What is SMC (Smart Money Concepts)? – A Deep Dive into Market Logic
Have you ever wondered why the market reverses just when it looks like it’s trending? Or why your stop-loss always seems to get hit before the market moves in your favor? If these questions resonate with you, SMC (Smart Money Concepts) might hold the answers.
1. What is SMC?
SMC is a trading methodology based on the idea that financial markets are not purely driven by supply and demand. Instead, they are manipulated by Smart Money—banks, institutions, and hedge funds—who control price action by targeting liquidity in the market.
These institutions capitalize on retail traders’ mistakes, such as poorly placed stop-losses or impulsive trades. By understanding SMC, you learn to align yourself with the movements of Smart Money instead of falling victim to their traps.
2. Core Principles of SMC
• Markets Are Not Random Markets are influenced by the IPDA (Interbank Price Delivery Algorithm), which engineers price movement to create liquidity and drive market cycles. This algorithm exploits traders’ emotions—fear and greed—to guide price action.
3. How Does SMC Benefit Traders?
By mastering SMC, you can: 1. Identify Smart Money’s Liquidity Targets • Look for areas like previous highs/lows, order blocks, and inefficiencies where price is likely to react.
2. Avoid Being a Liquidity Target • Learn how Smart Money hunts stop-loss orders and how to place entries and exits strategically.
4. Why Choose SMC Over Traditional Analysis?
Unlike conventional technical analysis, which relies on patterns and indicators, SMC focuses on the manipulative nature of markets. It helps traders understand the “why” behind price movements and positions them to trade alongside the institutions, not against them.
5. Where Can SMC Be Applied?
SMC is versatile and applicable across all markets—forex, stocks, commodities, and even cryptocurrencies. It focuses on the logic of price action, making it adaptable to any instrument with measurable price movement.
SMC is not just a strategy; it’s a mindset shift. It teaches traders to move from a retail perspective to an institutional perspective by analyzing price action and liquidity.
Align yourself with Smart Money instead of being their target.
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