Why Every Bull Run Looks Like a Bear Trap – The Market’s Biggest Illusion”

Both the Start and the Finish Look Like Breakouts

When a move begins, you’ll see a strong upward breakout that seems really promising. But here’s the thing – when a move ends, there’s often another upward breakout that also looks promising, except this one’s the final push. Both have sharp price action, heavy volume, and that feeling of momentum building up. The difference? One kicks things off, the other wraps them up.

The False Breakout at the Top (Bull Trap)

Sometimes it looks like the price is pushing through to new highs, but then it suddenly reverses hard. This happens at the tail end of many trends – some people call it a “blow-off top” or just a fake breakout. Traders get caught because everything points to continuation, but really it’s the exit door.

High Volume Shows Up at Both Ends

When a trend starts: Heavy volume means buyers are jumping in.
When a trend ends: Heavy volume because everyone’s buying with excitement – meanwhile, the experienced players are already selling into that enthusiasm.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​