USDJPY Smart Money Concepts (SMC)In modern trading, especially within the Smart Money Concepts (SMC) methodology, terms such as Order Blocks, Imbalances, Breaker Blocks, and Inverted FVG (Fair Value Gaps) are widely used. Below is a detailed explanation of each:
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1. Order Blocks
An Order Block is a zone on the chart where large institutional investors have left "traces" of their operations, meaning a place where there was a concentration of buying or selling activity. It is typically the last candle before a significant price movement.
Bullish Order Block: The last bearish candle before a strong upward movement.
Bearish Order Block: The last bullish candle before a strong downward movement.
How to use:
Price often returns to order blocks before continuing the trend.
Order blocks are used as potential entry or exit zones.
Example:
If the market is falling and a sharp reversal upwards begins, the last red candle before this rise is the bullish order block.
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2. Imbalances
An Imbalance is a zone on the chart where demand and supply were sharply uneven, creating "gaps" in the market structure.
These zones are often referred to as FVG (Fair Value Gaps)—an area between the wicks of the first and last candles of three consecutive candles, where the middle candle does not overlap with the first or third.
It is believed that the market tends to fill these gaps, meaning the price often returns to these zones before continuing its movement.
How to use:
Imbalances can serve as a reference for identifying potential retracement zones.
Enter a position when the gap is filled.
Example:
In an uptrend, if the price rises sharply, creating a gap between the wicks of candles, traders can expect the price to return to this area.
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3. Breaker Blocks
A Breaker Block is a zone that forms when the market breaks a key support or resistance level and begins moving in the opposite direction. They appear where an order block was "broken."
Breaker Blocks indicate that the previously dominant trend has been broken, and the market is preparing for a new movement.
They can also be used to filter valid order blocks.
How to use:
After an order block is broken, the former support/resistance zone can serve as an entry point after a retest.
Used to identify trend reversals.
Example:
In an uptrend, if the price breaks below the previous bullish order block, it becomes a bearish breaker block.
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4. Inverted FVG (Inverted Fair Value Gap)
An Inverted FVG is a zone where the market provides excessive liquidity in the opposite direction, creating an opportunity for "smart money" to trap traders in the wrong movement.
An Inverted FVG occurs when the market "absorbs" liquidity, making traders believe the trend is continuing, but it is actually a manipulation before a reversal.
It is used to analyze price manipulation and find entry points against the "trap."
How to use:
Enter after the price has covered the FVG zone and confirmed a reversal.
Inverted FVGs often appear in zones that collect stop losses.
Example:
In an uptrend, the price sharply breaks a resistance zone (creating an FVG) but then reverses back and moves downward.
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Conclusion
Order Blocks and Breaker Blocks help identify zones where large players may enter the market.
Imbalances highlight areas where the price might return to balance demand and supply.
Inverted FVGs help traders avoid traps set by large players and enter the market more strategically.
