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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
CoinDesk unpacks and explains Fibonacci retracements, a tool used to predict potential price support and resistance, for crypto traders.Updated Sep 23, 2021, 2:17 p.m. UTCPublished Sep 1, 2018, 10:19 a.m. UTCNew to crypto trading? Read CoinDesk’s full set of guides.Fibonacci retracement. Sounds sophisticated? But what does it do? And does it work?Luckily for traders, Fibonacci retracements are far more than just a nifty word. In fact, it's the name of a tool used to predict potential support and resistance levels for price action.First, let's define what this so-called "Fibonacci" is so you have a better idea as to why it is a concept relevant to trading cryptocurrencies.Leonardo of Pisa (A.K.A. Fibonacci) was an 11th-century mathematician responsible for introducing a unique sequence of numbers to the West, now known as the "Fibonacci Sequence."The Sequence0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1597, 2584... (pattern repeats to infinity)Each number in the sequence is derived from the sum of the preceding two numbers. Clever, right?Not only that, but each number is roughly 1.618 times greater than the number before it. This creates a value known as the "golden ratio," or "phi" and has a fascinating relationship with nearly everything in nature.Take flowers, for example, the lily is arranged with three petals, buttercups with five, the chicory with 21, daisies with 34 and so on. Interestingly, the numbers abide by the Fibonacci sequence and each petal is even placed at 0.618 per turn (out of a 360-degree circle), allowing for optimal exposure to sunlight and other factors crucial to survival.Examples of the Fibonacci sequence in nature are seemingly endless and this expands to trading when it comes to analyzing price action.Specifically, a trader can derive levels in a trend that price is likely to respect by dividing a peak to trough or trough to peak distance by the golden ratio and other ratios in the sequence. Other important ratios include 0.382 which is any number in the sequence divided by the number two places to its right and 0.236, found by dividing one of the numbers by the one three places to its right.As you'll come to notice, price reacts to these levels on a regular basis, which can provide a trader with optimal entry and exit points, just like it provides a flower with the optimal structure to absorb sunlight.Finding Support LevelsBefore using the Fibonacci tool to identify potential support or resistance levels, a trader must first be able to identify a "swing high" and "swing low."A swing high is simply a candlestick at the peak of a trend in any time frame that has a lower high directly to its right and left.
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