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Break of Structure Theory: Meaning and Use

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Break of Structure Theory: Meaning and Use

Market structure gives traders a way to read price behaviour beyond indicators and short-term noise. One of the tools within Smart Money Concept analysis is the Break of Structure, a framework used to assess whether a trend is continuing or losing control.

Rather than focusing on individual candles, a BOS looks at swing points, closes, and context across timeframes to build a clearer directional picture. Used correctly, it may support market analysis and trade alignment. This article explores what a Break of Structure is, how it’s identified, and how traders use it in practice.

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Takeaways

  • A Break of Structure refers to the Smart Money concept, confirming a trend continuation. It appears when the price breaks a key swing level in the direction of the existing trend, confirming that market structure remains aligned with that direction rather than signalling a reversal.


  • To identify a Break of Structure, traders analyse swing highs and lows within a clear trend and look for a decisive close beyond them.


  • A Break of Structure is commonly used as a confirmation tool. It may help traders frame directional bias and filter setups that align with higher-timeframe structure.

  • A Break of Structure on a lower timeframe may sit within a pullback on a higher timeframe, so market structure is always relative to the chart being analysed.


Strong and Weak Swing Points

In Smart Money Concept trading, understanding the basics of market structure may be important, particularly when discerning between strong and weak swing points. These points are pivotal in analysing the current trend and play a significant role in identifying potential breaks in structure.

A strong swing point, whether it be a high in a downtrend or a low in an uptrend, is considered to be likely to hold if the price revisits the area. A bullish trend, for example, is denoted by a series of higher highs and higher lows. For the trend to remain, traders typically watch that the last higher low is not breached.

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Conversely, a weak swing point is seen as vulnerable and more likely to be breached. In an uptrend, a peak or area of resistance is expected to be traded through, continuing the trend.  

Recognising these points is not just about spotting highs and lows; it’s about understanding their context within the market’s narrative. They illuminate the path for traders, indicating where the market might head next and highlighting potential areas for a Break of Structure.

What Is a Break of Structure?

A Break of Structure (BOS) is a concept used to determine a trend continuation. It forms when the price breaks a key swing level in the direction of the existing trend, signalling that market structure remains intact. In an uptrend, this means price pushes beyond the most recent swing high while the prior higher low remains untouched.

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That break shows buyers are still in control and that demand has been strong enough to absorb selling pressure at previous highs. Similarly, in a downtrend, a BOS is identified when a new low is established lower without moving beyond the prior high, showing sellers are in control. Rather than hinting at a reversal, a BOS reflects continuation, with structure confirming that the current directional bias is still valid.

How Traders Identify a Break of Structure

Identifying a BOS, as dictated by the Break of Structure theory, starts with discerning the current trend through an analysis of existing peaks and troughs. This involves observing whether there are consecutive higher highs and higher lows in an uptrend or lower highs and lower lows in a downtrend.

It’s crucial to recognise that structure can vary across different timeframes; a pattern appearing bullish in one may be just a corrective phase within a broader bearish movement on another.

To accurately identify a BOS, traders focus on pinpointing key swing points: the strong swing point, which shouldn’t be breached for the trend to remain valid, and the weak swing point, which is expected to be surpassed if the trend continues.

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A genuine BOS is confirmed when the price not only trades through but also closes convincingly past the weak swing point, marking a new high or low in the trend. While a wick beyond this point can suggest a BOS, it’s considered less reliable and might simply be an attempt at a liquidity grab.

To have a go at identifying your own Break of Structure examples, you can consider using FXOpen’s TickTrader platform to access real-time forex, commodity, stock, and crypto* CFD charts.

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Break of Structure Trading Strategy

This BOS strategy leverages the natural ebb and flow of trends, capitalising on the continuation patterns that emerge. This approach hinges on the identification of a BOS, followed by strategic positioning to take advantage of the expected trend continuation.

Utilising tools like the Fibonacci retracement between significant points allows traders to pinpoint potential entry zones within the context of a BOS, aligning with key levels where price retracements often stall and reverse back in favour of the prevailing trend.

Entry

  • Traders typically identify a BOS in line with the current trend, employing a Fibonacci retracement tool between the high and low (in an uptrend) or low and high (in a downtrend) of the range the BOS originated from.
  • They look for potential retracement to the 61.8%, 50%, or 38.2% levels, areas where the price is likely to retrace before continuation. The 50% level serves as a common medium for entry if the retracement depth is uncertain.

Stop Loss

  • A stop loss might be placed just below the trough (in an uptrend) or above the peak (in a downtrend) of the swing that prompted the BOS.

Take Profit

  • Take-profit orders might be placed at the previous high or low that initiated the retracement or at another strategic point, like an order block that aligns with the current momentum.

Within the SMC framework, tools like order blocks and imbalances/fair value gaps can complement this strategy. Specifically, if an imbalance exists, there’s a decent probability it’ll be filled before the trend continues. Likewise, the price will often meet an order block before continuing a trend.

In this context, a trader might prefer to set an order at one retracement level, particularly if it aligns with an imbalance fill or order block.

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Difference Between a Break of Structure, Change of Character, and Market Structure Shift

Understanding the differences between a Break of Structure (BOS), Change of Character (ChoCh), and Market Structure Shift (MSS) is pivotal for navigating structure.

Break of Structure (BOS)

A BOS indicates a continuation of the current trend. It occurs when the market forms a new top in an uptrend or a new bottom in a downtrend, reinforcing the existing directional momentum. This action signifies strength in the prevailing trend without suggesting a reversal.

Change of Character (ChoCh)

While a BOS aligns with the trend’s direction, a Change of Character (ChoCh) represents a break in the opposite direction. It happens when a previously strong swing point, which should act as a barrier to protect the trend, is breached. This breach, especially if it involves a significant swing point, might suggest the onset of a new trend, challenging the current trajectory.

Market Structure Shift (MSS)

A Market Structure Shift (MSS) embodies the principles of a ChoCh but with additional confirmation of a potential trend reversal. Before a strong swing point is decisively broken, the market first fails to continue the trend by plotting a higher low (bull) or lower high (bear) but failing to create a higher high or lower low.

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It then proceeds to break a strong swing point with a ‘displacement’ (a strong impulse move) that significantly penetrates through this point. Essentially, an MSS is a comprehensive indication that not only has the trend paused, but a new trend in the opposite direction has begun to establish itself, marked by lower highs in an uptrend or higher lows in a downtrend before the break.

In summary, a BOS aligns with the current trend, a ChoCh hints at a reversal by moving against the trend, and an MSS is a ChoCh that has already started plotting a new direction before strongly breaking through the current trend.

The Bottom Line

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Navigating the complexities of market structure—particularly concepts like Break of Structure—may help traders interpret trend dynamics. Applying these principles may contribute to informed trading and strategy development. By focusing on how price reacts to key levels, traders can align their analysis with prevailing market conditions and reduce reliance on isolated signals.

If you want to test the Break of Structure concept, you can consider opening an FXOpen account to access over 700 instruments, tight spreads, and low commissions (additional fees may apply).

FAQs

What Is the Break of Structure in Trading?

A Break of Structure (BOS) in trading refers to a scenario where the market surpasses a previous peak in an uptrend or falls below a previous bottom in a downtrend, indicating the continuation of the current trend. It serves as a signal that the momentum may still be in favour of the prevailing trend direction.

How Can Traders Identify a Break of Structure?

Identifying a BOS involves observing the formation of new highs or lows within the context of a relevant trend. Traders look for a conclusive move past the most recent significant swing point that aligns with the current direction, often confirmed by a strong closing beyond this point.

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What Is the Difference Between BOS and ChoCh?

While a BOS signifies trend continuation by producing new highs or lows, a Change of Character (ChoCh) occurs when the market breaks a significant swing point in the opposite direction of the current trend, potentially indicating the start of a new trend or reversal.

What Is the Difference Between BOS and MSS?

Both BOS and Market Structure Shift (MSS) involve breaking significant points, but an MSS is generally associated with a step further. It not only indicates a potential trend reversal, like a ChoCh, but also establishes the beginnings of a new trend by setting a lower high or higher low before breaking through the existing trend’s strong swing point, signalling a more definitive shift in market direction.

*Important: At FXOpen UK, Cryptocurrency trading via CFDs is only available to our Professional clients. They are not available for trading by Retail clients. To find out more information about how this may affect you, please get in touch with our team.

This article represents the opinion of the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand only. It is not to be construed as an offer, solicitation, or recommendation with respect to products and services provided by the Companies operating under the FXOpen brand, nor is it to be considered financial advice.

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Crypto World

Market Expert Draws Dot-Com Parallels to Strategy’s Massive Bitcoin Bet

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Market Expert Draws Dot-Com Parallels to Strategy's Massive Bitcoin Bet


Doctor Profit compared Saylor’s approach to the 2000 dot-com bubble, and added that buying blindly without strategic selling is a “reckless” trading approach.

Strategy has spent years aggressively buying Bitcoin, pitching the move as a long-term, high-conviction bet, but critics say that the approach has crossed from bold into reckless.

Popular analyst Doctor Profit, for one, drew parallels to the dot-com bubble, while warning that the firm risks repeating history amid today’s AI-fueled frenzy.

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Blind Faith vs Market Timing

In a recent post on X, Doctor Profit stated that he repeatedly expressed his concerns with Strategy’s co-founder, Michael Saylor, that nonstop Bitcoin accumulation, financed and backed by issuing company shares, was “playing with fire.” According to the analyst, those warnings were dismissed and even mocked.

He pointed out that since then, Strategy’s share price has fallen by roughly 75% from its highs, while Bitcoin itself is down 50% from its peak. With Saylor’s reported average BTC entry around $76,000 and the asset trading near $63,000, the position sits roughly 17% below cost.

Doctor Profit also argued that, despite accumulating since 2020, the company has never realized meaningful profits or executed serious strategic selling. Meanwhile, its stock has suffered a substantial drawdown, exposing shareholders to extreme volatility with little relief.

Looking back at past cycles, Doctor Profit said Saylor’s experience during the 2000 dot-com collapse offers a warning. He explained that intense excitement surrounding AI today may be creating a similar late-cycle setup, increasing the chance of history repeating itself by 2026.

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Rather than de-risking as these signals emerged, Doctor Profit claimed that the executive chairman doubled down, increasing exposure while ignoring red flags.

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“I truly wish MSTR and Saylor the best, but I cannot understand how reckless this trading approach is in such a late-cycle environment. Markets reward discipline, not blind belief in Bitcoin. There is always time to buy and time to sell. I hope he will listen next time instead of mocking my warnings.”

The fresh concerns come against the backdrop of Strategy’s latest Bitcoin purchase, which is smaller than its past billion-dollar buys but consistent with its long-standing accumulation plan. The firm spent just under $40 million to acquire 592 BTC at an average price of $67,286, which pushed its total holdings to 717,722 BTC.

The purchase was funded through equity sales. Nearly 298,000 Class A shares were sold via the firm’s at-the-market program over the past week, according to an update cited by Walter Bloomberg. Strategy still has substantial capacity to raise more capital through future ATM sales, as $37.4 billion in securities remain available, including MSTR and STRK stock.

Billions at Risk

As Bitcoin’s price decline deepened, earlier warnings from Michael Burry and Zac Prince drew fresh attention to the fragility of BTC treasury business models. For instance, Burry recently said BTC’s drop increases the risk of broader stress across crypto and related financial markets. “The Big Short” investor had said that further downside could severely impact companies that accumulated Bitcoin at higher prices, potentially leaving firms like Strategy billions underwater and cut off from capital markets.

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Former BlockFi CEO, Prince, also questioned the sustainability of BTC treasury models, saying they rely on financial engineering rather than core business fundamentals and may struggle to justify valuations without real operating revenue.

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Stablecoin Payment Firm RedotPay Eyes US IPO at More Than $4B Valuation

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Stablecoin Payment Firm RedotPay Eyes US IPO at More Than $4B Valuation

Hong Kong-based stablecoin payments company RedotPay is reportedly weighing a US initial public offering (IPO) that could raise more than $1 billion and value the company at over $4 billion.

The company is working with JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Jefferies on a potential New York listing that may occur as early as this year, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the matter. Terms remain under review and could change, while additional banks may join the underwriting group, per the report.

Founded in April 2023, RedotPay provides stablecoin-linked payment cards, multicurrency wallets and international payout services. According to its website, the company has 6 million users and handles about $10 billion in annualized payment volume.

RedotPay declined to comment on the matter.

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Related: Binance stablecoin reserves have sunk 19% since November

RedotPay raised $194 million in 2025

The US IPO plans follow a year of fundraising for RedotPay, which raised a total of $194 million in 2025 across three rounds. In March, it closed a $40 million Series A funding round led by Lightspeed, with participation from HSG and Galaxy Ventures.

In September, the stablecoin payment company said it became a fintech unicorn after closing a $47 million strategic round that saw investment from Coinbase Ventures, alongside continued backing from Galaxy Ventures and Vertex Ventures and participation from an undisclosed global technology entrepreneur.