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Overbought
Why RSI Lies to Crypto Traders — and How to Fix It
RSI works in crypto. The rulebook it came with doesn't.
The indicator is not broken. The calibration is.
In November 2020, Bitcoin crossed $19,000 and its RSI touched 75. Every textbook calls that overbought, so a trader following the rules sold. By April 2021, Bitcoin was at $64,000. The same story has played out in every crypto bull cycle since 2017, and not because traders are slow learners. The RSI rulebook was written in 1978 for markets that close each afternoon and trade five days a week.
This book rebuilds RSI for crypto from the ground up instead of borrowing from stock-market theory. It starts with the market itself: identify the regime first, then read the indicator. From there it covers how RSI behaves in each phase of the Bitcoin cycle, why Bitcoin dominance should filter every altcoin trade, how settings should differ from Bitcoin down to small-caps, and how on-chain data adds confirmation that stock traders simply don't have.
Six documented case studies from 2017 through 2026 put it to work, including trades that worked and one that did not.
Inside the book
- Why the standard 70/30 thresholds misfire in crypto, and the adjustments to use instead
- How round-the-clock trading distorts every timeframe below the daily chart
- The four-phase Bitcoin cycle and how RSI behaves in each phase
- Reading cycle tops and bottoms with weekly RSI divergence
- Bitcoin dominance as the filter for trading altcoins
- Settings calibrated by tier: Bitcoin, Ethereum, mid-caps, and small-caps
- Combining RSI with on-chain data
- A position-sizing formula that scales exposure to signal quality
12 chapters, 23 full-color original charts, and six case studies from 2017 through 2026. The paperback is printed in full color.
Look inside
A few pages from the paperback. Select a page to see it full size.
- The contents
- The opening of Chapter 1
- RSI thresholds that shift with the market regime
- The four phases of a Bitcoin cycle
Who it's for
Active crypto traders who already know RSI and want a framework built for the market they actually trade.
