151 Articles, 3 Languages, 453 URLs: The Complete Free Trading Curriculum at arapov.trade

A full map of every article published on arapov.trade — organized by category, with descriptions, difficulty levels, and structured learning paths. From Wyckoff Method and Smart Money to cryptocurrency and trading psychology. All free. All in Russian, Ukrainian, and English.

About the Platform and Its Author

arapov.trade was founded in 2021 by Igor Arapov — a professional trader since 2013, with a physics-technical degree from Dnipro National University and a Candidate Master of Sports title in chess achieved at age 14.

The platform is one of the largest free resources for trading education. Each language version is written as a standalone resource, tailored to its specific audience.

Igor Arapov is a published author with 9 ISBN books registered through Bowker USA, 10 DOI publications indexed in CERN/Zenodo and OpenAIRE (EU research infrastructure), verified through Wikidata (Q137454477), ISNI (0000 0005 2951 8564), and ORCID (0009-0003-0430-778X). His TradingView profile (Igor_Arapov) contains 242 published ideas with multiple Editor's Pick awards.

The Numbers

Trading articles: 151+
Languages: Russian, Ukrainian, English
Categories: 9
Difficulty levels: Beginner (57 articles), Intermediate (58 articles), Advanced (36 articles)
Price: Free (all content, no paywall)
YouTube companion: 80+ video lessons ( @ArapovTrade )
Published books: 9 ISBN (3 titles × 3 languages), 10 DOI publications

Structured Learning Paths

Before diving into individual articles, here are four structured paths through the curriculum based on your experience level:

Category 1: Smart Money Concept — 14 Articles

How institutional players — banks, hedge funds, and market makers — operate in financial markets, and how retail traders can read their footprints. This is the analytical framework that runs through everything taught on arapov.trade.

Smart Money Concepts Guide · Intermediate Complete guide to SMC methodology. Market structure analysis of institutional players. Liquidity zones, Order Blocks, Fair Value Gaps (FVG), Stop Hunting mechanics. Entry strategies with real trade examples and risk management. Why SMC is more effective than classical technical analysis.

Order Blocks · Advanced Complete guide to institutional order accumulation zones. Bullish and bearish Order Blocks, liquidity blocks. How to identify OB through volume analysis, Volume Profile, and Footprint Charts. Trading strategies: retest, breakout, false breakouts. Real examples on BTC/USD, EUR/USD, XAU/USD, Nasdaq.

Liquidity Pools · Advanced How Smart Money finds and manipulates liquidity. Types of liquidity: Order Book, hidden, stop-losses, psychological levels, imbalance. Stop Hunting, false breakouts, stop collection mechanics. Protection methods and order flow analysis with cluster charts.

Imbalance and Fair Value Gap (FVG) · Advanced Price imbalance zones during impulse movements. Bullish and bearish FVG identification and trading strategies. Why price returns to FVG zones. Combination with Order Blocks. Real chart examples.

Market Imbalance · Advanced Supply/demand imbalance in price action and how it creates trading opportunities.

False Breakouts · Intermediate Why fake breakouts happen. How Smart Money creates false breakouts for liquidity collection. Recognition signals: volume patterns, candlestick patterns. Trading strategies on false breakouts. How to distinguish real breakouts from fake ones.

Stop Hunting · Intermediate How market makers and Smart Money collect retail stop-losses. Stop Hunting mechanics and hunting zones. Where to correctly place stop-losses to avoid manipulation. False breakouts as part of Stop Hunting. Post-liquidity collection trading strategies.

Smart Money Strategies · Advanced Advanced SMC trading strategies. How institutional traders enter the market. Position accumulation and distribution. Strategies based on Order Blocks, FVG, liquidity. Combining SMC with volume analysis. Practical entry and exit examples.

Smart Money Market Control · Advanced How large players control price movement. Liquidity management mechanisms. Trend creation and reversals. Pre-news manipulation. How retail traders can trade with Smart Money, not against them.

Understanding Smart Money · Intermediate Who the Smart Money participants are — banks, hedge funds, institutional investors. How they differ from retail traders. Smart Money footprints on charts. Why it's essential to trade alongside institutional players.

Smart Money Traps · Advanced How institutions trap retail traders using predictable behavioral patterns, and how to recognize and avoid these traps.

Market Maker Strategies · Advanced How market makers operate and influence price formation, their role in providing liquidity, and their manipulation techniques.

Crypto Market Makers · Advanced Market making in cryptocurrency markets — the specific dynamics, manipulation patterns, and liquidity mechanics unique to crypto exchanges.

Iceberg Orders · Advanced Hidden institutional orders that only show a fraction of total size. How to detect them through volume and order flow analysis.

Book connection: This category maps directly to Part III+ of "Trading Fundamentals Volume 2" (ISBN 979-8-90243-755-0). The book expands on Smart Money Concepts with additional institutional analysis methodology.
YouTube companion: "Smart Money концепция", "Ордер Блок в Трейдинге", "Имбаланс в трейдинге", "Ликвидность в трейдинге", "Охота за стопами" — all available at @ArapovTrade.

Category 2: Market Volume Analysis — 18 Articles

The Wyckoff Method and volume analysis form the core methodology of everything taught on arapov.trade. This is not indicator-based trading — it's reading institutional intent through supply, demand, and volume data.

Wyckoff Method Complete Guide · Intermediate Comprehensive breakdown of Richard Wyckoff's methodology. Four market phases: accumulation, markup, distribution, markdown. The Composite Operator concept. Practical application on modern markets. Prerequisites: basic technical analysis.

Wyckoff Volume Concepts · Intermediate How volume confirms or denies price movement within Wyckoff's framework. The "effort vs. result" principle — when volume doesn't match price movement, institutional activity is revealed.

Volume Market Analysis · Intermediate Reading supply and demand balance through volume data. Foundational volume analysis concepts that feed into all advanced categories.

Volume Analysis in Futures · Advanced Applying volume analysis to futures markets using CME Group data. Real exchange volume vs. tick volume. Futures-specific volume patterns and their significance.

Trend Volume Analysis · Intermediate How volumes confirm and deny trends. Volume increases on impulses, decreases on corrections. Volume divergences as reversal signals. Volume climax identification.

Peak Volume Levels · Intermediate High-volume nodes and their significance as institutional support/resistance zones. How peak volume creates natural price magnets.

Order Book Analysis · Advanced Reading institutional intent through the order book. Bid/ask dynamics, hidden orders, and what order book shape tells about coming price movement.

Market Profile (Steidlmayer) · Advanced Peter Steidlmayer's Market Profile methodology. The "zone of value" concept, point of control, and how time-price-opportunity (TPO) charts reveal institutional activity invisible on standard charts.

Market Auction Theory · Advanced How the market auction process drives price discovery. The concept of fair price. Balance and imbalance. Movement toward liquidity zones. Applied Auction Market Theory.

VWAP Indicator · Intermediate Volume-Weighted Average Price as institutional benchmark. How institutions use VWAP for execution, and how retail traders can use it for direction.

Market Phases · Beginner Identifying which phase the market is currently in — accumulation, markup, distribution, or markdown. The foundation for all Wyckoff analysis.

Anatomy of Market Trends · Intermediate Trend structure through Wyckoff's lens. How trends begin, develop, and end. Internal trend anatomy and what drives phase transitions.

Pricing and Liquidity · Intermediate How price forms on financial markets through supply/demand and liquidity dynamics. Impact of large orders on price. Slippage and spread mechanics. High and low liquidity periods.

Market Basics · Beginner Foundational market structure concepts. Price formation on exchanges. Market participants: bulls, bears, market makers. Supply and demand. Market types: bullish, bearish, sideways.

Price Prediction Methods · Intermediate Systematic approaches to forecasting price direction. Technical vs. fundamental analysis. Probabilistic approach to forecasting. Why markets are unpredictable and how to work with that reality.

Divergence on Indicators · Intermediate Volume-price divergences as reversal signals. How to identify and trade divergences across different indicators.

Market Volatility · Intermediate Understanding and trading volatile market conditions. What causes volatility spikes and how to adapt position sizing accordingly.

News Trading · Intermediate How news events create volume patterns and trading opportunities. The mechanics of news-driven price movement through the lens of institutional activity.

Book connection: This entire category maps to Part III of "Trading Fundamentals Volume 2" (ISBN 979-8-90243-755-0) — "Applying Volumes: The Effort-Result Principle."
YouTube companion: "Как использовать объемы в трейдинге?", "Метод Вайкоффа: полный курс", "Market Profile анализ" — at @ArapovTrade.

Category 3: Technical Analysis — 28 Articles

The largest category — covering chart patterns, indicators, support/resistance, and price action from beginner to advanced level.

Price Action and Candlestick Patterns

Technical Analysis Basics · Beginner — Core principles: price discounts everything, history repeats, trends exist. Chart types: line, bar, candlestick. Basic tools: levels, trendlines, indicators.

Technical Market Charts · Beginner — Chart types and how to read them for trading decisions.

Candlestick Patterns · Intermediate — Complete Price Action guide. Reversal patterns: hammer, hanging man, engulfing, stars. Continuation patterns: three white soldiers, three black crows. Application across timeframes.

Japanese Candlesticks · Beginner — Candlestick anatomy: body, shadows, open, close. Bullish vs. bearish candles. Single candles: marubozu, doji, spinning top. History from Munehisa Homma.

Pin Bar Pattern · Intermediate — The most powerful Price Action reversal pattern. Anatomy, placement rules (levels, trend, liquidity zones), entry/exit rules, stop-loss and take-profit placement.

Engulfing Pattern · Intermediate — Bullish and bearish engulfing identification, quality criteria, combination with volume analysis, real chart examples.

Chart Patterns

Head and Shoulders · Intermediate — Classic and inverted patterns, neckline breakout, target measurement, volume confirmation, false signals.

Double Top and Bottom · Intermediate — Double reversal formations, confirmation criteria, and target calculation.

Triangle Patterns · Intermediate — Ascending, descending, and symmetrical triangles as continuation and reversal patterns.

Flag and Pennant · Intermediate — Continuation patterns after strong impulse moves.

Flag Pattern · Intermediate — Detailed flag pattern analysis and trading rules.

Cup and Handle · Intermediate — William O'Neil's bullish continuation pattern identification and trading.

Pattern 1-2-3 · Intermediate — Trend reversal identification through the three-point pattern.

Key Price Patterns · Intermediate — The most reliable chart patterns for trading decisions, ranked by probability.

Levels and Structure

Support and Resistance · Beginner — Complete guide to building and trading key price levels. Level psychology, mirror levels, false breakouts, dynamic levels (moving averages). Real chart examples.

Breakout Strategy · Intermediate — Trading breakouts from key levels with confirmation criteria.

Trading Levels · Intermediate — Practical level-based trading methodology.

Trading Channels · Intermediate — Channel construction rules and trading strategies within channels.

Fibonacci Levels · Intermediate — Fibonacci retracements and extensions as trading tools.

Elliott Waves · Intermediate — Elliott Wave Theory application for market structure analysis.

Technical Indicators

Trading Indicators Overview · Beginner — Pros, cons, and proper use of indicators. Discretionary vs. analytical approaches.

Moving Averages · Beginner — SMA, EMA, crossover strategies, and dynamic support/resistance.

Bollinger Bands · Intermediate — Volatility-based envelope indicator for overbought/oversold conditions and breakout signals.

RSI Indicator · Intermediate — Relative Strength Index for overbought/oversold conditions and divergence signals.

Stochastic Oscillator · Intermediate — Momentum oscillator for reversal identification in ranging markets.

MACD Indicator · Intermediate — Moving Average Convergence Divergence for trend and momentum analysis.

ATR Indicator · Intermediate — Average True Range for volatility measurement and stop-loss calculation.

Ichimoku Indicator · Advanced — The complete Ichimoku Kinko Hyo cloud system for trend, momentum, and support/resistance.

Book connection: This category maps to Part II of "Trading Fundamentals" (ISBN 979-8-90243-734-5) — covering levels, reversal patterns, and key price pattern recognition.

Category 4: Fundamental Analysis — 12 Articles

Macroeconomic analysis, central bank policy, and asset-specific fundamentals that drive long-term market direction.

Fundamental Analysis Basics · Beginner — Introduction to fundamental analysis methodology and its role alongside technical analysis.

Global Fundamental Analysis · Intermediate — Global economic interconnections: how events in one market cascade across asset classes.

Economic Calendar · Beginner — How to read and prepare for scheduled economic releases. Which data moves markets and why.

Economic Factors · Beginner — Key economic factors driving financial market movements.

Macroeconomic Indicators · Intermediate — GDP, inflation, unemployment, interest rates, and their direct impact on markets.

Key Economic Growth Factors · Intermediate — What drives economic growth and how growth cycles affect different asset classes.

Major Banks and Federal Reserve · Intermediate — Central banks, the Federal Reserve system, monetary policy tools, and their influence on currencies, bonds, and equities.

World Stock Indices · Beginner — Major global indices (S&P 500, Nasdaq, Dow Jones, DAX, Nikkei), what drives them, and how to use them as market barometers.

Gold Trading (XAUUSD) · Intermediate — Gold as safe haven, Dollar-Gold inverse correlation, central bank gold reserves, and trading strategies for XAUUSD.

Oil Trading · Intermediate — Crude oil fundamentals: OPEC, geopolitics, supply/demand dynamics, and hedger positions from CME COT reports.

S&P 500 Trading · Intermediate — Trading the benchmark U.S. stock index: what moves it, correlation with other assets, Fed policy impact.

Forex Market Overview · Beginner — Foreign exchange market structure, major and minor currency pairs, trading sessions, and liquidity patterns.

Category 5: Cryptocurrency — 22 Articles

A complete cryptocurrency education — from Bitcoin fundamentals to security, staking, and scam protection.

Crypto Fundamentals

Cryptocurrency Basics · Beginner — What cryptocurrency is, how blockchain works, and why it matters for traders.

Cryptocurrency Trading · Intermediate — How to trade crypto markets: exchanges, order types, unique characteristics of crypto trading.

Crypto Market Analysis · Intermediate — Analyzing crypto through volume analysis and Smart Money lens — the same methodology applied to Bitcoin specifically.

Cryptocurrency Risks · Beginner — Real risks of crypto investing: volatility, regulation, exchange risk, smart contract risk.

Major Cryptocurrencies

Bitcoin (BTC) · Beginner — Bitcoin fundamentals, history, network mechanics, and market dynamics.

Bitcoin Dominance · Intermediate — BTC dominance index, altcoin rotation cycles, and what dominance shifts signal.

Bitcoin ETF · Intermediate — Bitcoin ETFs, institutional adoption impact, and how ETF flows affect price.

Ethereum (ETH) · Beginner — Ethereum ecosystem, smart contracts, DeFi, and ETH as a trading instrument.

Solana (SOL) · Intermediate — Solana network analysis, competitive positioning, and SOL trading considerations.

XRP (Ripple) · Intermediate — Ripple payment network, SEC case impact, and XRP market analysis.

Alternative Blockchains · Beginner — Layer 1 alternatives, their use cases, and how to evaluate blockchain projects.

Crypto Mechanics

Bitcoin Halving · Beginner — Halving cycles, historical price impact, supply dynamics, and what halving means for traders.

Bitcoin Pizza Day · Beginner — The history and significance of the first Bitcoin transaction — and what it teaches about valuation.

Stablecoins · Beginner — USDT, USDC, DAI — how stablecoins work and their role in crypto trading.

Tether (USDT) · Intermediate — How Tether works, reserve controversies, and its systemic importance to crypto markets.

Crypto Staking · Beginner — Proof-of-stake mechanics, staking rewards, risks, and practical considerations.

Crypto Arbitrage · Intermediate — Arbitrage strategies in crypto markets: exchange arbitrage, triangular arbitrage, risks and limitations.

How to Start Crypto Trading · Beginner — Step-by-step guide for crypto trading beginners: choosing an exchange, first purchase, basic security.

Crypto Security

Crypto Storage · Beginner — Wallet types (hot, cold, hardware), storage solutions, and key management.

Safe Crypto Storage · Beginner — Best practices for securing crypto assets long-term.

Crypto Security · Beginner — Protecting yourself from hacks, phishing, SIM swaps, and other crypto-specific threats.

Crypto Scams · Beginner — Common crypto scams (rug pulls, Ponzi schemes, fake exchanges) and how to identify them before losing money.

YouTube companion: "Криптовалюты для начинающих", "Халвинг биткоина", "Торговля криптовалютами" — at @ArapovTrade.

Category 6: Trading for Beginners — 39 Articles

The largest educational track — 39 articles covering everything a new trader needs, from first steps to building a complete trading system.

(Due to the size of this category, articles are grouped thematically with brief descriptions.)

Getting Started (6 articles)

Trading Basics · Trading Quick Start · Free Trading Education · Self-Study Guide · Advice for Beginners · Beginner Mistakes

All Beginner level. Covers: what trading is, how to start learning for free, structured self-study roadmap, practical advice from 13 years of experience, and the most common mistakes that destroy beginner accounts.

Market Structure (11 articles)

How to Trade Forex · Stock Exchange Basics · Exchange Market · Exchange Formation · Currencies and Quotes · Currency Position · Futures Trading · Derivatives · Binary Options · Trading vs Options · Trading vs Investments

Beginner to Intermediate. Covers: how exchanges work, currency pair mechanics, futures and derivatives, why binary options are not real trading, and the key differences between trading and investing.

Risk Management (11 articles)

Capital Management · Risk/Reward Ratio · Trading Drawdowns · Averaging in Trading · Martingale Method · Avoid Losing Money · Main Reasons for Losses · Making Money in Trading · Forex Leverage Risk · Currency Exchange Risk · Starter Deposit

Beginner to Intermediate. Covers: position sizing, maintaining positive R:R, surviving drawdowns, why averaging down and Martingale destroy accounts, realistic profit expectations, leverage dangers, and how much capital you actually need to start.

Trading Tools and Systems (11 articles)

Building Trading System · Trading Plan · Choosing Trading Platform · TradingView Platform · Copy Trading · Forex Market Analysis · What is Spread · Trading Timeframes · Scalping in Trading · Benefits of Trading Books · Purchasing Trading Courses

Beginner to Advanced. Covers: creating and testing trading systems, building a structured trading plan, platform selection, TradingView guide, copy trading pros/cons, timeframe selection, scalping requirements, and how to evaluate paid trading education before buying.

Book connection: This entire category corresponds to Part I of "Trading Fundamentals" (ISBN 979-8-90243-734-5) — the foundational knowledge every trader needs.

Category 7: Trader's Dictionary — 7 Articles

Essential terminology and order mechanics every trader must understand before placing a single trade.

Order Types · Beginner — Complete guide to all order types: market, limit, stop, stop-limit.

Market Order · Beginner — Instant execution orders: when to use them and when they work against you.

Stop Order · Beginner — Stop orders for entry triggers and position protection.

Stop Limit Order · Beginner — Combining stop and limit functionality for precise execution.

Stop Loss · Beginner — The most important tool in risk management. How to calculate, place, and manage stop-losses.

Algorithmic Orders · Intermediate — Automated order execution: TWAP, VWAP, iceberg orders and their impact on markets.

Requotes · Beginner — Why requotes happen during volatile markets and how to avoid them.

Category 8: Trading Psychology — 10 Articles

The mental game — arguably the most important factor separating profitable traders from everyone else.

Trading: Gambling or Business? · Beginner — The line between trading and gambling. Signs of gambling addiction in trading. How to transform trading into a systematic business with discipline and structure.

William Gann Psychology · Intermediate — 28 trading rules from the legendary William Gann. Discipline, patience, emotion management. Why Gann's century-old principles remain relevant today.

How Emotions Affect Trading · Beginner — Fear, greed, hope, euphoria — how each emotion creates specific trading mistakes. Methods of emotional control. Trading journal as a psychological tool.

Tilt in Trading · Intermediate — What tilt is and how it manifests. Causes: losing streaks, missed trades. Recognition signs. How to exit tilt. Prevention rules after a losing series.

FOMO in Trading · Beginner — Fear of Missing Out: how it manifests in trading, consequences (chasing price, breaking the plan), and practical techniques to overcome it.

Psychological Risks · Intermediate — Cognitive biases that affect trading: overconfidence, confirmation bias, survivorship bias, herd behavior. How to minimize psychological risk factors.

Psychology of Averaging · Intermediate — Why traders average losing positions. Psychological traps: denial, sunk cost fallacy. How to break the averaging habit.

Trading Myths · Beginner — Popular misconceptions debunked: Can you get rich quickly? Do you need big capital? Do indicators work? Are there holy grails?

Why Trading is Difficult · Beginner — An honest look: psychology, market complexity, competition with professionals. Realistic view of the profession and how to overcome the difficulties.

Keys to Successful Trading · Intermediate — Habits and principles of consistently profitable traders: discipline, system, risk management, continuous improvement.

Book connection: This entire category maps directly to "Trading Psychology" (ISBN 979-8-90243-138-1). The book's Part V — "Main enemies of a trader: fear, greed, hope, tilt" — expands on these articles with additional case studies and practical exercises.
YouTube companion: "Психология трейдинга — как не потерять депозит", "Тильт в трейдинге", "FOMO — страх упущенной выгоды" — at @ArapovTrade.

Bonus: Practical Trading Examples

Practical Trading Examples · Intermediate — Real trade setups with detailed analysis of entries, exits, risk management, and lessons learned. The bridge between theory and application.

How the Articles Connect to Published Books

The 151 articles on arapov.trade are not separate from the books — they are the same educational system in different formats. Here is how they map:

"Trading Fundamentals" (Vol. 1) — ISBN 979-8-90243-734-5 (EN) Part I (Market Basics) → exchange, exchangemarket, forexmarket, blogmarketphases, anatomyofmarkettrends Part II (Technical Analysis) → levelofsupport, tradingoflevels, candlestickpatterns, pinbar, engulfing, headandshoulders, doubletopandbottom

"Trading Fundamentals Volume 2" — ISBN 979-8-90243-755-0 (EN) Part III (Volume Analysis) → volmarketanalisys, wyckoffmethod, wyckoffsvolumeconcept, peakvolumelevels, trendvolumeanalysis, steidlmayeranalysis, marketauctiondevelops Part III+ (Smart Money) → smartmoneyconceptsguide, orderblockintrading, liquiditypools, imbalanceandfvg, stophunting, marketmaker Part IV (Trading System) → tradingsystem, capitalmanagement, profitandlossratio, drawdowns Part VI (Practice) → practic, tradingplan

"Trading Psychology" — ISBN 979-8-90243-138-1 (EN) Part V (Psychology) → emotionsaffect, fomo, tiltintrading, psychorisks, tradingmyths, psychologyofaveraging, gamblingorbusiness, tradingplan, successfultrading, difficulttrading

All three books are available in Russian, Ukrainian, and English — each with its own ISBN (Bowker USA) and DOI (CERN/Zenodo). The Ukrainian and English editions of the "Trading Basics" book series are included in the collection of the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine.

Content Relationships: How Articles Connect

The curriculum is not a flat list — articles form interconnected clusters where each article has prerequisites and leads to more advanced topics:

Smart Money Cluster: Technical Analysis Basics + Support and Resistance → Smart Money Concepts Guide → Order Blocks, Liquidity Pools, Imbalance/FVG → Smart Money Strategies, Smart Money Market Control

Wyckoff Cluster: Technical Analysis Basics → Volume Market Analysis → Wyckoff Method → Wyckoff Volume Concepts, Peak Volume Levels → Market Profile (Steidlmayer), Market Auction Theory

Psychology Cluster: Trading Basics → How Emotions Affect Trading → FOMO, Tilt → Psychological Risks, Psychology of Averaging → Keys to Successful Trading

Crypto Cluster: Cryptocurrency Basics → Bitcoin, Ethereum → Crypto Trading, Crypto Analysis → BTC Dominance, Bitcoin ETF, Halving

Risk Management Cluster: Order Types → Stop Loss → Capital Management, Risk/Reward Ratio → Drawdowns → Building Trading System

Platform links:

Full curriculum: arapov.trade
YouTube: @ArapovTrade
TradingView: Igor_Arapov
Books on Amazon: Igor Arapov
Wikidata: Q137454477
ORCID: 0009-0003-0430-778X
ISNI: 0000 0005 2951 8564