Liquidity in Trading: Buy-Side & Sell-Side Explained SMC Course | PART 2: Article 1

In the world of Smart Money Concepts (SMC), there is a famous saying: "If you don't know where the liquidity is, you ARE the liquidity."

To trade like the banks and institutions, you must understand that the market does not move just because of news or indicators; it moves to seek Liquidity.

1. What is Liquidity?

Liquidity refers to the areas on a price chart where a large number of Stop Loss orders are clustered. Big players (Banks and Hedge Funds) need these orders to fill their own massive positions. Without hitting these stop losses, they wouldn't have enough "fuel" to move the market in their desired direction.

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2. Buy-Side Liquidity (BSL)

Buy-Side Liquidity represents the areas where Sellers have placed their Stop Losses. When the market hits these levels, those sell-stops turn into "Buy" orders.

• Where is it found? BSL is typically found above Old Highs, Equal Highs (Double Tops), or above a descending Trendline.

• The Purpose: Smart Money pushes the price into these levels to "hunt" the stops, allowing them to fill their massive Sell orders at the highest possible price.

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3. Sell-Side Liquidity (SSL)

Sell-Side Liquidity represents the areas where Buyers have placed their Stop Losses.

• Where is it found? SSL is usually located below Old Lows, Equal Lows (Double Bottoms), or below a rising Trendline.

• The Purpose: The market is manipulated down into these levels to trigger the buy-stops (which become Sell orders), allowing Smart Money to Buy at a discount.

Retail Traders vs. Smart Money: The Key Differences

To master SMC, you must understand how institutional players think differently compared to the average retail trader. Here is the breakdown:

1. Trading Strategy

• Retail Traders: They follow traditional methods, such as buying at support levels and selling at resistance levels (Buy at Support / Sell at Resistance).

• Smart Money: They look beyond the surface. Institutions specifically Search for Liquidity below support and above resistance, waiting for retail traders to be forced out of their positions.

2. Stop Loss Placement

• Retail Traders: Their stop losses are usually Placed at obvious, tight levels, making them easy targets for market volatility.

• Smart Money: Instead of avoiding these levels, institutions Hunt those obvious levels to trigger a flood of orders, which they use to fill their own large entries.

3. Market Perspective

• Retail Traders: Their primary Focus is on Chart Patterns (like triangles or head and shoulders) and lagging indicators.

• Smart Money: They ignore the "noise" and Focus on Market Structure and Liquidity Pools, understanding exactly where the money is resting before making a move.

5. Summary: How to Trade Liquidity?

As a trader at BAIT.ASIA, your goal is not to trade at the support or resistance, but to wait for the Liquidity Sweep. Once the retail stop losses are hit and the market structure shifts, that is your signal to enter with the "Big Fish."