I have been using the economic calendar for a long time to anticipate crypto market movements, and honestly, it has become essential in my strategy. Many traders forget that U.S. economic data directly impacts the volatility of Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Here's how I proceed. First, I log into the investing economic calendar to get an overview. Then, I filter directly on the United States at the top right, because honestly, U.S. data are the ones that move the market. That's where the real action happens.

Next comes the key step: I only select three-star events. Why? Because one or two stars are just noise. Three stars are what really matter. Non-farm payrolls, Fed announcements, GDP reports—these are what cause prices to crash or skyrocket. I completely ignore the other events.

What really helps me is comparing the forecasted data with the actual results when they come out. If the figure is better than expected, it's usually good for the dollar and weighs on Bitcoin. If it's worse, the opposite happens. By using the investing economic calendar this way, I can anticipate major movements rather than suffer from them.

The economic calendar is truly the basic tool to avoid being caught off guard. If you trade without checking major economic events, you're playing blind. It's that simple.