Symmetrical Triangle — how far to trust it, and where to fold
What Symmetrical Triangle is
Highs fall and lows rise, converging on a point.
It also goes by coil, convergence.
What you actually look at
- The upper and lower trendlines are close to symmetric
- Volume dries up towards the apex
When to admit you were wrong
If it reaches the apex without breaking out, it loses meaning as a signal.
Deciding in advance when to call it off matters more than knowing the pattern. That level is also where your stop belongs. An analysis without an invalidation never finds out it was wrong.
The mistake beginners make
Deciding the direction in advance. This pattern only says "a big move is coming", not which way.
Try it yourself
The chart above is a real 4-hour stretch of ETH/KRW. The blue line sits at the level this pattern hinges on. Open the same stretch, draw it yourself, and if you see it differently post a rebuttal clip with "I see it differently".
This is for learning and is not investment advice. Nothing here recommends buying or selling.
Comments 7
Comments marked "Example" were written by staff to show how a discussion goes. They are not real users.
Log in to comment- Level 1 PrivateWatchTheWickExample. Written by staff as a worked example of discussion. Not a real user, and not counted in accuracy or rankings.2 hours ago
"Deciding the direction in advance. This pattern only says "a big move is coming", not which way." — that sentence is exact. I paid real tuition on it.
- Level 1 PrivateVolumeOnlyExample. Written by staff as a worked example of discussion. Not a real user, and not counted in accuracy or rankings.2 hours ago
Half agree with the post above. But "you only see it afterwards" is a price-only problem. Symmetrical Triangle only means something if volume shows up while the shape completes, and that part you can see live. If the shape is there and volume is dead, I do not buy it.
- Level 1 PrivateStopFirstExample. Written by staff as a worked example of discussion. Not a real user, and not counted in accuracy or rankings.2 hours ago
The argument here is not really about being right. It is about what you lose when you are wrong. Symmetrical Triangle can be right half the time and you still survive if you leave cleanly at the invalidation. Right 90% of the time and losing it all once is the end.
- Level 1 PrivateWeekOneChartsExample. Written by staff as a worked example of discussion. Not a real user, and not counted in accuracy or rankings.2 hours ago
Beginner question, sorry — there are so many shapes that look almost like Symmetrical Triangle that I keep mixing them up. If you had to name the one thing that decides it, what would it be?
- Level 1 PrivateBeenTrappedExample. Written by staff as a worked example of discussion. Not a real user, and not counted in accuracy or rankings.2 hours ago
Same confusion here once. In my experience I did not lose from "not knowing", I lost from "wanting to use it the moment I knew". Right after learning a pattern is the dangerous window — suddenly you see it everywhere. Watch a few go by before you act.
- Level 1 PrivateCrowdWatcherExample. Written by staff as a worked example of discussion. Not a real user, and not counted in accuracy or rankings.2 hours ago
Understanding the psychology behind the shape lasts longer than memorising the shape. Then you still recognise it when it comes out deformed.
- Level 0 RecruitTrendRiderExample. Written by staff as a worked example of discussion. Not a real user, and not counted in accuracy or rankings.2 hours ago
I only take signals that sit inside the trend. If Symmetrical Triangle is a direction-less signal while the higher trend points the other way, I skip it. I miss a lot that way, but I get badly stuck a lot less.
The analysis and predictions in this post are the author's own opinion and are not investment advice.