Why does K look at the 4-hour, 1-hour, and 15-minute candlesticks?
Many people in the cryptocurrency circle repeatedly fall into traps, and the problem lies in focusing on just one time frame.
Today, I will discuss my commonly used multi-timeframe candlestick trading method, which consists of three simple steps: grasp the direction, find entry points, and determine timing.
1. 4-hour candlestick: determines the overall direction of whether to go long or short
This time frame is long enough to filter out short-term noise, allowing for a clear view of the trend:
• Uptrend: Highs and lows rise together → Buy on dips
• Downtrend: Highs and lows fall together → Short on rebounds
• Sideways movement: Prices fluctuate within a range, making it easy to get whipsawed; frequent trading is not recommended.
Remember this: Trading with the trend increases your win rate; trading against the trend only gives away money.
2. 1-hour candlestick: used to delineate ranges and find key levels
Once the major trend is confirmed, the 1-hour chart can help you identify support/resistance:
• Approaching trendlines, moving averages, and previous lows indicates potential entry points.
• Approaching previous highs, significant resistance, or the formation of a top suggests considering profit-taking or reducing positions.
3. 15-minute candlestick: only used for the final “trigger action”
This time frame is specifically for finding entry timing, not for trend observation:
• Wait for key price levels to show small timeframe reversal signals (engulfing, bullish divergence, golden cross) before taking action.
• Volume should increase; a breakout is reliable only then; otherwise, it may be a false move.
How to combine multiple timeframes?
1. First, determine the direction: Use the 4-hour chart to decide whether to go long or short.
2. Find entry zones: Use the 1-hour chart to outline support or resistance areas.
3. Make precise entries: Use the 15-minute chart to find the final signal for entry.
A few additional points:
• If the directions of several timeframes conflict, it’s better to stay on the sidelines and not take uncertain trades.
• Short timeframes fluctuate quickly, always carry stop-losses to avoid being repeatedly stopped out.
• The combination of trend + position + timing is much more effective than blindly guessing while staring at the charts.
I have used this multi-timeframe candlestick method for over 5 years, and it is a foundational configuration for stable output. Whether you can use it well depends on your willingness to look at charts and summarize findings.