Triangle pattern
A triangle is a chart pattern where price swings between two converging lines and the swings get smaller. It can be symmetrical, ascending or descending.
How it works
In a symmetrical triangle the highs get lower and the lows get higher, and the lines converge at similar angles. In an ascending triangle the top edge is flat while lows rise: buyers keep pressing on resistance. In a descending triangle the bottom edge is flat while highs fall: sellers keep pressing.
A triangle is a squeeze: volatility and usually volume fall until price breaks out of one edge. Ascending triangles more often break up, descending ones down, and symmetrical ones more often continue the prior trend, but there is no guarantee in any case.
The target is the triangle's height at its widest part, projected from the breakout point. A breakout near the apex, where the lines almost meet, is usually weaker. False breakouts from triangles are common, so traders wait for a close outside the edge and a rise in volume.
ETH hits $3,000 three times while its lows rise: $2,700, $2,800, $2,900. That is an ascending triangle with a $300 height at its widest. A close above $3,000 gives a rough target near $3,300. A stop often goes under the last low, around $2,880.
The mistake is entering early to guess the breakout side, or jumping in on the first wick through an edge. Triangles produce many false breaks. Wait for a candle to close outside the edge, ideally with rising volume or a retest, and put your stop inside the pattern beyond the last swing.
Questions and answers
What is a triangle pattern in simple terms?
It is when price moves in an ever narrower range between two converging lines. The market is coiling before a move.
Which way does a triangle break?
Ascending triangles more often break up, descending ones more often down, and symmetrical ones more often with the trend. These are odds, not rules, so wait for confirmation.
How do you calculate a triangle target?
Measure the triangle's height at its widest point and project it from the breakout point in the direction of the move.
Related terms
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Updated: 2026-10-19