Saga is a Layer 1 blockchain protocol that allows developers to design their own dedicated chains for running applications. Learn more in this article.

 universe right now is the lack of accessible tools for developers. Many people interested in designing new 

 projects struggle to find the right software developer kits (SDKs) for their projects. The Saga ecosystem aims to fix this issue by providing unparalleled support to app and game developers. 

Can the Saga ecosystem really become the premier chain for web3 development? Keep reading to learn how it works and see whether it's likely to attract new developers.

 blockchain protocol. It allows developers to design their own dedicated chains for running applications. People who work on Saga all share the same security, scaling solutions and SDKs, but they each get their own unique chain that they can customize to suit their needs.

 of technology, crypto and finance enthusiasts. CEO Rebecca Liao is a co-founder of the Skuchain project, the designer of the 

 and a former international corporate attorney. Other members of the founding team include former Tendermint executive Jin Kwon, Blocktech Ventures founder Bogdan Alexandrescu and 

. They realized that there was a major need for a development-focused blockchain specifically designed for game project development. Saga's mission has attracted many major investors, 

Saga aims to create a new system for web3 project developers. Currently, most developers have to choose between the ease of working on an established chain like 

 versus the convenience and customization of designing their own chain. The Saga team realized that the most effective option for game developers would actually be a combination of the two types of development environments.

Saga wants to let developers set up their own sovereign blockchain so they can decide how things like 

 and transaction fees work. However, Saga also aims to provide extensive support for developers in its ecosystem. Its underlying framework ensures that people still have excellent security and a reliable validator set, no matter what their gaming project is.

 ecosystem, whose interchain web development standard is a set of protocols that allows a broad variety of blockchains to communicate with each other. The Saga network uses the 

 and the shared security system of the Cosmos ecosystem to manage the network, and has created its own Layer 1 chain that runs the entire Saga ecosystem and can do things like automatically launching 

The Saga Mainnet handles each developer's compiled smart contract binary. However, it also runs parallel dedicated chains that function as virtual machine (VM) modules capable of handling a specific set of smart contracts. End users for blockchain games and other apps interact only with the dedicated blockchain, while the developer's system manages the fees and individual transactions on the Saga Mainnet.

All of the chains on Saga are validated through optimistic coordination, which requires every Saga validator to validate each chain in the Saga ecosystem via 

 validation, verifying transactions by temporarily locking Saga tokens.

The Saga network contains a lot more than just the basic features offered through the Cosmos SDK and ecosystem. In addition to the software development tools and helpful interface for Saga's validators and developers, the ecosystem also contains the following features.

The overall layout of the Saga ecosystem starts with the Saga Mainnet. Built on the Cosmos hub, this framework includes a full validator set and a dedicated blockchain for handling all smart contracts. The basic protocols are passed on to each child chain in the system, and information is relayed back and forth between the main chain and all of the secondary chains. Saga's validators stake tokens, and then check to make sure every element of the topology follows Saga’s regulations.

 are a method for creating a dedicated blockspace that a developer can manage. These chainlets function as virtual machines that can handle smart contracts and automatically launch Celestia rollups. Each chainlet is its own blockchain that handles nothing but a specific gaming project. Developers decide on the gas fees they'll charge users, and can add chainlets as their projects expand and require more throughput from the remaining validators.

Saga's shared security relies on both the Cosmos hub and its own set of validators to secure the network. Validators on Saga’s network are monitored by auditors who can catch potential issues with individual dedicated chains. If anyone in the validator set fails to properly confirm a smart contract, their staked tokens are automatically confiscated.

 is a publishing system for gaming developers who want to create their own blockchains with help from Saga. It offers infinite scalability, seamless 

 and transactions without gas fees. In addition to use of the Cosmos SDK, developers who choose to publish their game through Saga Origins receive access to a variety of helpful marketing and distribution tools.

 is an interconnected blend of all the developers and projects in the Saga system. Though each sovereign blockchain is fully independent of others, they all join together to offer users a variety of exciting web3 projects. People interested in checking out the latest blockchain designs can join the Multiverse and browse all the neat concepts built on Saga.

To help get the Saga validator system started, Saga released 

 to its community members. People were eligible for the 

 if they had participated in the staking program or played in tournaments to promote Saga ecosystem games. The airdrop eligibility period required remaining validators and other participants to be active between January and October of 2023. Once the airdrop began allowing people to claim tokens, it continued to run until Mar 27, 2024.

 consists of four separate phases. The company has already completed the Andromeda and Cassiopeia phases, which focused on designing the Mainnet and setting up the system of Saga validators. Currently, the Saga team is in the Pegasus phase, which is about releasing tokens and opening the Saga Mainnet to the public. Sometime in late 2022, Saga’s team hopes to reach their Mainnet V2 phase, which will prioritize a new version of the Saga Mainnet with more features and options for dedicated blockspace.

SAGA tokens are the primary method for paying fees on the Saga network. These tokens are also used for staking, and function as a method of confirming Saga transactions. There are a total of 

, of which around 90 million have thus far been released. Saga plans to distribute its tokens as follows:

SAGA is still in the early stages of its token launch. However, it’s already surprised investors, having debuted at $4.91 on Apr 9, 2024 before quickly surging to its ATH to date of $7.60. It then steadily declined over the next few days to its current price of $3.06 as of Apr 19, 2024.

 SAGA, with its experts believing SAGA’s price will reach $15.73 by 2025 and decrease in 2027 to $6.27, before rising again to $13.45 by 2030. This bullish sentiment is amplified by analysts at Changelly, 

 SAGA’s price will increase to $6.91 in 2025, $14.21 in 2027 and $44.36 in 2030.

Looking to trade Saga tokens? Bybit now offers SAGAUSDT Perpetual contracts. To get started, you’ll first need to 

, then fund it with cryptocurrency and navigate to the 

SAGA has done an extremely impressive job of attracting users, and seems poised to become the big coin debut of April 2024 with its high price.

However, it's hard to say whether SAGA can maintain its price in the long run. It's quite common for new startups to have a strong start and then drop in price once their project fails to take off. If the Saga ecosystem can’t attract new developers and continue to release impressive projects, investors could see some major SAGA losses in the future.

Since this coin is so volatile right now, investors need to 

. It has the potential for both big profits and big losses, so you’ll want to carefully consider how these price shifts might affect your portfolio. For best results, avoid investing more than you can afford to lose, make sure you diversify your investments — and 

By offering developers the chance to create their own dedicated chains, Saga offers a more convenient and scalable system for blockchain gaming. Its helpful features and low transaction fees have already attracted many people, and it's no surprise that many others are interested in the project. Furthermore, SAGA tokens have had a promising start with extremely impressive growth. If the Saga company can successfully capitalize on its early buzz, it has a bright future.

Intermediate

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Saga (SAGA): Catalyzing the Multiverse With Scalable Chains

Discover Masa, a platform empowering individuals to control and monetize their data, decentralizing AI storage and promoting ethical data sharing.

Few areas of the crypto industry are as popular these days as artificial intelligence (AI). AI-related tokens and projects experience some of the highest growth rates, with particular interest attached to generative AI technology and large language models (LLMs), all thanks to OpenAI's massively popular ChatGPT tool. This is no surprise, as blockchain technology has the potential to address many of the limitations of LLM algorithms, particularly those related to the issues of data and centralization of AI models.

The Masa network (MASA) is a new AI-focused crypto platform that brings a fresh paradigm to the world by allowing individuals to control and monetize their personal data. Its platform also contributes to the AI revolution by decentralizing the storage of both the user data and the LLMs utilizing it.

 (MASA) is a blockchain platform that provides access to user-consented, hyper-specific behavioral and personal data and decentralized LLM algorithms. 

The platform launched its operations on Apr 11, 2024. Masa operates as a subnet on the 

 (AVAX) blockchain. To enable cross-chain functionality, it has also integrated 

 technology. This lets Masa bridge assets, initially to two key blockchains, 

 (BSC), with additional chains to be added in the future.

Masa provides user-consented AI data that’s stored in a decentralized way. As of mid-April 2024, more than 40 million data points from over 1.4 million 

 user wallets are available via its permissionless data layer. Masa represents an entirely new decentralized AI paradigm: while most data providers use centralized storage solutions, its platform's data is always stored in a decentralized, blockchain-based format.

The data made available via Masa’s platform is user-consented for collection and privacy-protected using its Zero-Knowledge 

 (zkSBT) technology, which allows users to share their personal data securely and confidentially by storing this encrypted data on the blockchain. Thanks to the zkSBT, users can share fairly detailed personal data while protecting their identities and the specifics of their online activities.

This user-consented data is directly sourced from users through the Masa App and Masa Chrome browser extension with their consent. Users have complete control over their data, which is collected in a highly detailed, verified and ethical manner. 

As such, it's different from the typical user-aggregated data collected from the internet by companies. Compared to user-consented data, user-aggregated data tends to be less granular and, obviously, has ethical strings attached to it: in most cases, users don't consent to the collection of such data, or (at best) provide reluctant consent by clicking on annoying "Accept All Cookies" buttons.

While focusing mostly on user-consented data, the Masa platform also offers developers a way to access user-aggregated data for a richer data network. Using Masa's web data scraper, developers can extract data from websites, social media posts, blogs and online databases.

User-aggregated data is collected by data node workers via the Masa Oracle network and Masa Chrome extension and stored on the platform, benefiting from the 

In addition to datasets, Masa enables the decentralized execution of LLM algorithms, facilitated by the Oracle node workers, who leverage their surplus CPU and GPU computing power to run open-source LLMs for fine-tuning AI models.

The Masa project aspires to achieve goals crucial to the development of all data and AI industries. First, Masa allows individuals to completely control their own personal data by choosing what to share with the outside world while protecting their confidentiality. The blockchain-based storage mode also ensures the security of the stored data. Additionally, users can monetize access to their personal data, becoming a major beneficiary of its use.

All of these benefits are in stark contrast to the traditional way user data is collected, stored and used on Web 2.0 platforms. In this traditional mode, one is often unaware of what personal data is collected about them, as well as when and by whom. Although the data used for analytics purposes might be in an aggregated form, together with the details of other online users, individual users are still part of the "guinea pig" cohort whose details have been unceremoniously extracted and utilized without their knowledge or consent.

Moreover, when hit online with some fairly relevant advertising based on past search phrases, one begins to realize that data isn't always used in an aggregated format. In fact, its utilization can be quite personalized. And of course, in the traditional mode of data collection, we’re all rarely reimbursed for the data we share.

Another aim of the Masa project is to provide a secure and efficient decentralized infrastructure for running LLM algorithms. Traditional, centralized hosting solutions for AI models face challenges, such as technical capacity and security issues. For instance, many centrally hosted LLM-based solutions suffer from performance degradation when large numbers of users access them simultaneously. Masa's approach to leveraging decentralized resources for running open-source LLMs efficiently addresses these capacity limitations, providing enhanced scalability and reliability for AI applications.

Masa operates as a subnet on the Avalanche blockchain, using cross-chain communications supported by LayerZero to access other networks as well. Avalanche subnets are completely independent 

 networks with their own set of rules and functionalities. Subnets, including Masa, use Avalanche's validators, or a subset of validators, to secure the network and achieve consensus.

Besides the validators, the Masa network has another type of functional nodes — 

. These special Masa nodes play a critical role in providing structured data and advanced AI models while prioritizing data privacy.

The Masa Oracle network acts as a decentralized web scraper, gathering data from the internet and organizing it for AI training and development. This approach gives developers access to hyper-personalized training data to improve language model performance. It also supports the decentralization of LLMs, making them easily accessible without complex setup.

As mentioned above, users can manage access to and monetization of their personal data via Zero-Knowledge Soulbound Tokens (zkSBTs), which provide a secure way of providing access to users’ personal data without compromising their privacy.

 is the main gateway for users to interact with the Masa platform. It lets them provide access to personal data and earn crypto rewards by staking data in four different ways:

Masa’s native cryptocurrency, MASA, is a utility and 

 used to reward users for providing their data to the network. 

 MASA also earns you crypto rewards. Entities who wish to utilize data held by the network pay for access to it in MASA tokens. The token is also used to reward the Oracle nodes.

As a governance token, MASA lets you participate in votes on any changes and upgrades to the platform's rules or fee structure.

The token's supply economics doesn't specify a maximum cap. MASA's total supply is 1,588,866,523, which will be released gradually over a period of around four years starting in April 2024. Token supply allocation shares are per the table below.

The MASA token is available on Bybit via a 

. Bybit's Spot and Derivatives markets provide you with opportunities to trade hundreds of cryptocurrencies and crypto-based products. If you don’t have a Bybit account, you can easily 

 to access Bybit's range of crypto products and assets.

The Masa network is a refreshing addition to the data industry, whose user consent and privacy have been under attack for many years. The Masa platform puts data ownership in users' hands, allowing them to control access to their data and benefit from its monetization. As online privacy concerns and invasive Web 2.0 advertising shenanigans grow, more users will be attracted to Masa's unique data concept.

In addition to allowing individuals to control and monetize their data, Masa also contributes significantly to the development of 

, which is important because the decentralized mode of data and model storage championed by the platform has the potential to solve many technical limitations of LLMs and other types of AI algorithms. This is a network full of merit and promise; all it needs now is wider recognition and user adoption.

Advanced

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Masa (MASA): Powering AI With User-Centric Data Monetization

Today’s outperformer is LSK, which jumped 17.63% after Lisk partners with Velodrome to enhance blockchain access and drive ecosystem growth.

The SPX index is down 0.22% as the market anticipates less Federal Reserve rate cuts, considering the possibility of no cuts this year. The broader cryptocurrency market is up, with Bitcoin and Ether rising by 4.18% and 3.19%, respectively in the past 24 hours.

Lisk (LSK), launched on May 2016, is a cryptocurrency platform that enables developers to build decentralized applications (dapps) using JavaScript and TypeScript. It supports custom "sidechains" within its network, offering tools like a software development kit. Lisk has announced a partnership with Velodrome to support and expand its blockchain ecosystem. Lisk will purchase and lock $VELO tokens for voting, directing VELO emissions to key pairs on Lisk. This collaboration aims to support existing protocols on Lisk, attract new developers, and enhance blockchain accessibility and adoption in emerging markets. Velodrome will back Lisk's Layer 2 initiatives, aligning with the goal of creating a scalable, interoperable Ethereum future.

Check Out the Latest Prices, Charts, and Data of 

The Runes protocol is set to debut alongside Bitcoin's 2024 halving, heralding a new phase in Bitcoin's evolution by enabling the creation of fungible tokens directly on its network. This follows the impactful Ordinals protocol, which significantly expanded Bitcoin's functionalities. The Runes protocol will spark competition among developers to issue and acquire the first tokens, with global exchanges ready to support these tokens from day one. The halving event will also feature a race to mine a highly valuable "Epic" satoshi. As Bitcoin approaches this transformative era, extensive preparations and educational initiatives are underway to equip users for the forthcoming changes, marking a profound shift in Bitcoin's operational and cultural landscape.

Spot Bitcoin ETFs have yet another day of outflow, however, yesterday’s outflow was close to neutral. The market has seen fluctuating flows in these ETFs, with significant activity in some and none in others, reflecting mixed investor reactions. Recent substantial outflows echo trends from March, but analysts regard such fluctuations as typical for ETFs and not indicative of failure. Despite this volatility, the outlook for Bitcoin ETFs remains positive as they continue to draw institutional interest and shape market dynamics.

Avail, a blockchain data-availability protocol developed using Polygon’s SDK, has announced an airdrop of 600 million AVAIL tokens, marking its one-year anniversary since spinning off from Polygon Labs. The "Unification Drop" aims to bring together various blockchain communities by rewarding developers, governance contributors, educators, rollup users, stakers, and others who have significantly contributed to the ecosystem. Avail's infrastructure includes three segments: Nexus for cross-chain transactions, Fusion for liquid staking on chains like Ethereum and Bitcoin, and DA for scaling rollups through technologies like KZG commitments. The airdrop will distribute tokens to 354,605 wallet addresses and includes significant allocations for various roles across multiple blockchains, including Ethereum, Bitcoin, Solana, Cosmos, and more, emphasizing a unified Web3 environment.

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Runes Protocol Revolutionizes Bitcoin with New Token Capabilities Ahead of 2024 Halving

Nolus is a decentralized finance lending protocol with cross-chain capabilities. Learn more about how it works in this article.

One of the big advantages of decentralized finance (

) is that it provides more options for users. People who cannot get traditional loans because a typical bank deems them "high-risk" can turn to the DeFi sector to borrow crypto assets. The Nolus Protocol is a new DeFi lender that offers users all sorts of exciting opportunities. To see how this intriguing project works, explore this guide to learn all about Nolus.

 is a DeFi lending protocol. It has cross-chain capabilities that let people choose the most favorable rates possible and avoid the need to save up funds for liquidity.

Nolus was founded by Ivan Kostov and Kamen Trendafilov. Kostov worked in traditional finance, while Trendafilov has a background in marketing and business. During their time in these sectors, Nolus's founders realized that blockchain networks had the potential to revolutionize banking. They decided to join together and create a new leasing system that makes the most of DeFi products instead of just trying to mimic past banking methods.

Nolus started work on its plans in 2022 and officially launched its mainnet in 2023, having successfully completed several investing rounds and receiving 

 Token Metrics, Autonomy Capital, Everstake and more.

Nolus aims to tackle three problems common in crypto lending markets:

 software developer kit (SDK). Its code is entirely open sourced, and is updated and changed only when all stakeholders in the Nolus community vote to do so. According to the Nolus white paper, its ecosystem’s goal is “to build a novel user experience–driven automated money market” that facilitates direct interactions between lenders and borrowers without involving any other users.

The Nolus lending method starts with lenders choosing to supply 

 to the system. Any borrower who submits a down payment can get a loan from this supply of stablecoins. Both the coins and the down payment are 

, and interest is determined based on the value of the items. There’s no fixed repayment schedule, but the smart contracts ensure that interest is automatically removed from the collateral, and then paid to the lender at regular intervals. Once the user decides to repay the lease, the original assets are released from the smart contract.

Nolus's lending protocol includes many ways for customers to profit and enjoy convenient services. Here are the main DeFi products you can access through Nolus.

DeFi leasing on Nolus is designed to be as convenient as possible. Customers don’t have to go through a lengthy application or pay a lot of fees to other users. You just enter your collateral and get a loan of up to three times the value of the initial investment. Interest rates vary between 11% and 18%, based on the market value of the digital assets. The 

 allow the loan to be repaid on your own schedule. However, keep in mind that you pay more interest if you wait a longer amount of time to repay the loan.

If you want to earn money based on your existing crypto, you can join one of the many 

 on Nolus by submitting stablecoins in exchange for interest-bearing Nolus crypto. When you're ready to withdraw your funds and stop participating in DeFi leasing, you can cash out your Nolus tokens to receive your initial asset, plus any additional interest or network fees you’ve earned.

Nolus's system of money markets isn't the only thing they provide. Users who decide to 

 a crypto asset on Nolus can earn more money. The Nolus ecosystem offers the option of staking NLS tokens in exchange for various incentives. Lenders receive higher amounts of rewards for lending stablecoins, and borrowers get a lower interest rate.

Nolus has had some impressive growth since its launch in 2023. In just six months, the lending protocol has assisted with thousands of loans, collectively worth $8.6 million in total. Its team calculates that they've managed to achieve an average 

Nolus hopes to expand on this momentum in 2024. Its main plan is to continue marketing the lending protocol heavily, attracting more users who want to do their own research and find the best possible loans. To further attract users from the DeFi sector, Nolus aims to add more support for other crypto tokens and increase network liquidity. Nolus stands for community-led governance, so they don't have a long-term road map in place. Instead, they plan to evolve and adjust to suit whatever community needs arise in the future.

. It allows users to adjust their interest rates, and it's also a 

. People with NLS tokens can vote on how the platform is run and help implement new changes for the platform. The NLS token has a total supply of 1 billion. Nolus’s plan is to gradually mint tokens over a ten-year period, and implement a token buyback program to help maintain value. NLS token distribution will be as follows:

When the NLS token was released in the summer of 2023, Nolus prices were fairly stable. However, now that investors can sell their NLS tokens, prices have become more volatile. Starting in December 2023, NLS prices 

, and although the token currently seems to be dropping from its all-time high of $0.10, more price increases seem likely in the future.

Not only is the market for the NLS token quite bullish right now, but the Nolus lending protocol is also attracting a lot of positive attention in the crypto space. If the network can maintain its positive attention and attract more users, prices seem likely to rise even further. CoinCodex predicts Nolus prices will stay in the $0.04 to $0.19 range for 2025, and hit 

. This attitude is backed up by crypto influencers such as Crypto Revolution, 

 an underrated crypto with a lot of potential for growth.

The Nolus project is a well-thought-out crypto protocol that offers users significant advantages. Its innovative approach to lending could potentially attract a lot of users from the DeFi space. In addition to having a reliable system backed with effective technology and a detailed white paper, NLS digital assets have also experienced some promising growth patterns. The crypto asset has had a slow yet steady climb in price, and now that it's trending in crypto news, it seems poised to take off.

However, keep in mind that it's still important to 

 on digital assets. Some crypto investors might find it concerning that the Nolus project is mostly backed by marketers, instead of blockchain enthusiasts. There have also been some tech issues, such as the 

 that led to some unnecessary margin calls. Subsequent issues could limit price appreciation of its crypto assets. Therefore, it's necessary to approach Nolus with caution and not overextend your finances.

Nolus's DeFi lease system allows people to obtain easy access to crypto. Its innovative approach provides investors with significant advantages. Unlike traditional finance, there's no lengthy application process, and in contrast to many other blockchain networks Nolus doesn't have frequent margin calls or high network fees. As long as Nolus doesn't run into any technological issues or financial problems, its network is likely to have a lot of success in the DeFi space.

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Nolus (NLS): Crafting Liquidity's Future With Leading DeFi Leases

Strategies

Trading

A bull trap refers to a false signal against a bullish trend causing traders to sell off their assets. But did you know you can avoid it? Read on to find out how.

Every sport has its trick play. A play where they fake movement in one direction to throw the defense off, only to move in the opposite direction.

 has its playbook of trickery, today we will share a page out of the book called the bull trap. This pattern traps traders into buying while the market is still trending lower. And if you’re caught in this trap, the consequences can be quite severe.

Whether you’re retail or experienced traders, in this guide you will uncover the ins and outs of a bull trap. You’ll learn to hedge funds by avoiding these traps, based on an asset’s past performance, and by identifying them on a price chart.

A bull trap is when a steadily declining asset appears to reverse in a convincing rally but soon resumes its downward trend to even lower pricing.

Traders witness a downtrend and anticipate a bullish reversal, looking to buy the dip at a good price. After an investor buys in at the initial stage, the price breaks out and rallies beyond the key 

, but later retreats and resumes the downtrend. This pattern is completed when the price breaks down and creates lower lows, pushing the trader into a losing position. Hence, these breakouts can be considered a false signal, one of the worst-case scenarios a trader can anticipate.

Bull trap patterns are often referred to as a “

.” They are commonly seen in all markets, especially in crypto markets, due to frequent swift recoveries. Therefore, crypto traders may anticipate a bounce and buy tokens too early, leading to large losses and frustration.

There are essentially three parts that make up the perfect bull trap. We’ve illustrated them in the image below.

A bull trap occurs when a false rebound traps bullish traders into long positions. In the illustration above, the market is correcting lower within an initial downtrend at 

Then, traders anticipate the end of the correction and buy with the hopes of catching a good entry in the cryptocurrency at 

. Perhaps their trade starts with an unrealized profit, but the attempted rally loses momentum and cannot be sustained.

Prices end up reversing lower as sellers overtake buyers, pushing the market down. When the market falls below the old low, the pattern is completed as the trader either stop the trade or is very deep in a floating loss (see 

The essence of this pattern is when traders prematurely 

 in anticipation of a market low. It appears to the traders that the market downtrend is over. After they are in a long position, prudent and wise crypto traders will place their risk and a 

The early entry into trade and false breakout higher cannot be sustained because the market lacks large buyers. As a result, sellers continue to overwhelm the scarce buyers, and the pricing is readjusted to lower levels.

However, the problem escalates for the buyer, whose trade begins to float at a small loss. The problem intensifies for the buyer as the market pricing keeps readjusting to lower levels.

As the market trends lower, it begins to trigger the stop losses placed by the long traders. When a long trade is stopped out, the trader has to sell.

As the stop loss is triggered, more sellers are added to the market. More sellers in the market generate lower pricing. This negative feedback loop generates strong downward momentum on prices, and the market moves very swiftly to the downside.

Crypto markets are notorious for sharp bullish reversals, and crypto traders don’t want to miss out on a bargain entry. As a result, traders enter at a low price, but it may not end up being the bargain price.

Given this challenge, we can identify signals through technical analysis and 

, which will alert us to the potential development of a bull trap.

First of all, after a steady decline prices will rally, but not very far. In the example above, Bitcoin falls 23% during its initial decline in May 2021. During the initial downtrend, prices will remain below the sloping resistance trend line.

This behavior suggests the mood of the market is still to the downside, and the door is open to a bull trap.

Secondly, a bull trap will experience a false rebound that is weak with no momentum. As a result, the market will have a difficult time breaking above technical resistance levels. These zones are horizontal resistance levels, at previous highs and lows, which the market cannot break.

Another symptom that the market is creating a bull trap is lack of range expansion. A “range” in trading has multiple descriptions. One of the meanings for “range” refers to the size of each candle. If the chart is a daily candlestick, then each candle represents that day’s range.

During the initial downtrend, range expansion will take place, indicating that momentum is strong. To reverse that trend, you need to see range expansion in which the trend moves higher and bounces. The lack of range expansion on the bullish bounce is a symptom of a weak bounce — and that prices are at risk for further correction.

Measuring range expansion is fairly simple. Try adding an indicator to the chart called “

.” Set the input parameter to “1”. This indicator will place a window with a line at the bottom of the chart that provides a range measurement for the previous candle.

If the rally after the initial decline occurs with the indicator staying the same or becoming smaller, then it suggests that no range expansion is taking place.

Additionally, the market will experience a lack of momentum evidenced by the Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicator. Many traders or investors 

 for overbought, oversold readings and to confirm a reversal breakout.

For example, if the RSI has a hard time moving above the 50 centerline reading, this is indicative that a market shows indecision and is not yet recovering. Without momentum in the market, RSI readings will remain below 50.

Finally, the ultimate symptom of a bull trap is when prices break below the old/previous low. Traditional technical analysis will review price action in the form of old highs and lows.

A breakdown below the previous swing low continues a series of lower highs and lower lows, which is the definition of a downtrend.

As the bull trap is sustained, prices tend to correct swiftly to the downside. In the Bitcoin example above, the bull trap pattern shows that prices collapsed 42% within five days.

Crypto markets frequently trap most traders into buying too early. Let’s look at a couple of examples where the bull trap led to quick and large collapses in Bitcoin and Ethereum prices.

After topping on February 13, 2020, Bitcoin’s price began to correct lower and shaved 20% off its value (point 1 on the image above). Traders then saw a bounce develop as Bitcoin recovered some of those losses (point 2).

However, the technical indicators on the chart illustrate how this rebound is potentially a false recovery. Price is well below trend line resistance (point 3) and struggles to break above a horizontal resistance level (point 4). In addition, the recovery is not experiencing a range expansion (point 5). Lastly, the RSI indicator is unable to press above the median line at 50.

At this point, there is no evidence to suggest a meaningful low is in place for Bitcoin. As a result, Bitcoin is at risk of a bull trap.

Sure enough, Bitcoin reversed and fell through the old low two days later. This break below the old low led to a 58% collapse in the pricing over the next five days.

Bitcoin isn’t the only cryptocurrency susceptible to a bull trap. The bull trap was present on a 4-hour price chart of Ethereum the same way, right before it collapsed on May 19, 2021.

Ethereum entered a steady decline of 29% from May 12 to May 16 (point 7). 

 began a seemingly convincing rally (point 8), but the technicals of the chart suggest otherwise.

First, Ethereum did not break the downtrend, as the price was below the trend line (point 9). Secondly, ETHUSD couldn’t even break a horizontal resistance line (point 10).

Also, the market was exhibiting range contraction (point 11), which is the opposite of a healthy rally. Lastly, RSI could not break above 50 (point 12), suggesting this rally could be a false recovery.

Ethereum eventually proved this was a bull trap pattern, as prices fell to retest the old low at $3,124. After that test failed, prices collapsed 40% in a short period — in this case, just a matter of hours.

In a bull trap, the trend is still declining, but the crypto trader is still buying. The risks for these traders lie in trading against the trend.

But the truth is that a trend can last much longer than anticipated. The best way to trade trends is to filter your trades in the direction of the larger trend. For example, in the bull trap pattern, the trend is still lower; you need to filter the signals. That way, you are taking on short-selling trades.

Therefore, identifying the resistance levels where you can initiate a short sell position is crucial. If the market bounces higher and witnesses the bull trap symptoms previously described, then you have strong potential for a continued trend lower.

Also, identify the old swing low on the chart, and place a sell stop order should a breakout occur. Use the cascading sell orders to your advantage and align your trades to the direction of the larger trend, which is lower.

Lastly, make sure to incorporate sound risk management techniques, like implementing a stop-loss order. If the trade doesn’t work out, a stop loss order will prevent a small loss from turning into a severe one.

All in all, the best way to trade a bull trap pattern is to follow the prevailing trend lower and look for short-selling opportunities, rather than buying opportunities.

There will be times when you suspect a bounce in prices but are unsure if a true rebound will take place — or whether it may be a developing bull trap pattern. We never really know ahead of time, until there’s enough evidence that the rising prices appear to have some momentum behind them.

One of the best ways to avoid the bull or bear trap is to check the volume. Should there be any changes to the asset’s value but the volume remains unchanged, it could signal a trap is coming.

Wait for an Indicator to Confirm a Signal

Another way to avoid a bull trap is to wait for the indicators to provide enough evidence that the pattern is unlikely to develop.

Are prices breaking resistance trend lines and overhead levels of horizontal resistance? If these resistance levels break, then it is safer to go long.

Are you witnessing range expansion in the average true range (ATR) indicator? Not every candle will be larger, but you want to see the bullish candles larger than the bearish candles before going long.

Also, is your RSI oscillator breaking above 50? If so, this is evidence that the trend is gaining some momentum.

In April 2021, Ethereum exhibited technical signals that suggested a low likelihood of a bear trap. As illustrated above, Ethereum avoided the bull trap and ended up with a breakout, rallying 83% in value.

It can be challenging to wait patiently for some of these indicators to flash positive signals. However, if these symptoms are not present, the crypto market remains at risk of falling further — which means taking on losses in your trading account.

A bull trap pattern frequently occurs in crypto markets, as it is a false breakout signal to bulls that a rally is underway. In reality, the trend is expected to go lower, and the market continues to seek out cheaper pricing. 

The best way to avoid these traps is to wait for the technical indicators to signal a bull trend is underway, which means waiting patiently. Do not expect the market to react the way you anticipate without the confirmation of proper indicators. Always do your due diligence — and know that you trade at your own risk.

What Is a Cryptocurrency Bull Trap & How to Avoid it?

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