Just realized order blocks might be one of the most underrated concepts in crypto trading that people actually overlook.

So here's the thing about order blocks - they're basically the last candle before price makes a significant move that breaks market structure. Think of it as institutional footprints left behind. The key insight is that price tends to gravitate back to these zones to rebalance liquidity and allow more orders to get filled.

When I'm analyzing charts, I pay attention to two main types. A bullish order block forms as the final down candle before an impulsive move upside. Price action shows strong momentum that usually leaves behind an imbalance. Same logic applies in reverse - a bearish order block is that last up candle before the downside push happens.

Here's what makes this actually work in practice: the newer, untested supply or demand zone tends to react better than zones price has already tested multiple times. I've noticed that if price fills just 50% of an order block, you can pretty much mark that zone as completed and move on.

The timeframe matters too. Higher timeframes give you more reliable zones. A bullish order block setup on the 4-hour can deliver way more significant moves compared to the 15-minute equivalent.

For entries, I set them at the top of the order block with stops placed at or just below the low. The refinement technique is useful as well - if a candle doesn't fully engulf the original block, zoom in and refine down to where the actual momentum came through.

Market structure is the foundation here. If you're seeing bullish structure, focus on demand zones and bullish order blocks for longs. Bearish structure flips that logic. Don't fight what the market is actually showing you.

The reason this works is simple - institutions place large orders at these levels, and price eventually returns to fill that liquidity. It's not magic, just understanding where the big money operates and positioning accordingly.