grabs, where price manipulates traders into taking positions before reversing against them.
An SFP typically consists of:
A false breakout beyond a previous swing high/low.
A sharp rejection back within the prior range.
A liquidity grab, triggering stop-loss orders and fueling a reversal.
SFPs provide powerful trade opportunities, signaling potential reversals and the exhaustion of trends.
2. Understanding Liquidity Grabs & Stop Hunts
The financial markets are structured around liquidity. Large institutions and algorithmic traders require liquidity to execute their large orders efficiently.
One way they achieve this is by triggering liquidity grabs and stop hunts.
Liquidity Grab:
Occurs when price moves beyond a key level (e.g., swing high/low), activating orders from breakout traders and stop-losses of trapped traders.
Smart money absorbs this liquidity before pushing the price in the opposite direction.
Stop Hunt:
A deliberate price movement designed to trigger stop-loss orders of retail traders before reversing.
Often seen near major support and resistance levels.
These events are crucial for understanding SFPs because they explain why false breakouts occur before significant reversals.
3. Why Smart Money Uses SFPs
Institutions, market makers, and algorithmic traders use SFPs to:
Fill large orders: By grabbing liquidity at key levels, they ensure they can enter large positions without causing excessive price slippage.
Manipulate retail traders: Many retail traders place stop-losses at obvious swing points. Smart money exploits this by pushing the price beyond these levels before reversing.
Create optimal trade entries: SFPs often align with high-probability reversal zones, allowing smart money to enter positions at better prices.
Understanding how institutions operate gives traders an edge in identifying manipulative moves before major price reversals.
4. Market Structure & SFPs
Market structure is built upon a series of swing highs and swing lows. Identifying these key points is crucial because they represent areas where liquidity accumulates and where price is likely to react.
Swing High (SH): A peak where price makes a temporary high before reversing downward.
Swing Low (SL): A trough where price makes a temporary low before reversing upward.
Types of Swing Points in Market Structure
Higher Highs (HH) & Higher Lows (HL) – Bullish Trend
Lower Highs (LH) & Lower Lows (LL) – Bearish Trend
Equal Highs & Equal Lows – Range-Bound Market
5. Liquidity Pools: Where Traders Get Trapped
Liquidity pools refer to areas where traders' stop-loss orders, pending orders, and breakout entries accumulate. Smart money uses these liquidity zones to execute large orders.
Common Liquidity Pool Zones:
Above swing highs: Retail traders place breakout buy orders and stop-losses here.
Below swing lows: Stop-losses of long positions and breakout sell orders accumulate.
Trendline & Range Liquidity:
Multiple touches of a trendline encourage traders to enter positions based on trendline support/resistance.
Smart money may engineer a fake breakout before reversing price.
6. Identifying Bullish SFPs
SFPs can occur in both bullish and bearish market conditions. The key is to identify when a liquidity grab has occurred and whether the rejection is strong enough to confirm a reversal.
Bullish SFP (Swing Low Failure in a Downtrend)
Price sweeps a key low, triggering stop-losses of long traders.
A strong rejection wick forms, pushing price back above the previous low.
A shift in order flow (bullish market structure) confirms a potential reversal.
Traders look for bullish confirmation, such as a higher low forming after the SFP.
Best bullish SFP setups occur:
At strong support levels
Below previous swing lows with high liquidity
After a liquidity grab with momentum confirmation
7. Identifying Bearish SFPs
Bearish SFP (Swing High Failure in an Uptrend)
Price takes out a key high, triggering stop-losses of short traders.
A sharp rejection forms, pushing the price back below the previous high.
A bearish shift in order flow confirms downside continuation.
Traders look for bearish confirmation, such as a lower high forming after the SFP.
Best bearish SFP setups occur:
At strong resistance levels
Above previous swing highs where liquidity is concentrated
With clear rejection wicks and momentum shift
8. How SFPs Signal Reversals
SFPs provide early warning signs of trend reversals because they expose areas where liquidity has been exhausted.
Once liquidity is taken and the price fails to continue in that direction, it often results in a strong reversal.
Key Signs of a Strong SFP Reversal
Long wick rejection (indicating absorption of liquidity).
Close back inside the previous range (invalidating the breakout).
Increased volume on the rejection candle (confirming institutional activity).
Break of short-term market structure (trend shifting).
Divergences with indicators (e.g., RSI divergence at the SFP).
9. Identifying High-Probability SFPs
One of the most critical aspects of a valid SFP is how the price reacts after a liquidity grab. The candle’s wick and close determine whether an SFP is strong or weak.
A. Wick Rejections & Candle Closes
Key Features of a Strong SFP Wick Rejection
Long wick beyond a key swing high/low (indicating a liquidity grab).
Candle closes back inside the previous range (invalidating the breakout).
Engulfing or pin bar-like structure (showing aggressive rejection).
Minimal body size relative to wick length (e.g., wick is 2–3x the body).
Bullish SFP (Swing Low Failure)
Price sweeps below a key low, triggering stop-losses of buyers.
A long wick forms below the low, but the candle closes back above the level.
This signals that smart money absorbed liquidity and rejected lower prices.
Best bullish SFPs occur at major support zones, previous swing lows, or untested demand areas.
Bearish SFP (Swing High Failure)
Price sweeps above a key high, triggering stop-losses of short sellers.
A long wick forms above the high, but the candle closes back inside the range.
This signals that smart money absorbed liquidity and rejected higher prices.
Best bearish SFPs occur at resistance levels, previous swing highs, or untested supply areas.
❌ Weak SFPs (Avoid These)
❌ Wick is too small, meaning the liquidity grab wasn’t significant.
❌ Candle closes above the swing high (for a bearish SFP) or below the swing low (for a bullish SFP).
❌ Lack of strong momentum after rejection.
B. Volume Confirmation in SFPs
Volume plays a crucial role in validating an SFP. Institutional traders execute large orders during liquidity grabs, which often results in spikes in trading volume.
How to Use Volume for SFP Confirmation
High volume on the rejection wick → Indicates smart money absorption.
Low volume on the breakout move → Suggests a lack of real buying/selling pressure.
Increasing volume after rejection → Confirms a strong reversal.
Spotting Fake SFPs Using Volume
If volume is high on the breakout but low on the rejection wick, the move may continue trending rather than reversing.
If volume remains low overall, it suggests weak market participation and a higher chance of chop or consolidation instead of a clean reversal.
Best tools for volume analysis:
Volume Profile (VPVR)
Relative Volume (RVOL)
Footprint Charts
10. Key Takeaways
SFPs are Liquidity Grabs – Price temporarily breaks a key high/low, triggers stop losses, and then reverses, signaling smart money absorption.
Wick Rejection & Close Matter – A strong SFP has a long wick beyond a swing point but closes back inside the range, invalidating the breakout.
Volume Confirms Validity – High volume on rejection wicks indicates smart money involvement, while low-volume breakouts often fail.
Higher Timeframes = Stronger SFPs – 1H, 4H, and Daily SFPs are more reliable than lower timeframe setups, reducing false signals.
Confluence Increases Probability – SFPs are most effective when aligned with order blocks, imbalances (FVGs), and major liquidity zones.
Optimal Entry Methods Vary – Aggressive entries capitalize on immediate rejection, while confirmation and retracement entries improve accuracy.
Proper Stop Loss Placement Prevents Fakeouts – Placing SL just beyond the rejection wick or using structure-based stops reduces premature exits.
Take Profit at Key Liquidity Levels – Secure profits at previous swing highs/lows, order blocks, or imbalance zones to maximize returns.
Bitcoin — Breakout or Bull Trap? SFP Setup ExplainedAfter a clean drop that nearly tagged the psychological $100K level, Bitcoin printed a Swing Failure Pattern (SFP) — sweeping the lows and snapping back with strength. That bounce wasn’t just a reaction — it was a liquidity reclaim.
Now, price structure is shaping into a potential Inverted Head & Shoulders — a classic reversal pattern often forming before a bullish continuation.
🔍 Key Level to Watch:
$106,694.63 — This recent key high was just taken out. If we see rejection here (SFP), it could set up a high-probability low-risk short opportunity.
🎯 Short Trade Idea (Only on SFP confirmation):
Entry: After price sweeps $106,694.63 and shows rejection
Stop-Loss: Above wick high (e.g., ~$107.4K)
TP Zones: $103.5K and $101.7K
R:R: ~1:7
✅ Cleaner setup with confluence from structure and liquidity — high probability if confirmed.
📚 Educational Insight: Why SFPs Work So Well
SFPs (Swing Failure Patterns) are some of the most powerful setups in trading because they:
Trap breakout traders
Sweep liquidity and reverse quickly
Offer clear invalidation (wick high/low)
Allow for tight stop-loss and high R:R setups
Using SFPs in conjunction with key highs/lows, volume, and structure dramatically increases your edge.
📈 Why Order Flow Is Crucial for SFPs
1. See the Trap Form in Real Time
SFPs are essentially traps — price sweeps a key level, sucks in breakout traders, and then reverses. Order flow tools let you see this happen:
A spike in market buys above resistance
Followed by a lack of follow-through (no new buyers)
And then an aggressive absorption or reversal (selling pressure hits)
Without order flow, this is all hidden in the candles.
2. Confirm Liquidity Sweeps with Delta & CVD
Watch for a delta spike or Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD) divergence — a clear sign that aggressive buyers are getting absorbed.
This gives you confirmation that the sweep failed, not just a random wick.
3. Tight Entries with Confidence
When you see actual trapped volume or liquidation clusters at the SFP level, you can enter tighter with conviction — because you're not guessing, you’re reacting to actual intent and failure in the market.
4. Early Warning System for Reversal or Continuation
If the SFP fails to trigger a reversal (e.g. buyers step back in with strength), you’ll see it early in the flow — and can quickly reassess.
🧠 Bottom Line:
Order flow lets you stop guessing and start seeing the actual fight between buyers and sellers. Combine it with SFPs, and you're not just trading price — you're trading intent. That edge is huge.
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BTC Trap & Reverse: The Power of SFPs in ActionBTC continues to chop in a tight range near its previous all-time high. While price action may appear messy at first glance, traders using a combination of structure, Fibonacci levels, and order flow tools are spotting clean opportunities — especially through Swing Failure Patterns (SFPs).
🔍 What Just Happened?
Bitcoin recently rejected from the 0.786 Fibonacci retracement level — a classic reaction zone. What made this move powerful was the SFP that formed at that level. Price swept above a prior high, triggering breakout buys, only to reverse. This type of move traps late longs and offers an ideal short entry.
🧠 Educational Insight: Why SFPs Are One of the Best Setups
SFPs (Swing Failure Patterns) are some of the highest-probability trades you can take for a few key reasons:
1️⃣ Liquidity-driven: They form where stop losses cluster — above highs or below lows — creating a magnet for price.
2️⃣ Clean invalidation: The wick high/low gives a natural stop-loss level, keeping risk tight.
3️⃣ Fast reaction: Once trapped traders are forced to exit, price often reverses sharply — giving you strong follow-through.
4️⃣ Confirmable with order flow: Using tools like Exocharts, you can see aggressive longs/shorts piling in just before the reversal. This adds conviction to the setup.
📏 Current Confluence:
Rejection from the 0.786 Fib retracement
SFP confirmed on high volume
1:1 trend-based Fib extension sits at ~$105,410
That level also lines up with the 0.666 Fib retracement
Anchored VWAP around $105K
Liquidity pool right at that zone too — a likely magnet
🎯 Trade Idea:
Short triggered at the SFP wick, stop just above it. First target: the 1:1 extension near $105.4K. Risk-reward is excellent with high probability if price continues to unwind late longs.
✅ Key Takeaway:
In ranges like this, you don’t need to guess direction — you need to react to structure. SFPs give you that edge. When paired with real-time tools like Exocharts and anchored VWAPs, these trades become sniper entries rather than coin flips.
Let the market show its hand — and trade the reaction, not the prediction.
📌 Summary:
This is how you avoid overtrading in chop: wait for key levels, watch how price reacts, and let trapped traders create the move. If BTC revisits the $105K region, it’s a major area to watch for reaction — or to take partials if you’re in a short.
The best trades come from patience + precision.
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Bitcoin, BTC, Large Footprints say Higher Sir. Once you see this, it can't be unseen...
How do large players build large positions? They shake you out and take yours.
Think about it; where do you place your long stops? below the previous low? perfect.
See what the large players did here? they kept the shorts in play, while running the long stops 4 times, each time stopping out your longs and building their longs. What happens next? maybe one last little shake.. then send it.
shorts need to cover and now sidelined players need to enter new positions, all adds fuel to the long.
This is a bull flag re-accumulation pattern. But think bigger, as fiat currency continues to inflate, your purchasing power continues to melt like an ice cube... that makes this is a long term trade.
The Trade?
Do everything you can to acquire as much spot Bitcoin as you can, then diamond hand it as long as you can. This is going much higher.
Depending on your time horizon & personal objectives taking money off the table at key targets would be wise while leaving enough in for over performance. See the linked chart for those targets.
D.Y.O.R. DO NOT BLINDLY TAKE THESE TRADES.
Never Trust. Verify. PLEASE DO YOUR OWN ANALYSIS.
This is not financial advice. These are just my observations.
Technical Analysis is not about being right, it's about increasing your odds.
Be prepared to be wrong. Risk management is key. Capital preservation above all else.
ADA Swing long idea The ADA (Cardano) long thesis derived from analysis of Fibonacci retracement, with particular emphasis on the golden pocket retracement level. The analysis is complemented by robust backtesting, a key horizontal level which acts as a support zone. The identification of a potential Swing Failure Pattern (SFP) and alignment with a predictive parallel channel acts as technical confluence, reinforces confidence in the long bias.
In navigating the upward trajectory, traders should identify and monitor key horizontal levels, which may serve as profit-taking opportunities. Concurrently, the implementation of risk management is imperative to mitigate downside exposure.
Lets Keep Things Simple!Let's keep everything simple. Here at the levels to trade in-between!
Calculate Your Risk/Reward so you don't lose more than 1% of your account per trade.
Every day the charts provide new information. You have to adjust or get REKT.
Love it or hate it, hit that thumbs up and share your thoughts below!
This is not financial advice. This is for educational purposes only.
BITCOIN NEW All Time Highs Soon!!!Value Area High of previous bullrun has officially been broken through!!
There's not too much left stopping Bitcoin from reaching ATH's!
Let The Fun Begin!
Calculate Your Risk/Reward so you don't lose more than 1% of your account per trade.
Every day the charts provide new information. You have to adjust or get REKT.
Love it or hate it, hit that thumbs up and share your thoughts below!
This is not financial advice. This is for educational purposes only.
AVAX Breaks Resistance. 6% Pump to weekly level Incoming.Local trendline has been broken. #Avalanche has also reclaimed the daily level.
The weekly level above is the target as long as we don't get rejected from the trendline above.
Calculate Your Risk/Reward so you don't lose more than 1% of your account per trade.
Every day the charts provide new information. You have to adjust or get REKT.
Love it or hate it, hit that thumbs up and share your thoughts below!
This is not financial advice. This is for educational purposes only.
ASX Aims 8% HIGHERAXS is showing bullish price action. Price has moved up to the next major resistance level. Once we break this trend line, I will then switch my bias to bullish and look to enter a long.
It is looking good after a sweep of the lows.
Calculate Your Risk/Reward so you don't lose more than 1% of your account per trade.
Every day the charts provide new information. You have to adjust or get REKT.
Love it or hate it, hit that thumbs up and share your thoughts below!
This is not financial advice. This is for educational purposes only.
MSFT Targets Bottom Of ChannelMSFT has been rejected from the top of the ascending channel and is looking to continue it's sell off to the golden pocket shown in the chart or the bottom of the channel.
not shown on this chart but if you zoom into the 1hr TF or 4hr TF, you'll notice that it did perform a Swing failure pattern and it could move up from these levels but in the upcoming weeks i expect price to continue falling and have a nice reaction at the golden pocket or bottom of the channel.
Calculate Your Risk/Reward so you don't lose more than 1% of your account per trade.
Every day the charts provide new information. You have to adjust or get REKT.
Love it or hate it, hit that thumbs up and share your thoughts below!
This is not financial advice. This is for educational purposes only.
QQQ Trade IdeasThe QQQ along with the S&P500 and ES1, are all sitting at support right now. The most probable outcome is that price SHOULD go higher. If it does move higher from these lows, a stop-loss below the most recent wick low would make the most sense with 1% risk
if we were to lose this level, i have a few other key levels below that i'm interested in trading based on the price action at those levels.
Don't trade with what you're not willing to lose. Calculate Your Risk/Reward!
Use risk management so you don't lose more than 1% of your account per trade.
Every day the charts provide new information. You have to adjust or get REKT.
Love it or hate it, hit that thumbs up and share your thoughts below!
This is not financial advice. This is for educational purposes only.
Bullish Set-Up After Local S/R FlipSQ is currently at local resistance but after a massive sell-off, I would expect continuation to the upside short term.
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Every day the charts provide new information. You have to adjust or get REKT.
Love it or hate it, hit that thumbs up and share your thoughts below!
Don't trade with what you're not willing to lose. Calculate Your Risk/Reward!
This is not financial advice. This is for educational purposes only.
Fantom Clean Long Trigger!!UPCOM:FTM - Long Trigger
#Fantom has reclaimed major support after sweeping the lows. This is a great entry trigger with clear invalidation ( wick low ).
A long here wouldn't be a bad idea IMO.
#ManageYourRisk
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Every day the charts provide new information. You have to adjust or get REKT.
Love it or hate it, hit that thumbs up and share your thoughts below!
Don't trade with what you're not willing to lose. Calculate Your Risk/Reward!
This is not financial advice. This is for educational purposes only.
AVAX Long Set-UpI entered a long position here on #AVALANCHE. A previous major low was swept and the price seems to be holding this level. I placed a stop loss below the previous wick low.
#Bitcoin also has swept its HTF pivot low and is looking to move higher in the short term.
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Every day the charts provide new information. You have to adjust or get REKT.
Love it or hate it, hit that thumbs up and share your thoughts below!
Don't trade with what you're not willing to lose. Calculate Your Risk/Reward!
This is not financial advice. This is for educational purposes only.
ATOM Looks Bullish!!Long Entry Trigger
Cosmos Has found support above a pivot low and has also swept those lows.
Buying pressure seems to have come in and it's now consolidating above support.
The most probable outcome is that the price moves a little higher from here.
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Every day the charts provide new information. You have to adjust or get REKT.
Love it or hate it, hit that thumbs up and share your thoughts below!
Don't trade with what you're not willing to lose. Calculate Your Risk/Reward!
This is not financial advice. This is for educational purposes only.
XLM Long Entry Trigger!XLM has been selling off since its massive run-up. It currently swept the previous lows and is holding support locally.
I entered a long position here with a stop under the previous lows. Always using risk management.
Every day the charts provide new information. You have to adjust or get REKT.
Love it or hate it, hit that thumbs up and share your thoughts below!
Don't trade with what you're not willing to lose. Calculate Your Risk/Reward!
This is not financial advice. This is for educational purposes only.
Watch These Bitcoin Levels Locally!When taking a look at Bitcoin on the hourly timeframe, we can see that on a local level (Low Timeframe) Bitcoin has been very choppy. This price action is currently for the professionals or the ones that like to get REKT.
I marked a few areas on the high of the range and the low of the range that I would be interested in trading as long as we get the right price action. Until then, I remain patient on the sideline waiting to execute with my alerts set.
Every day the charts provide new information. You have to adjust or get REKT.
Love it or hate it, hit that thumbs up and share your thoughts below!
Don't trade with what you're not willing to lose. Calculate Your Risk/Reward!
This is not financial advice. This is for educational purposes only.
Patterns, CME Gaps & Golden Pocket RocketCheck notes on the chart.
1) Bearish Rising Wedge
2) Descending Triangle
3) Ascending Triangle
Expansion Creating CME Gap, aka Futures Liquidity Gap. (These almost always get backfilled.)
4) Current Pattern, Bullish Ascending Channel.
We had a fake out to flush the longs, and create liquidity, and to backfill the CME Gap.
All other narratives are fun stories.
We have since course corrected violently, failing to break out of the previous range, creating a Swing-Failure , which is locally bearish. This likely retraces to 23k, before a continuation higher to fill the next CME gap around $27,355 and $28,740 .. of course some profit taking, or other exogenous events such as the indexes falling could correlate with some pull backs, but ultimately I'm expecting 35k to fill this year.
Strong resistance there, likely to struggle to get above.
If it does, the next gaps that could be liquidity grabs are
$45,000-$46,500
$52,500-$53,500
I don't believe we see a new ATH this year or next. 2025 is my target for ATH, which I believe we be a minimum of 130k and a max of 180k. I will scale out of positions between those two prices.
ETHUSDT - Liquidity zone reached, ready for higher?ETH has faced significant resistance at the key level of $1700, marked by the June 2021 low. Despite repeated attempts we failed to break through this level, leading to a swing failure at the November 2022 high.
This failure has resulted in a retracement to the liquidity zone at $1500 (Key Level), which is also the median line of the channel. Additionally, there is the 200-day MA acting as support at $1440. This retracement has had a significant impact on traders who had entered long positions from January 14th, as many of them may have been forced to exit or are now underwater.
To regain momentum and target for higher prices, it is essential to reclaim the previous low and establish it as our new level of support. Volume will play a crucial role in determining the next move.
As long as ETH remains above $1500 a bullish bias should be maintained. The 200-day MA at $1440 acts as an additional layer of support.
Critical Bitcoin Levels to trade This week with ATAS Order FlowBINANCE:BTCUSDT BITSTAMP:BTCUSD COINBASE:BTCUSD BYBIT:BTCUSDT.P BYBIT:BTCUSD.P
Critical Bitcoin Levels to trade This week with ATAS Order Flow.
Bitcoin has been trading in a range and this morning we saw the lows taken out by a swing failure pattern.
I show you my current levels to the upside and downside and the critical levels that HAVE to hold over the coming days.
Safe Trading - Not Financial advice.
Regards,
Shawn - AKA ZarTraderGuy