Published May 5, 2026 · Investisseur 2.0 method
Crypto trade plan SMC — free template + 14-criteria checklist
A written trade plan is the #1 difference between profitable traders and those who blow up. Here's our complete Smart Money Concepts template, copy-paste ready, with 14 A+ validation criteria and a 6-step method. Used by the entire Investisseur 2.0 team.
⚡ Why a written plan (real numbers)
- • Without plan: 80% of traders blow up in 6 months.
- • With written plan: discipline rate ×3, average drawdown ÷2.
- • Time: 10-15 min/setup, eliminates 80% of mediocre trades.
- • A+ setups filtered: 1-3/week on 5 major pairs (vs 20+ mediocre trades).
The 6-step method
- 1. HTF Bias (Daily/4H) — Identify macro direction via BOS or CHoCH. If Daily and 4H contradict, don't trade this pair today.
- 2. HTF mitigation zone — Locate an unmitigated Order Block or FVG on Daily/4H, in the bias direction.
- 3. Recent liquidity sweep — Verify a sweep of liquidity (BSL/SSL) occurred recently, validating opposite stop hunt.
- 4. LTF confirmation (15M-1H) — Wait for CHoCH on 15M or 1H in HTF bias direction, in the mitigation zone. No CHoCH = no trade.
- 5. R:R and sizing — Entry, stop (beyond sweep zone + 0.3-0.7% buffer), target (next opposite liquidity level). Minimum 1:3 R:R. Sizing 0.5-1% of capital.
- 6. Execution + journal — Place order, verify stop-loss, log in journal: entry reason, expected R:R, emotion felt. No mid-trade override.
A+ validation checklist — 14 criteria
A setup is A+ only if you tick ≥12 of 14 criteria. Less: skip.
Copy-paste template
Copy this template into your TradingView notes or Excel/Notion journal. Fill before each trade, complete after.
# Trade plan SMC — [DATE] — [PAIR] ## 1. HTF Bias - Daily structure: [bullish / bearish / range] - 4H structure: [bullish / bearish / range] - Final bias: [LONG / SHORT / NEUTRAL — no trade] ## 2. HTF mitigation zone - Type: [Order Block / FVG / Both] - Timeframe: [Daily / 4H] - Zone range: [LOW_PRICE] → [HIGH_PRICE] - Current distance: [X.X%] ## 3. Recent liquidity sweep - Type: [BSL / SSL / Equal highs / Equal lows] - Sweep date: [DD/MM/YYYY HH:MM] - Swept level: [PRICE] ## 4. LTF confirmation - Timeframe: [15M / 1H] - Type: [CHoCH / BOS] - Confirmation OK: [yes / no — wait] ## 5. R:R and sizing - Entry: [PRICE] - Stop-loss: [PRICE] (-X.X%) - Target 1: [PRICE] (+X.X%) — take 50% PnL - Target 2: [PRICE] (+X.X%) — runner - T1 R:R: 1:[X] - Capital risk %: [0.5% / 1%] - Position size: [X.XX BTC / ETH / SOL] ## 6. Execution - Order placed at: [HH:MM] - Stop-loss active: [yes] - Pre-trade emotion: [confident / hesitant / FOMO] - Pre-trade note: [free text] --- ## Post-trade (fill after close) - Result: [+X% / -X% / -BE] - Exit: [TP1 / TP2 / SL / manual] - Mid-trade emotion: [...] - Lesson: [1 sentence]
Worked example — BTC long May 2026
Date: May 5, 2026, 3:30pm CET (NY Killzone)
Pair: BTC/USDT
HTF bias: Daily bullish (recent BOS above 78k), 4H bullish aligned
HTF zone: 4H Order Block at $76,200-$76,800 (unmitigated for 5 days)
Sweep: SSL swept at $76,050 this morning (London Open) with $350 wick
LTF confirmation: 15M CHoCH at $76,450 + return into OB
Entry: $76,500 (limit order in OB)
Stop-loss: $75,850 (-0.85%, below sweep + 0.5% buffer)
Target 1: $78,500 (+2.6%, next Daily BSL) — 50% PnL
Target 2: $80,200 (+4.8%, $80k psychological level) — 50% runner
T1 R:R: 1:3.06 ✓
Risk: 1% of capital (e.g. $50 on $5,000 account)
Position size: 0.077 BTC (≈$5,880)
14 criteria validated: 13/14 (no major news scheduled, just minor PMI Friday)
Conclusion: A+ setup executed.
Go further
- 📘 Complete SMC pillar (10,000 words)
- ⭐ SMC FAQ (60 Q&A)
- 🎯 90-day roadmap
- 🤖 AI SMC Analyzer (auto-validation in 10 sec)
- 📊 Live BTC/ETH/SOL analyses