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.
In markets, cycles are not random—they are patterned expansions and contractions shaped by accumulation, distribution, and the relentless hunt for liquidity. By weaving Wyckoff mechanics with Elliott Wave theory, we can begin to see markets not as chaos but as choreography: waves rising, breaking, and receding with purpose. Yet volume is the compass, and in unregulated arenas like crypto, where wash trading distorts the signal, discernment becomes survival.
In this third entry of the Understanding Market Mechanics series, we move beneath the surface of charts and candles into the bloodstream of the market itself: liquidity. From stop runs and iceberg orders to liquidity pockets, fair value gaps, price discovery, and reversion to the mean, this post explores how liquidity shapes every move. The market is not random—it is choreographed. Learn to read the current, and price stops looking like noise and starts speaking as a language.
Most traders enter the market chasing fairness and opportunity—but beneath the surface lies a harsh statistical truth: the structure itself demands imbalance. This blog post explores how the Pareto Principle shapes market outcomes, revealing why consistent winners are few, and why most must inevitably lose.
