Candlestick Patterns Cheat Sheet: 35 Crypto Setups Explained (2026)

This page is a visual candlestick pattern library for crypto traders. Use it as a fast reference for 35+ bullish, bearish, doji, reversal, and continuation setups, with HTML diagrams you can scan in seconds.

1. Anatomy of a Candlestick

Every candlestick represents the price action within a specific time period. Whether that period is 1 minute or 1 week, the candle always contains the same four data points:

Component	What It Shows	Trading Significance
Body (thick part)	Range between open and close price	Large body = strong conviction; small body = indecision
Upper Wick (shadow)	Highest price reached	Long upper wick = sellers rejected higher prices
Lower Wick (shadow)	Lowest price reached	Long lower wick = buyers defended lower prices
Green Candle	Close > Open (bullish)	Buyers controlled the period
Red Candle	Close < Open (bearish)	Sellers controlled the period

Key insight: The relationship between body size and wick length is what creates patterns. A long wick with a small body tells a completely different story than a long body with no wicks. Learning to read this relationship is the foundation of candlestick analysis.

2. Single Candle Bullish Patterns

These patterns appear as a single candle and suggest potential upward price movement. They are strongest when they form at support levels or after a downtrend.

Pattern	Key Feature	How to Trade It	Reliability
Hammer	Small body at top, lower wick 2-3x body length, little/no upper wick	Enter long above hammer high. Stop below hammer low. Best at support.	High
Inverted Hammer	Small body at bottom, long upper wick, little/no lower wick	Wait for next candle confirmation (close above inverted hammer body). Less reliable alone.	Medium
Bullish Marubozu	Full green body with NO wicks at all	Extreme buying pressure. Continuation likely. Can enter on pullback to body midpoint.	Very High
Spinning Top	Tiny body with equal wicks on both sides	Indecision. Only bullish after a downtrend. Needs confirmation.	Low alone
Bullish Belt Hold	Opens at session low (no lower wick), closes near high	Gap down open that immediately reverses. Strong if body is large.	Medium
Takuri Line	Like a hammer but with even longer lower wick (3x+ body)	Most powerful single-candle reversal signal. Extreme buyer defense.	Very High

Pro tip: The Hammer is the most reliable single-candle bullish pattern in crypto. In Bitcoin specifically, hammers on the daily chart at known support levels have a success rate above 65% when confirmed by volume.

3. Single Candle Bearish Patterns

Mirror images of bullish patterns. These suggest potential downward movement and are strongest at resistance levels or after an uptrend.

Pattern	Key Feature	How to Trade It	Reliability
Shooting Star	Small body at bottom, upper wick 2-3x body, little/no lower wick	Enter short below shooting star low. Stop above the wick high. Best at resistance.	High
Hanging Man	Same shape as hammer but appears after an uptrend	Warns that buyers are losing control. Sell if next candle confirms with a close below.	Medium
Bearish Marubozu	Full red body with NO wicks	Panic selling. Expect continuation. Short on any retest of the body midpoint.	Very High
Bearish Belt Hold	Opens at session high (no upper wick), closes near low	Gap up that immediately sells off. More bearish with larger body.	Medium
Gravestone Doji	Open = Close at session low, long upper wick	Complete rejection of highs. Very bearish at resistance. No confirmation needed if wick is 4x+ body.	High

Critical difference: A Hammer and a Hanging Man look identical -- the difference is context. A long lower wick after a downtrend = Hammer (bullish). The same candle after an uptrend = Hanging Man (bearish). Context is everything in candlestick analysis.

4. The Doji Family (5 Types)

A Doji forms when the open and close are virtually identical, creating a cross-like shape. Dojis represent pure market indecision and are among the most important signals in technical analysis. A Doji after a strong trend is a major warning sign.

Doji Type	Visual Shape	After Uptrend	After Downtrend
Standard Doji	+ shape with equal wicks	Bearish warning	Bullish warning
Long-Legged Doji	+ shape with very long wicks	Strong reversal signal	Strong reversal signal
Dragonfly Doji	T shape (long lower wick only)	Less significant	Very bullish reversal
Gravestone Doji	Inverted T (long upper wick only)	Very bearish reversal	Less significant
Four-Price Doji	Single horizontal line (dash)	Extremely rare. O=H=L=C. Indicates zero liquidity or a very brief period.

5. Double Candle Bullish Patterns

Two-candle patterns are more reliable than single candles because they show a shift in momentum between sessions. These bullish patterns appear after downtrends.

Pattern	Structure	What It Means	Reliability
Bullish Engulfing	Green candle body completely engulfs prior red candle body	Buyers overwhelmed sellers in a single session. The larger the green candle, the stronger the signal.	Very High
Piercing Line	Green candle opens below prior red close, closes above the midpoint of the red body	Buyers recovered more than half the prior loss. Less powerful than engulfing.	Medium-High
Bullish Harami	Small green candle contained entirely within prior large red candle	Selling pressure is fading. The downtrend is losing steam but may not reverse immediately.	Medium
Tweezer Bottom	Two candles with identical lows (first red, second green)	Price tested the same low twice and held. Strong support confirmed.	High
Bullish Counterattack	Red candle followed by green candle of similar size that closes at the same level as red's close	Bulls matched sellers exactly. Power equilibrium shifting.	Medium

6. Double Candle Bearish Patterns

The bearish mirrors of the above. These appear after uptrends and warn of selling pressure taking over.

Pattern	Structure	What It Means	Reliability
Bearish Engulfing	Red candle body completely engulfs prior green candle body	Sellers overwhelmed buyers completely. Strongest reversal signal in double-candle category.	Very High
Dark Cloud Cover	Red candle opens above prior green high, closes below the midpoint of green body	Sellers pushed back more than half the prior gains. Moderate reversal.	Medium-High
Bearish Harami	Small red candle contained within prior large green candle	Buying momentum fading. Potential top forming.	Medium
Tweezer Top	Two candles with identical highs (first green, second red)	Price rejected the same high twice. Strong resistance confirmed.	High
Bearish Counterattack	Green candle followed by similar-sized red candle closing at same level	Sellers matched buyers. Equilibrium shifting bearish.	Medium

Volume is king: A Bearish Engulfing pattern on 3x average volume is almost always reliable. The same pattern on low volume is often a fakeout. Always check volume before acting on any double-candle pattern.

7. Triple Candle Patterns

Three-candle patterns are the most reliable candlestick formations because they show the complete cycle: initial trend, hesitation, and reversal. Professional traders weigh these heavily.

Pattern	Structure	Signal Strength	Crypto Reliability
Morning Star	1) Large red 2) Small body/doji (gap down) 3) Large green closing above midpoint of candle 1	Very Strong Bullish	85%+ at major support
Evening Star	1) Large green 2) Small body/doji (gap up) 3) Large red closing below midpoint of candle 1	Very Strong Bearish	85%+ at major resistance
Three White Soldiers	Three consecutive green candles, each opening within prior body and closing at new high	Strong Bullish Continuation	High on daily+
Three Black Crows	Three consecutive red candles, each opening within prior body and closing at new low	Strong Bearish Continuation	High on daily+
Three Inside Up	1) Large red 2) Small green inside (harami) 3) Green closing above candle 1 high	Confirmed Bullish	Very reliable
Three Inside Down	1) Large green 2) Small red inside (harami) 3) Red closing below candle 1 low	Confirmed Bearish	Very reliable
Abandoned Baby (Bull)	1) Red 2) Doji that gaps below 3) Green that gaps above the doji	Extremely Strong	Rare in 24/7 markets
Abandoned Baby (Bear)	1) Green 2) Doji that gaps above 3) Red that gaps below the doji	Extremely Strong	Rare in 24/7 markets

Why "gaps" are rare in crypto: Since crypto trades 24/7, true gaps (where candle 2 opens away from candle 1's close) are uncommon on most timeframes. You will see them most on the weekly chart or during extreme volatility events. Morning/Evening Stars without gaps are still valid but slightly less powerful.

8. Continuation Patterns

Not all patterns signal reversals. These formations suggest the current trend will continue after a brief pause. Traders use them to add to existing positions.

Pattern	Structure	How to Use It
Rising Three Methods	Large green, 3 small declining reds (within the green), then another large green	The small reds are profit-taking, not reversal. Enter long on the 5th candle breakout.
Falling Three Methods	Large red, 3 small rising greens (within the red), then another large red	The small greens are dead-cat bounces. Enter short on the 5th candle breakdown.
Upside Tasuki Gap	Two green candles with a gap, then a red that enters the gap but doesn't close it	As long as the gap holds, the uptrend continues. Enter on bounce from gap support.
Mat Hold	Large green, 2-3 small declining candles, then a large green surpassing the first	Similar to Rising Three but more compact. Strong bullish continuation signal.

9. Crypto-Specific Considerations

Candlestick patterns were developed for traditional markets with fixed trading hours. Crypto operates differently, so you need to adjust your analysis:

10. Timeframe Selection Guide

The same pattern on different timeframes has dramatically different implications. Here is how to choose:

Timeframe	Best For	Pattern Reliability	Noise Level
1 minute	Scalping only	Very Low (30-35%)	Extreme
5 minute	Scalping	Low (35-40%)	Very High
15 minute	Intraday trading	Medium (45-50%)	High
1 hour	Day trading	Medium-High (50-55%)	Moderate
4 hour *	Swing trading (RECOMMENDED)	High (60-65%)	Low
Daily	Position trading	Very High (65-70%)	Very Low
Weekly	Long-term investing	Highest (70-75%)	Minimal

The sweet spot for most crypto traders is the 4-hour chart. It filters out most noise while still giving you multiple candles per day to work with. Use the daily chart for trend direction and the 4H for entry timing. This "multi-timeframe" approach is used by most professional crypto traders.

11. Quick Reference Cheat Sheet

Save this table as your go-to reference when trading:

Pattern	Type	Candles	Signal	Strength
Hammer	Reversal	1	Bullish	+++
Shooting Star	Reversal	1	Bearish	+++
Bullish Marubozu	Momentum	1	Bullish	++++
Bearish Marubozu	Momentum	1	Bearish	++++
Doji (any type)	Indecision	1	Neutral	++
Bullish Engulfing	Reversal	2	Bullish	++++
Bearish Engulfing	Reversal	2	Bearish	++++
Piercing Line	Reversal	2	Bullish	+++
Dark Cloud Cover	Reversal	2	Bearish	+++
Tweezer Bottom	Reversal	2	Bullish	+++
Tweezer Top	Reversal	2	Bearish	+++
Morning Star	Reversal	3	Bullish	+++++
Evening Star	Reversal	3	Bearish	+++++
Three White Soldiers	Continuation	3	Bullish	++++
Three Black Crows	Continuation	3	Bearish	++++
Rising Three Methods	Continuation	5	Bullish	++++
Falling Three Methods	Continuation	5	Bearish	++++

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