Most of the traders I’ve worked with over the years use TradingView with either Binance or Bybit data for charting BTC. It’s the common setup, and while it works to a point, there’s a layer most people miss.
Once you’ve done your usual analysis, I’d suggest pulling up the BTC1! chart on TradingView. This is the CME Bitcoin Futures contract. Make sure to turn on extended trading hours. That option is at the bottom right of your chart. And most importantly, switch off the B-ADJ button. You don’t want adjusted data. You want raw, unfiltered price straight from the CME.
This chart matters because it reflects actual institutional activity. It’s not just retail driven moves or perp. based noise. It’s the product that real size flows through.
When you start looking at this chart, you’ll notice price gaps like rollover gaps, imbalance gaps. Just go back in time and study them. You’ll see how often they get filled. It’s not random. There’s structure in it.
Also, this part is important. Before you even think of trading altcoins or meme coins, make sure you have a clear read on BTC. Build your bias there first. Because whether you’re watching Solana or Pepe or whatever, if BTC decides to flush, everything else follows. You want to be aligned with the flow, not caught on the wrong side just because your alt looked bullish in isolation.
I’m not trying to teach you how to trade. Just saying this one shift can change the way you see the market.
In the next post, I’ll break down how to read the Commitment of Traders report. That’s where the real positioning is.
