Brothers, the market has been so quiet this week that it feels a bit unsettling.

BTC is stuck oscillating between 73,000 and 77,000 repeatedly, and ETH is performing even worse than BTC, with trading volume never truly expanding. Discussions in various groups are dwindling, and many people just open their market apps for a quick glance before silently closing them again. Account net values fluctuate each day, only to realize that it feels like nothing has happened at all.

Honestly, I feel that: this kind of market is when the real gap begins to widen.

In a trending market, the winds blow, and even pigs can fly; anyone can make a couple of trades. The real test of a trader's fundamental skills has always been during these exhausting phases where the market neither rises nor falls.

1. Strategy Iteration: In a volatile market, don’t guess the direction

In the past, when encountering a stagnant market like this, my first reaction was usually “let's wait, and trade after the direction breaks out.” But the outcome often leads to regrets: either I chase into the market at the moment of the breakout only to get swept by false signals, or I completely miss the initial wave of a major rally.

Recently, I have completely changed my operational strategy on Bybit. I no longer guess where it will break; I focus earnestly on two things: conditional orders and position rhythm.

• BTC's two-sided blocking strategy: This week BTC has been fiercely wrestling around 75,000. I no longer stare at the market waiting for prices but have embedded conditional orders beforehand — if it breaks above 77,000, I will directly chase long; if it breaks below 72,500, I will pursue short in the same manner. In the unoccupied area in between, I let a grid bot automatically buy high and sell low. This way, no matter which direction the market breaks, I have positions in play, without needing to watch the market in real time, and I won’t miss out.
• ETH's bidirectional grid for capital brushing: ETH has been oscillating below 2,000. Recently, I have been using a bidirectional grid, placing several layers of orders both above and below, brushing profits back and forth in a narrow fluctuation range. Although individual profit isn’t large, it excels in stability. This week, the grid orders silently completed three rounds, and the accumulated profit is very noticeable.

Core takeaway: In a volatile market, instead of betting on direction with emotions, it's better to use tools to turn the fluctuations into sources of profit.

2. In a bad market, the gap between platforms is magnified

In a trending market, if you lag in placing orders or get hit by slippage, you can endure it and it will pass because one-sided profits are thick enough to offset these friction costs. However, in a volatile market, every order must be extremely precise; if you incur additional slippage, you might wipe out the entire profit of that order with no major direction to cushion it.

Here are three significant changes I've particularly felt recently:

1. Execution precision of conditional orders

Last week, I placed a group of conditional orders on a small platform with insufficient depth, and when BTC quickly dipped, the trigger price for my short order was nearly $15 off from the actual execution price. Back and forth, the profit was eaten away by slippage. After switching to Bybit, due to its deep liquidity in perpetual contracts, the gap between the trigger of conditional orders and actual execution has significantly narrowed. In the rapid fluctuations between 73,000 and 77,000, slippage is tightly controlled, and the arbitrage efficiency of grid orders is maximized.

2. Efficiency of switching between sectors

The overall market was weak in the last two weeks, yet AI concepts and some altcoins began to rotate. The characteristic of rotation markets is “speed”; you must quickly adjust your positions during the windows of sector switching. Many platforms have very cumbersome contract interface switches, taking two minutes to re-place conditional orders while the market has already moved on. On Bybit, I use a combination of “copy trading + conditional orders”: main coins use conditional order grids to remain laid back, while AI-related contracts run with copy trading, allowing for switches without needing to re-establish positions, and the efficiency gap during sideways periods is immediately apparent.

3. Dimensional reduction hedging with TradFi tools

Recently, there have been many disturbances in the macroeconomic landscape; sometimes, BTC deeply correlates with the sentiment of the US tech stock sector. I now have the habit of simultaneously opening crypto positions and CFD hedges on US tech stocks on Bybit. When crypto falls, the US tech stocks might just provide hedging profits, making the overall portfolio's volatility much smoother than merely holding crypto. Bybit offers over 50 popular US stock CFDs, with comprehensive coverage on AI and semiconductors, and you can also directly open positions in gold and oil. A USDT account allows for cross-market operations without needing to open an account with a traditional broker, which is particularly practical in the current volatile market.

3. Weekend wrap-up: What do professional players do during sideways markets?

Many people completely lay back and do nothing during sideways markets. However, for true professional players, weekends when they are not focused on the market are precisely the best time for strategic preparation.

What pitfalls have been encountered this week? Have the conditional orders been updated according to the latest resistance levels? Are the grid intervals set reasonably? Have you tried placing real orders in the hedging channel of US stocks on TradFi?

Experts have long calibrated their tools and rhythm before big market movements arrive. The market never waits for you. By the time you remember to open an account, deposit funds, and familiarize yourself with the interface after next week's breakout is confirmed, it’s already too late.

This weekend, while the market is still stable, set up your accounts, arrange your funds, and run through the logic of your conditional orders and grids. No matter which direction the market breaks next week, you’ll already be at the front of the starting line.

🛠️ 3-minute quick preparation channel

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Note: Remember to fill in the code to activate the tiered rewards on Bybit Rewards Hub. New users enjoy $100 registration experience fund and a maximum $30,000 deposit reward, and if you complete your first TradFi trade in May, you can directly receive a $5 Credit reward. Using the official experience fund as a “strategy buffer” in a volatile market is the most rational approach.

With a shift in the market imminent next week, join the community to set up conditional orders with seasoned traders:

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• Bybit exclusive benefits group: Click to join the discussion now

⚠️ Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute investment advice. Digital assets and TradFi trading involve high leverage and high risk; please assess rationally and manage risks properly. Platform activity rules and details are subject to Bybit's official announcements.

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