Investing and trading aren’t opposites so much as different relationships to time. This guide clarifies frames—from scalping to position trading—and argues that most edge is born in ranges, not headlines. Choose your horizon, respect its rules, and let discipline—not drift—set your course.
The Understanding Market Mechanics series closes with the blindfold — the final veil that hides as much as it reveals. Markets are not neutral or transparent, but choreographed theatres of asymmetry where most begin at a disadvantage by design. This is not a guide to profit, but an invitation to awareness, humility, and the imagining of something fairer than the game we have inherited.
Market makers are often described as neutral referees — silent guardians of liquidity. But neutrality is an illusion. This essay explores spreads, inventory balancing, OTC desks, adverse selection, and hedging to show how dealers shape price through vested interest. To see the hidden hand is the first step in no longer being led by it.
