Ebook Crypto en HQ
Ebook Crypto en HQ
Ebook Crypto en HQ
Disclaimer
Information and strategies contained in this book are intended as educational
information only and should not be treated as advice or a recommendation to trade nor
used as a sole trading guide. The past is not a guide to future performance, and strategies
that have worked in the past may not work in the future. Digital options and CFD trading
involves a high level of risk and may not be suitable for all customers. CFDs are complex
instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 66% of
retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should
consider whether you understand how CFDs work and whether you can afford to take
the high risk of losing your money.
Although due care has been taken in preparing this document, we disclaim liability
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2
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv
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3
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv
Vince Stanzione has been trading markets for over 30 years and has shared his
knowledge and experience in a number of books. He is the New York Times bestselling
author of The Millionaire Dropout and has created the “Making Money from Financial Spread
Trading” course. He has been quoted and featured favourably in over 200 newspapers,
media outlets, and websites including CNBC, Yahoo Finance, Marketwatch, Reuters.com,
Independent, Sunday Independent, Observer, Guardian, The Times, Sunday Times, Daily
Express, What Investment, Growth Company Investor, New York Times, Bullbearings,
City Magazine, Canary Wharf, Institutional Investor China, and Shares Magazine.
4
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv
CONTENTS
Bitcoin 09
Ether 10
Altcoins 11
What is a CFD? 14
Swap charges 16
Market orders 19
Pending orders 19
Fundamental analysis 25
Technical analysis 25
Final note 39
Appendices 41
Glossary 53
5
INTRODUCTION
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Introduction
INTRODUCTION
What is cryptocurrency?
Cryptocurrency is a secure digital or virtual currency protected by cryptography, which prohibits users
from counterfeiting or double-spending it. Decentralised networks such as bitcoin and many other
cryptocurrencies are built on blockchain technology — a distributed ledger enforced by a large number
of computers all around the world. Cryptocurrencies are identified by the fact that they are generally not
issued by a central power, and for that reason, they are theoretically immune to government control or
manipulation of their value. Central banks are able to print fiat currency that is based on faith and not
backed by commodities, such as the US dollar, the euro, and the British pound, in unlimited quantities.
Throughout history, all fiat currencies have eventually failed, as governments tend to overprint them. Since
cryptocurrencies are not controlled by authorities, they do not suffer from this problem.
7
TYPES OF
CRYPTOCURRENCY
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Types of cryptocurrency
TYPES OF CRYPTOCURRENCY
Bitcoin
Bitcoin is the best-known cryptocurrency and $5 worth of Satoshis with many online brokers.
the largest by market capitalisation (i.e. total
What makes Bitcoin unique is that only 21 million
equivalent value in USD). It was launched in 2009
Bitcoins will ever be available. Each Bitcoin is
by an individual or group known by the pseudonym
divisible into 100 million units, or Satoshis, and
Satoshi Nakamoto. The original Bitcoin white
one Satoshi is worth $0.0004 as I am writing.
paper is available in open access.
Bitcoin can be accessed using a private key which
Although it is not legal tender, Bitcoin is extremely
is a series of numbers and letters. If you lose this
popular and has sparked hundreds of other
key, you lose access to that amount of Bitcoin.
cryptocurrencies, collectively called altcoins.
“BTC” is the symbol used for Bitcoin. Whilst still relatively new, Bitcoin is building
up momentum with more and more financial
There have also been spinoffs or forks from the
institutions seeing the potential and a growing
original Bitcoin, such as Bitcoin Cash. However,
number of companies and respected investors
whilst the names are similar, they are priced very
announcing that they have large holdings in
differently and should not be confused.
Bitcoin. Compared to other financial markets, the
At the time of writing this book, Bitcoin is trading cryptocurrency market is still in its infancy, which
at over $40,000, making owning 1 Bitcoin opens up many opportunities. However, you will
unaffordable for many. Fortunately, Bitcoin is also notice that these markets can be very volatile.
divisible into Satoshis, and you can buy as little as
9
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Types of cryptocurrency
Ether
Another popular cryptocurrency is based on the Bitcoin. It was first described in a 2013 white
Ethereum blockchain system, a decentralised paper by Vitalik Buterin.
open-source ledger. It’s worth noting that this
The Ethereum platform, first described in a 2013
digital coin is sometimes called Ethereum, but
white paper by Vitalk, has been a launchpad
the correct name for the cryptocurrency is Ether;
for many other cryptocurrencies. It is currently
Ethereum is the name of the network. Ether is
working on ETH 2.0, which is aiming to make
commonly abbreviated as ETH. At the moment,
processing faster and less power-intensive. More
Ether is the second-largest cryptocurrency after
information about ETH 2.0 is available in detail.
10
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Types of cryptocurrency
Altcoins
Cryptocurrencies other than Bitcoin are collectively Deriv currently offers the more established
called altcoins. Most of these digital coins use a cryptocurrency pairs, and they are all traded
technology called blockchain that allows secure against the US Dollar. It is expected more digital
peer-to-peer transactions. Altcoins can provide currencies will be added to the trading platform
massive gains if you get the right project; however, in due course, including cryptocurrencies paired
they are also subject to high risk since many fail together, as explained in more detail in the next
and become worthless. The smaller altcoins can chapter.
also be quickly manipulated (similar to smaller
Table 1 shows cryptocurrency pairs that are
cap companies or penny shares). Buyers push
currently available for trading on the Deriv MT5
the price up to attract more buyers. Then, the
platform. MT5 can be downloaded free of charge
initial buyers cash out at a profit, leaving the new
from the Deriv website to a computer or as a
investors holding worthless cryptocurrencies.
mobile app and is accessible round the clock.
11
THE BASICS
OF TRADING
CRYPTOCURRENCY
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | The basics of trading cryptocurrency
This guide focuses on trading cryptocurrencies, trade. Major cryptocurrencies have deep liquidity,
which gives the clients the opportunity to profit which means you can buy and, more importantly,
from their price movement without buying and sell them even in large volumes.
selling the actual digital coins. I will also explain
Like any regular currency trade, a cryptocurrency
how to use leverage to hold a larger position than
trade consists of a trading pair, where each part
just buying and holding outright.
illustrates the relative worth of an asset.
With Deriv, you can trade a derivative known
The US dollar remains the world’s reserve
as a contract for difference (CFD), so the actual
currency for trade settlements. Such assets as
Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency never changes
gold and oil, for example, are priced in USD. Deriv
hands (read more about CFDs in the next section).
uses USD to price most cryptocurrencies too, e.g.
In other words, you trade on the price of the
BTC/USD shows the price of Bitcoin in USD. Of
underlying cryptocurrency rather than owning it.
course, cryptocurrencies can be priced in other
Deriv plans to introduce cryptocurrency trades on
currencies, such as Euro or British pound, but the
its multipliers too, which are accessible on DTrader
US dollar remains the main counterparty currency.
and the Deriv GO mobile app.
Deriv is also adding cryptocurrency trades that
One of the major appeals of cryptocurrency
offer two digital currencies paired together, for
trading is that it is available 24 hours a day, 7 days
example, ETH/BTC and LTC/BTC.
a week. The market is never closed, nor is Deriv.
Regardless of your time zone, you can always
No wallet required
You might have heard about people who have invested in Bitcoin but lost their private keys or had their
accounts hacked. Luckily, trading a CFD eliminates this threat as you don’t own the coin. You are trading on
the price difference of the cryptocurrency, and your trade will be settled (credited or debited) in US dollars.
13
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | The basics of trading cryptocurrency
What is a CFD?
As previously mentioned, when you trade cryptocurrencies with Deriv, you don’t take ownership of an asset.
Instead, you will use a CFD, which will track the price of the underlying cryptocurrency.
A CFD is an agreement between you and the counterparty, in this case, Deriv.
That’s why it’s important to choose an established and strong trading firm, as your CFD is only as good as
the company that underwrites it.
Let’s assume that after some research, I have We are trading on the number second to the
decided that BNB is a good cryptocurrency to decimal, so it is .12 or .35 in this case.
trade and I believe its price will go higher.
The 23-cent difference is the spread or profit
The quote I am given online is $273.125 (sell) and margin. Whenever we are trading, we are always
273.353 ask (buy). As I want to buy BNB/USD, I looking for the tightest spread because it will be
will select the ask (buy) price, so I am buying at easier to break even, as the following example
$273.35. If I were selling, I would be selling at the shows: if I buy at $273.35, I will need to sell the
bid price of $273.12. contract at least 23 cents higher to break even, i.e.
at $273.58.
14
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | The basics of trading cryptocurrency
I decide to go long (buy) at $0.10 a point. It would be the same as owning 10 Binance coins or $2,735.80
worth of BNB. Deriv CFDs are leveraged, which means you will only need to put up a margin (deposit). Deriv
will show you the margin requirement when you open the trade. It could be as little as 5%, so you would
only need $136.79 (5% of $2,735.80).
A leveraged trade allows you to enter the market with a margin instead of the real worth of the asset.
Therefore, your capital will go further than just a traditional buy and hold approach.
If you have ever followed the cryptocurrency market, you probably know that it is far from being smooth
and doesn’t always move upward; however, with Deriv, you can profit from falling markets as well.
A CFD also allows you to profit from downward movements, known as going short. It means if you believe
Bitcoin or any other cryptocurrency is overvalued, you can sell first (even without owning it) and then buy
it back. Of course, if the price goes higher, you will have to buy back at a higher price, covering your short
position.
Using Bitcoin as an example, you can see that Deriv quotes a 2-way price, so you can always close out an
existing trade or go short.
2
In trading , a point is 0.01, so in this case, $0.01 per point equals 1 Binance coin.
15
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | The basics of trading cryptocurrency
I sold Bitcoin (went short) at $53,648.365. I need to buy it back to close the trade. The current price to buy
it back is $50,220.083. If I close now, my profit would be $3,428. We can calculate it by taking the trade
size, in this case, $1, and multiplying it by the number of points difference, in this case, 3,428, which equals
$3,428.
If I go short, and the price moves up, I would have to pay more than what I sold at, and this would incur a
loss.
We can use the stop loss feature to limit our risks $51,220, $2,428 will be locked in.
or the take profit feature to close a trade at the
It’s also worth mentioning that Deriv offers
desired level. For example, if I want to close a
negative balance protection. If a trade goes
trade at 50,000.00, I can place a take profit order,
completely against you, you will not be asked for
and I won’t need to keep watching the market.
additional funds, and your account cannot end up
Let’s say I’m willing to risk a maximum of $500 having a negative balance. If you act on money
when I place the trade. I can place a stop loss 500 management tips, trade mindfully, and use the
points away. tools that Deriv provides for risk mitigation, you
will have a better chance at protecting your funds.
I can also lock in some of my profit and still keep
However, please be aware that trading CFDs
the trade open. For example, if I set a stop loss at
always comes with a high risk of losing money.
16
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | The basics of trading cryptocurrency
Swap charges
Whilst the cryptocurrency market is open for trading round the clock, a CFD will need an expiry time. Deriv’s
rollover time is 23:59 GMT. It means if you are going long on a CFD on Bitcoin, and you do not close it out
before that time, it will roll over to the next day, and you will be charged a fee, namely, a swap charge, which
will be deducted from the profit and loss.
17
CFD TRADING:
ORDER TYPES
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | CFD trading: order types
Market orders
If your trade is a market order, it will go straight into the market. This is also known as “At Best”; in other
words, you’re asking the broker to buy or sell on your behalf at the best rate currently available on the
market. This is the most common type of CFD orders.
For this trade to be executed, the market needs to be open.
Pending orders
A pending order is the trader’s instruction to the broker to buy or sell a security in future, under predefined
conditions, when the price reaches a specific level.
Limit orders
The most popular pending order is a limit order or “At Limit”, which means if price equals your limit, your
trade becomes a market order.
19
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | CFD trading: order types
Stop orders
A stop order is an instruction to buy or sell if the price reaches X. Most traders use a stop order as a
safety net, especially if they are not monitoring the market closely. When this order is executed, the trade
is completely closed. A stop order can be set for a limited period or for an indefinite time ( a “good till
cancelled” or GTC order). In either case, when the price of cryptocurrency reaches the stop price you’ve set,
you can’t cancel or amend your stop order.
If you set a stop order, the broker will always try to fill your order at the price you’ve set, but if that price is
unavailable, your order will be executed at the next available price. In other words, a trade with a stop order
is always filled at either the price equal to the specified one or the next available price (slippage). But in any
case, the execution of stop orders is guaranteed.
It is always a trade-off between having a close stop, minimising losses, and giving a trade enough space to
breathe at the risk of a larger loss.
A 20-day price channel can give you an idea for stop loss. Here we see Ethereum with a 20-day high/low
chart. Say you were to go long on ETH. You would place your stop at the 20-day low price (red square line).
As the price moves up, so does the 20-day low, and you are locking in profits. This strategy is also known as
trailing your stop. Think of it as a safety net. As long as the value of cryptocurrency keeps going higher, you
stay with the trade and keep moving the stop up. Of course, at some stage, the trend ends, and your stop
will close you out. Remember, you can do the exact opposite for a short (down) trade, so your stop would
be the 20-day high.
Further on, I will show you how you can use these price channels as a trading system.
20
HOW TO EVALUATE A
CRYPTOCURRENCY
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
HOW TO EVALUATE A
CRYPTOCURRENCY
Psychology of the cryptocurrency market
The bid is a price you can sell at, and the offer is
a price you can buy at. Bitcoin and other major
cryptocurrencies are available for trading round the
clock, so there is always a bid/offer. Of course, the
price may not be the one you hoped for, but there
will always be a buyer for any price. In March 2020,
we saw Bitcoin briefly tumble to $3,800 as financial
markets fell sharply due to the Covid-19 global
pandemic. Many traders had to sell to raise money,
and fewer buyers were willing to step up, but there
were always buyers.
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
Like all financial markets, the cryptocurrency market is heavily influenced by human psychology. As
emotions take over logic, fear and greed can push prices much higher or lower in the short term before
returning to a more balanced state. Because cryptocurrencies are always available for trading, and there
is no exchange that can intervene and no circuit breakers like the ones used in stock markets (NYSE,
NASDAQ), very large percentage swings can happen in short periods of time. It can be both an opportunity
and a risk, so make sure your trade size allows for these swings. I have found it’s better to have a smaller
position that can withstand large swings and avoid being stopped out because of a short-term move.
Although the focus of this guide is on technical analysis, charting, and system trading rather than
fundamentals and economic indicators, starting with an overview of fundamental analysis can make the
matter clearer.
Fundamental analysis
Cryptocurrencies are affected by the news, such as a government ban or an issue with a major
cryptocurrency exchange. They can also be affected by other financial markets. For example, a sharp
downturn in the equity markets may force traders to raise capital and sell cryptocurrencies.
A major company starting to accept or buy cryptocurrency can also move the price up. This happened with
Bitcoin when Tesla (TSLA) announced that they had bought Bitcoin.
The cryptocurrency market is global and open round the clock, so many world events can affect it. Below,
you can read about a few sources for financial news in general or specifically for cryptocurrency news.
- Cointelegraph – a dedicated news site that covers everything about Ethereum, Bitcoin,
- Coinmarketcap – a good site that shows the charts and data of the leading
- Dailyhodl – a good site, which is a little technical but also has a good beginners section
following. PlanB (the investor’s famous Twitter nickname) has created the now
23
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
- Bloomberg – a leading financial site that has good cryptocurrency updates. They also post
- You can also follow my Twitter account (@vince_stanzione), where I post regular updates on
24
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
A problem with fundamental analysis, or trading It would also mean that central banks are
based on the news, is that in many cases, the data less likely to raise interest rates. Major banks
looks backward, so it only reflects upon what has produce a vast amount of analysis on economies
already happened. – much of which is freely available. However,
it is questionable how useful this data is to the
The other problem is that data can be interpreted
financial trader, especially in shorter-term trades.
in many different ways. For example, a higher
For most, technical trading will offer an easier way
unemployment number can be seen as negative.
to follow the market and trade cryptocurrencies.
A greater percentage of people out of work
Professional tools are now available to all.
implies more benefits being shelled out at the
government’s expense, fewer people paying tax On a side note: Deriv’s unique synthetic indices
and an overall weaker economy. However, on are available for trade round the clock, every day
the positive side, it would also typically mean of the week, even on holidays and weekends,
that wage inflation remains low – since current and are not affected by the news. You can learn
employees are less likely to ask for a pay rise if more about them in my new ebook How to Trade
others are ready to swoop in and take their jobs. Synthetic Indices.
Technical analysis
Technical analysis ignores news items and economic data, focusing purely on price trends and volume. It
primarily involves studying chart patterns, showing the trading history and statistics for whatever currency
pair is being analysed. You would start with a basic price chart, which would show the currencies’ trading
price in the past, and look for a trend or pattern that can help determine future pricing.
Whilst the cryptocurrency market is very new, around 10 years compared to 100s of years for stocks,
currencies, and commodities, I have been able to adapt trading tools to cryptos with very good results.
25
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
Trend higher
The lows are becoming higher. The highs are also becoming higher.
In other words, whenever the market sells off, it rebounds at a higher price than the previous time. This is
considered to be positive or bullish activity because market participants are willing to pay more than in the
past.
Figure 8 . ETH/USD movement on a basic chart. Ether is gaining against the US dollar
(Source: ShareScope.com)
26
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
Sideways range
This state is often overlooked, but a cryptocurrency can stay in a sideways range for weeks or even months,
and with Deriv, you still have the chance to make a profit in this type of market.
For example, let’s say every time the BTC/USD exchange reaches 7,000, we find support from buyers. This
amount would be the lower range. Then every time we get up to 11,000, we find resistance from buyers.
This amount would be the higher range.
Here we see Bitcoin staying in a range for over 18 months before finally breaking out to the upside. A buy
and hold strategy would have made very little profit; however, trading the range would have given you many
opportunities to profit from selling at the top of the range and buying back at the bottom.
Prices can bounce between the two levels for a long period of time. At some stage, the equilibrium is
broken, and a new trend or range is established. This state is often overlooked, but a cryptocurrency can
stay in a sideways range for weeks or even months. A sideways range is a case in which buyers and sellers
are equally matched. In this case, price levels have been formed that attract buyers (or support) and sellers
(or resistance).
Deriv gives you ways to potentially profit from the sideways price movement.
Psychology also plays a big part in trading, and round figures, such as 5,000 or 10,000, can often be
support or resistance levels. In the case of Bitcoin, $20,000 was a major threshold, and when it was finally
reached, we saw a move to $40,000 very quickly.
27
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
Support and resistance: how to make money from a sideways or dull market
Most traders are conditioned to look for moving markets or trends, i.e. times when a market is moving
higher or lower, but of course, in the real world, we can have weeks and months of sideways movements.
Markets are made up of buyers and sellers. Simple economics tells us that supply and demand move the
prices. But what happens when buyers and sellers are fairly evenly matched or are in equilibrium? How do
we make money in this situation?
Well, with CFDs, we can profit from range trades, that is, trading sideways markets.
Support levels occur when the consensus is that the price will not move lower. It is the point at which
buyers outnumber sellers. Support can be seen as a “floor” for the exchange rate.
Resistance levels occur when the consensus is that the price will not move higher. It is the point at which
sellers outnumber buyers. Resistance can be seen as a “ceiling” for the exchange rate.
Figure 10 shows the Ripple coin against the US dollar (XRP/USD), which has settled into a range of 0.22
(bottom or range blue line) and 0.26 (top or range red line) over the last few months.
We can look to go short at the top of the range and buy back at the bottom. Of course, at some stage, the
range breaks. You can use a stop order just above the range so you would be closed out when the price
starts moving higher.
28
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
Trend lower
In this state, the lows are becoming lower, and the highs are also becoming lower.
In other words, whenever the currency sells off, it rebounds at a lower price than the previous time.
This is considered to be a negative or bearish activity because market participants are willing to pay less
than in the past. The currency is losing strength.
The type of trade you would look to make with Deriv during these market conditions is short selling down
trades on CFDs, and you would aim to sell high and buy back at a lower price.
A helpful analogy for this state is to think of cryptocurrency as if it were a boxer that gets knocked down
gradually. With each knockout, he takes longer to get back up again. You can guess that eventually, he will
be unable to recover, or the fight will end.
Whilst we see many rallies, they fizzle out quickly, and the downtrend resumes as sellers keep coming and
buyers are only willing to buy at lower levels.
29
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
Timeframes
Depending on which timeframe you use in a chart, the trends and patterns will look very different. Many
traders examine multiple timeframes for the same currency pair – such as USD/JPY in one-minute,one-
hour, and one-day charts.
Deriv offers comprehensive charts across different timeframes, ranging from very short-term (one minute)
to one-day bars.
Figure 12 shows a one-hour short-term timeframe of BTC/USD, one of the most actively traded
cryptocurrency pairs. Each candle represents one hour, and we see opportunities to profit from upward and
downward movements.
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
Chart formats
There are various types of charts that can be used to analyse cryptocurrencies. However, to keep things
simple, we will look at the candlestick charts.
Candlestick charts are said to have been developed in the 18th century by the legendary Japanese rice
trader Homma Munehisa. The charts gave Homma and others an overview of open, high, low, and close
market prices over a certain period. This method of charting prices proved to be particularly interesting and
helpful due to its uncanny ability to display five data points at a time, instead of just one. The method was
picked up by Charles Dow circa 1900 and remains in common use by today’s financial market traders.
Candlesticks are usually composed of the body, is black. The opening price is at the top. The
typically shaded in black or white illustrating closing price is at the bottom. A candlestick need
the opening and closing trades, and the wick, not have either a body or a wick. In the examples
consisting of an upper and lower shadow throughout this book, we have used red for a down
illustrating the highest and lowest traded prices candle instead of black and green for an up candle
during the time interval represented. instead of white.
If the asset has closed higher than it opened, the Deriv offers cryptocurrency trading via the Deriv
body is white. The opening price is at the bottom MT5 platform, offered free of charge with a
of the body. The closing price is at the top. If the massive choice of charts and indicators.
asset has closed lower than it opened, the body
31
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
This guide doesn’t aim to go into the hundreds of possible technical trading tools, patterns, and indicators,
but the following can give you an understanding of the main tools available. This brief overview is designed
to help you get started in trading via CFDs or digital options so that you can begin to build up your
knowledge. Deriv and MT5 offer access to excellent complementary charts and tools with over 30 technical
indicators, but we will stick to three of the main ones here.
It’s important to keep your trading system simple at the beginning. As you progress, you can add extra tools
to refine your abilities further.
There are three main tools a trader can use: moving averages, Donchian channels, and relative strength
index (RSI).
Moving averages
This tool has earned and saved me more money You would add these figures and divide by 10 (i.e.
than any other. the total number of items in the set), to arrive at an
average of 55.
It’s hard to trace the precise origins of the moving
average (MA), although this concept is often Now when tomorrow’s price comes in – let’s say
attributed to Richard Donchian. He was a great 105 – you would remove the oldest number (10)
pioneer of systematic trading in the 1950s and and add 105 to the end of the series. The average
’60s. The methodologies that he developed over of this set would now be 64.5.
40 years ago still serve as the basis of many
Every charting software package incorporates
complex systems used by the world’s best traders.
the moving average, as it is one of the most
The dictionary defines an average as the quotient fundamental aspects of trading. You will also find
of any sum divided by the number of its terms. it on the various charts featured on the internet.
You don’t need to worry about working it out
Let’s suppose that you need to work out a 10-day
manually on your own.
moving average of the following numbers: 10, 20,
30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100.
Deriv offers moving averages among its tools, and they are easy to add to any currency.
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
Moving averages can be calculated for any data series, including all sorts of different indicators
associated with a particular currency (e.g. open, high, low, close, volume, etc.). To start, concentrate on
the simple moving average. Whilst some have tried to be clever by deviating from this straightforward
standard in various ways, it is best to stick with a simple approach, particularly as you first begin to trade.
In software or on the internet, simple moving average is often abbreviated as SMA.
Simple/arithmetic
Exponential
Variable
Triangular
Weighted
33
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
Here’s the basic rule of thumb with moving averages in the context of forex markets: when looking at the
relationship between timeframes and moving averages, the choice of the period you select on the moving
average indicator significantly impacts the results.
Figure 14 shows the ETH/USD pair with a 20-day simple moving average. The chart time period is daily. If
I change the time period to 1 minute, it will become a 20-minute simple moving average.
The advantage of a shorter-term moving average, e.g. 1 minute, is quicker results, with the moving
average reacting quite sensitively to price movements. The disadvantage is that you receive more false
signals with such a short timeframe, so it’s a trade-off – but still worth examining.
Popular moving averages usually have durations of 20 days, 50 days, and 200 days for long-term trading.
For the short-term, popular durations are 20 minutes, 60 minutes (1 hour), 4 hours, and 8 hours.
These time intervals can be easily set up in Deriv MT5. You can also have several moving averages on the
same chart simultaneously.
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
We can have one or more moving averages on a chart at once. I personally like 2 moving averages with a
slower (long-term) MA and a quicker (short-term) one. A buy and sell signal is given when the two cross
over.
We will use the Binance coin in the BNB/USD pair as an example. We will use 1-day charts and a
21-period and 6-period MA, so the durations would be 21 days and 6 days. I have used 20 hours, but you
could have 20 minutes or even 20 days for a longer-term system.
Figure 15 shows daily candle charts with the 21-day (green line) and 6-day (purple line) moving
averages. I have marked the cross-overs with green and red arrows showing the buy and sell points,
respectively
The Donchian channel is an indicator used in is available within Deriv charts, with adjustable
market trading, developed by Richard Donchian. settings for the period length. Twenty days is
It is formed by taking the highest high and the the conventional timeframe, which is why the
lowest low for a set period, such as 20 days. Donchian channel is often referred to as the 20-
The area between the high and the low is the day rule or the 4-week rule.
Donchian channel for the period chosen. This tool
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
Figure 16 shows the daily chart (each bar is one trading day) for Litecoin against the US dollar (LTC/USD)
using 20-minute Donchian channels.
• Enter long (buy) when the price hits 20–day high on the Donchian channel.
• Close by selling when the price hits 20–day low on the Donchian channel.
• Enter short (sell) when the price hits 20–day low on the Donchian channel
• Close by buying when the price hits 20–day high on the Donchian channel.
A simple system like this can be programmed into Deriv MT5 using the MQL5 language. You will find
many videos on Youtube showing how to do this. The MT5 website also has many ready-made trading
systems.
Please note that whilst the cryptocurrency market is relatively new, we can use the same trading
techniques that have worked in forex, stocks, and commodities in the cryptocurrency market.
I have used the 20-day chart, but you could go with a 20-hour or 20-minute chart for a shorter-term
system. There is also nothing to stop you from using a 10-minute chart. You can also run two or more
systems to have one of them trading long-term moves and the other trading short-term ones.
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
Whilst basic, this system has some powerful as long as the winning trades make more points
advantages: than the losing ones. You can also profit from
down moves as well as up.
1. Winning trades are left to run.
We can also use 20/20 – a Donchian channel and
2. You have an exact exit strategy (no guessing).
a simple moving average of the same period of
3. The system is rule-based. 20 days. The moving average will be reflected in
the middle of the channel. Some traders may use
4. Your risk is always defined.
this as a first warning sign of an impending trend
Even with more losing trades than winning ones, change.
there’s a chance that you can still make money
The relative strength index (RSI) indicator measures a cryptocurrency’s performance against itself. It is
often used to identify buying opportunities in market dips and selling opportunities in market rallies. The
value of the RSI is always a number between 0 and 100. The indicator was developed and introduced
into practice in 1978 by an American engineer J. Welles Wilder, a real estate developer and famous
technical analyst. It is still widely in use.
Although RSI was designed way before cryptocurrency, established systems can be used remarkably well
to analyse modern-day digital currency trades.
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | How to evaluate a cryptocurrency
The chart below shows an example of Monero When the RSI moves to 70, it’s a good time to
against the US dollar (XMR/USD). A low number look at short (down) trades. When we see the
(30 and below) indicates a more oversold RSI down at 30, it’s a good time to look at long
market. A high value (70 and above) indicates a (higher) trades. In this example, we can see the
more overbought market. The higher and lower RSI is at 50, which is fairly neutral (midway), so
horizontal lines on the graph are at 30 and 70, i.e. the RSI is not providing a clear buy or sell signal.
the levels at which markets are often regarded as Thus, in this case, it would be best to hold off
oversold or overbought. from placing a trade until clearer signals appear.
The 70/30 and a 14-day lookback period are the most common settings; however, I also use a 20-day
lookback (as shown in the chart), which helps to offset false signals. There is also another variation worth
looking at:
This approach includes the lookback period of 20, oversold level 20%, and overbought level 80%. Risk-
averse investors set up the indicator in a way that will make the RSI less sensitive and therefore minimise
the number of incorrect signals. With all systems, it’s always a trade-off between having too many signals,
many of which will be false, or fewer, more accurate signals, but possibly delayed.
In MT5 and ShareScope charts, you can easily change the settings to any combination you wish.
38
FINAL NOTE
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Final note
FINAL NOTE
I hope you’ve found this short guide of use, and you’ll refer back to it in due course. This book has shown how
you can trade CFDs on cryptocurrency via the Deriv MetaTrader 5 (DMT5) platform.
Using Deriv services allows you to trade a great selection of markets. You will find additional resources,
charts, and tools on the Deriv and MetaTrader5 websites.
40
APPENDICES
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Appendices
APPENDICES
Appendix A
Unlike some brokers that make it easy to deposit money yet hard to withdraw, Deriv
enables you to withdraw easily and securely. Please note that whilst Deriv processes
your withdrawal requests efficiently and quickly, the period it might take banks or other
financial institutions to perform withdrawals can be longer. Deriv tries to give you an
estimate of the total waiting time.
All your money is segregated and held in secure and licensed financial institutions. In
this way, in the unlikely event of Deriv becoming insolvent, all your money will be returned
to you because it is never merged with Deriv’s.
Deriv has over 1.8 million trading accounts opened with more than 8 billion US dollars
of total trade turnover, so you’re in good hands.
Each trade, even if the trading capital is small, is given a unique reference ID number
for the opening and closing. This means that each trade has a full audit trail that can
be checked, so there is no way that the outcome can be manipulated either by Deriv
or the trader.
On a side note, if you place a trade and then, for whatever reason, lose internet
connection, your trade still continues as it’s placed with the Deriv servers. You can still
check the outcome once your connection is re-established. I had this happen to me
whilst travelling in Thailand.
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Appendices
Appendix B
Having a demo account is a great way to practise, but for a chance to profit from
markets, you will need a real account. Rules and regulations will apply depending on
the country you are based in. Deriv aims to make the process as simple as possible. If
you are requested for a copy of your ID, please provide it as soon as possible to avoid
delays in setting up your account.
Once your real account is open, set yourself a trading goal or plan. Just keep in mind
that trading should not be considered as a means to earn a living, to solve financial
problems, or to make financial investments. Apart from cryptocurrencies, synthetic
indices on Deriv are also available round the clock, so you can always come back to
trade on Deriv in your leisure time.
You can make trades in USD, GBP,AUD, or EUR even if you are based in a country that
has a different base currency. For example, if you’re based in Indonesia, your home
currency is IDR, but you can still trade in USD, which may be more stable than your
home currency.
5
Trading on Australian dollar is not currently possible for Deriv clients residing in the European Union or the United Kingdom
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Appendices
Appendix C
Albert Einstein was once asked what mankind’s greatest invention was. He replied:
“Compound interest.” There’s even one claim that Einstein called compound interest
the “eighth wonder of the world.”
I have been in the trading business for over 35 years, and I started small. It was
through the power of compounding that I could build up to where I am now. You need
to understand compounding to perceive what a powerful tool it can be. Below is an
excerpt from one of my favourite fables, which sums this up. The same principle can be
used when trading with Deriv.
The daughter of the Chinese emperor was ill, and he promised riches beyond compare
to whoever could cure her. A young peasant named Pong Lo entered the palace. With
his wit and bravery, he restored the princess’s health and won her heart. As a reward,
Pong Lo asked for her hand in marriage. The emperor refused and asked Pong Lo to
think of anything else he would like.
After several moments of thought, Pong Lo said, “I would like a grain of rice.”
“A grain of rice! That is nonsense! Ask me for fine silk, the grandest room in the palace,
a stable full of wild stallions – they shall be yours!” exclaimed the emperor.
“A grain of rice will do,” said Pong Lo, “but if His Majesty insists, he may double the
amount every day for a hundred days.”
So on the first day, a grain of rice was delivered to Pong Lo. On the second, two grains of
rice were delivered; on the third day, four grains; on the fourth day, eight grains; on the
fifth day, 16 grains; on the sixth day, 32 grains; on the seventh day, 64 grains; and on
the eighth day, 128 grains. By the twelfth day, the grains of rice numbered 2,048.
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Appendices
By the twentieth day, 524,288 grains were delivered; and by the thirtieth day,
536,870,912, requiring 40 servants to carry them to Pong Lo. In desperation, the
emperor did the only honourable thing he could do and consented to the marriage. Out
of consideration for the emperor’s feelings, no rice was served at the wedding banquet.
Risk too much, and a few bad trades will make you lose your trading bank. Risk too
little, and it’s going to be a long time before you see any decent profits. As previously
explained, money management does not have to be very complicated, but a simple
system will ensure that no single trade can wipe out your trading account. The mistake
many new traders make is trying to grow their accounts too fast.
Trading with a demo account and trading with real money are not the same. As in
most walks of life, when real money is at stake, irrational and instantaneous reactions
might take over. Since trading can become addictive, it is important to know how
to stay in control and remain reasonable, especially when trading with real money.
Besides reading the following tips, please visit Secure and responsible trading for more
information.
It may not be possible to trade logically all the time; after all, we are humans, with
occasional impulsive decisions. But by using a system and steadily applying practical
experience, you can train your reasoning powers to have a more permanent presence.
Be careful about taking in too much news and over-monitoring your position. It is easy
to overreact to a news story that may cause a short-term spike but is actually not that
important in the long run.
Using mobile devices and apps can cause you to make snap decisions that you
may later regret. The same sound judgment should be used with all trade purchase
decisions, no matter how or where they’re ultimately executed.
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Appendices
Many still believe that in order to make money, the price of a share, market, currency, or
commodity must go up. However, this is not true. As I have outlined in this guidebook, you
can profit from up, down, and even sideways movements, so don’t see falling markets as
a negative.
If you watch financial news channels such as CNBC or Bloomberg, it seems that you
should always be doing something since the channels are filled with “breaking news.”
Remember: these channels have to fill their airtime, and in many cases, the best trade
is, in fact, no trade. If you are not sure or do not see an opportunity you are happy with,
then do nothing and just wait for the next one. With the many markets offered by Deriv,
you will likely find plenty of opportunities at any time of the day or night.
Deriv offers a vast selection of trading opportunities ranging from lower-risk trades with
returns of 5-10% to those with higher returns of 100% or more. Deriv prices trades
based on mathematical probabilities. Of course, unexpected events do happen, but
overall, if you are being offered returns of more than 200% for a trade lasting a day or
less – just as an example – the reason for such generous returns is that the likelihood
of a payout is fairly slim. Keep in mind that it’s readily possible to “mix and match” your
trades on Deriv.
Some people trade casually, and that is perfectly fine. Some approach it with a more
serious attitude. While I do not encourage you to view trading as a means to earn
a living, to solve financial problems, or to make financial investments, and while I
certainly don’t deny the role of chance in trading, I do believe there are ways to trade
more smartly, especially when it comes to financial indices. See the tips under “Keep
your emotions in check and trade wisely”. For instance, keep solid records of your
winning and losing trades. A diary can help with this to complement the tracking tools
you’ll find on deriv.com, enabling you to keep tabs on your winnings. Also, stick to a
trading system to help minimise emotional decision-making.
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Appendices
Appendix D
If you’re going through a bad run, then take a step back, reduce the size of your trades,
or maybe even go back to using a demo account for a while. Deriv does not place a time
limit on demo accounts, and you can use your real and demo accounts side by side. In
fact, since Deriv is committed to responsible trading, it encourages you to use all of the
measures it offers to stay in control at all times.
There’s a practical tip that might help you manage your risks while trading. Let’s say you
start with a $1,000 account. If you limit your risk on any one trade to 5% of the account,
this practice will allow you to keep trading, even with a bad run. Let’s observe this
simple system in action.
The maximum stake on a single trade should never be more than 5% of your account
total. So initially, 5% of your $1,000 account balance would be $50. If your balance
goes down, then your trade size is proportionately reduced.
Let’s say that – following a few losing trades – your account balance decreases to $900;
5% of this amount would now be $45. If you have had a good run, then your allowance
per trade proportionately increases.
Suppose you’ve had a few winning trades in a row and your account balance has risen
to $1,200; your 5% maximum per trade is now $60.
The key is that no one trade should ever blow your trading account.
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Appendices
If your account goes down 50%, how much do you need to put on the line to get back
to even? Most will say 50% to make up for the previous losses, but here’s the problem:
You would need the account to move 100% to make this strategy work. As any trader
will tell you, this is not a wise approach.
Watch that ego. Don’t mistake a lucky run with skill. After a good run, many become
overconfident and start taking stupid risks. After a poor run, many attempt to play
catchup, trying to make their losses back fast. Both of these slippery slopes are easy
ways to lose your trading capital.
Many books have been written on money management with complicated formulas.
The key principle is quite simple: no single trade should ever cause you irrecoverable
financial or emotional damage. However sure you are that XYZ is going to rocket, only a
percentage of your trading bank should ever be risked.
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Appendices
49
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Appendices
Appendix E
Some of Deriv’s best clients are also its best affiliates. To find out more, please visit
Deriv’s affiliate programme page.
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Appendices
Appendix H
FAQs
Opening an account
I’m new to trading. Where do I start?
The first step is to open an account. You can apply online in just a few minutes.
Financial security
How safe is my money with Deriv?
Your money is always safe with Deriv and held in segregated accounts at all times.
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Appendices
Is it possible to deposit and withdraw the same funds through different payment
methods?
Unfortunately, no. Funds initially deposited through one payment method must be
withdrawn through the same system; funds cannot be transferred to an alternate
system for withdrawal. However, Deriv offers a wide variety of payment methods to
suit your specific needs and preferences.
52
GLOSSARY
How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Glossary
GLOSSARY
All time high (ATH) Bullish
ATH refers to the highest price (or market cap) This refers to a market that is rising. Someone with
that an asset has reached since its listing or a positive view on a market would be a Bull.
inception.
Bull market
All time low (ATL) A bull market is the condition of a market in
ATL is the lowest point (in price, in market which prices are rising or are expected to rise.
capitalisation) to which a cryptocurrency has The term “bull market” is most often used to
dropped in history. refer to the stock market. Unlike a bear market,
there is no set definition in percentage terms.
Altcoin
AN altcoin is any cryptocurrency that is Closing price
not Bitcoin. As Bitcoin was the original An asset’s closing price is the last price at which
cryptocurrency, any cryptocurrency that was it was traded on any given day.
created afterwards is treated as an “alternative”.
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Glossary
Derivative Long
A derivative is a financial instrument whose value Being long with regard to a market or CFD means
is determined by reference to an underlying you expect the market to go higher, and you own
market. Derivatives are commonly traded in the that CFD. It indicates a bullish attitude.
inter-bank market, and CFDs are a popular form
of derivative. In trading derivatives, you do not
purchase the underlying cryptocurrency. Margin requirement – initial deposit
Deposit margin is the amount a trader needs
to put up in order to open a leveraged trading
Fundamental analysis position. It can also be known as the initial
Fundamental analysis is a method of margin.
quantitative and qualitative analysis used
by traders to determine the macroeconomic
outlook of a country and its currency. Inflation, Offer price (ask price)
unemployment, and interest rates are just a few When trading a CFD, the offer price or ask price
of the considerations in fundamental analysis. is the price you buy. In the pair of quoted prices,
the second price is the offer price; for example,
1.2810 (bid)/1.2811 (offer).
GMT
GMT stands for “Greenwich Mean Time,” the
official time used in the UK during winter. In Pair
summer, the UK changes to British Summer Time, In cryptocurrency trading, we can make 2
which is GMT+1 hour. All times on the Deriv site separate trades to back a scenario. We could be
use GMT all year round. short on Bitcoin and long on Ethereum.
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How to Trade Cryptocurrencies with Deriv | Glossary
56
About Deriv
Deriv offers a wide range of products to its global client base, enabling them
to trade forex, stocks, stock indices, synthetic indices, cryptocurrencies,
and commodities.
Today, Deriv has 10 offices worldwide with over 600 employees from
over 50 countries working together to create an effortless online trading
experience with diversified, market-leading products.