Volume profile
Volume profile is a histogram on the side of the chart showing how much volume traded at each price level. It helps you find the zones where the market did the most business.
How it works
Normal volume under the chart shows how much traded in each time period. Volume profile spreads volume across prices instead: long horizontal bars are levels with lots of trades, short ones are where price moved through quickly.
Key terms: POC (point of control) is the price with the most volume; the value area is the range holding about 70% of volume, with a high (VAH) and low (VAL). High-volume nodes (HVN) tend to attract price and act as support or resistance; low-volume nodes (LVN) are usually crossed fast.
A profile can be built per session, over a chosen range or over the visible chart. Traders use it to find fair value, where the market is happy to trade, and levels where a reaction is likely. It ties into auction market theory: the market searches for the price where most buyers and sellers meet.
Over a week BTC traded between $60,000 and $66,000. The profile shows a POC at $62,800 and a value area of $61,500–$64,200. Price drops to $61,500 (VAL), and the trader watches for buyers there. The $64,500–$65,500 area is a low-volume node, so price will likely move through it quickly.
The mistake is building the profile over a random period and treating every long bar as a strong level. A 3-day profile and a 3-month profile give different POCs. Pick a logical window (a session, a week, a clear range) and combine the profile with market structure.
Questions and answers
What is volume profile in simple terms?
It is volume sorted by price instead of by time. It shows which levels the market traded most at.
What is the POC in volume profile?
The point of control is the price where the most volume traded during the chosen period. It is often treated as that period's fair price.
How is volume profile different from regular volume?
Regular volume shows how much traded at each moment in time. Volume profile shows how much traded at each price level.
Related terms
Read next
The classic scenario: level, breakout, return, and a trade plan with entry, stop and target.
Read →How to read a candlestick chart: Japanese candles for beginnersCandlestick charts are the most popular way to look at price. Here is how one candle works, how to read them in a row, and the…
Read →VWAPVWAP (volume-weighted average price) is the average trade price over a period, with each price weighted by the volume…
Updated: 2026-10-19