IMPRO : Dboy : (9:56:33 AM) : from 6495 the next 25 pts are lower
IMPRO : Dboy : (10:02:59 AM) : I think the double pump is real
IMPRO : Dboy : (10:03:26 AM) : the gap up sets up an early sell the rallies

IMPRO : Dboy : (1:51:45 PM) : es is back and filling
IMPRO : Dboy : (1:52:42 PM) : lot of es buy imbalance between 6469.50 and 6472.50
IMPRO : Dboy : (1:53:41 PM) : paid 6473.25 on 1 es

Our Lean

The dollar was down, and as of the close, Bitcoin’s $2.4 trillion market cap beat out Amazon’s $2.39 trillion market cap yesterday.

If Trump learned anything from Elon Musk, it was to fast-track cryptocurrency into mainstream investing — or… as an alternative to the dollar.

When I did my interview with Jeff Hirsch, my top concerns were the bonds and the dollar. A few years ago, everyone was booing the idea of digital currencies — and now it looks like it’s in motion. Yesterday, BULLISH ($BLSH), a blockchain-based cryptocurrency exchange and financial technology company, jumped 84% during its IPO. I don’t think this is something people should overlook anymore.

If today’s PPI number comes in better than the consensus, then the ES and NQ will rally again.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is calling for a 0.50 bps rate cut in September and a series of cuts that would lower rates below their current level of 4.25% to 4.5%. After last year, the Fed may be a little more cautious and stick to a 0.25% rate cut.

Our lean: The ES made its 17th new all-time contract high and has gained 1,627.50 points from its April 7th low. The NQ made its 20th new all-time high yesterday and is up 7,356.25 points from its April low.

I don’t think the ES and NQ are done going up, but today we are on the lookout for the PitBull’s late Thursday low before the August monthly options expiration on Friday.

As for today, I think we’re in for some two-way price action and could see some kind of early rally.

Dan @ GTC Traders

Just Do It

Despite the title of this post, ‘Just Do It’ does not mean we are giving investment advice. Instead, it is commentary on many retail traders inability to stick to a given strategy. For some reason, despite being handed a profitable strategy with a proven history? They feel some pull … some draw … some inexplicable need, to change it.

It’s a curious phenomenon. You hand someone a roadmap that’s been battle-tested over years … through bull runs, bear traps, and everything in between … and what do they do? They start tweaking. Adjusting parameters here, adding a filter there, chasing the illusion that a little personalization will turn good into great. Or worse, they abandon it altogether at the first sign of a drawdown, convinced that something shinier must be out there. I’ve seen it time and again in my years covering markets, from the shipping lanes of the 2000s to the quantitative desks of today.

It’s not a lack of intelligence; it’s a lack of discipline. The human ego whispering that you can outsmart the system, even when the system was built to outsmart the noise.

Jim Simons of Renaissance Technologies is attributed as saying that he could publish his trading strategies in the Wall Street Journal without worrying, because most traders wouldn’t have the discipline to execute them properly.

Think about that for a moment. Simons, the quant pioneer whose Medallion Fund delivered returns that defy gravity, wasn’t guarding his edge with secrecy alone. He knew the real barrier wasn’t access. It was, and is … execution. Publishing the blueprint wouldn’t matter because the vast majority would second-guess it, overcomplicate it, or bail when the going got routine.

Discipline isn’t flashy; it’s the quiet grind of showing up every day, following the rules without deviation, even when boredom sets in or the market tempts you with a “better” idea. It’s the difference between those who survive the long game and those who flame out chasing mirages.

So the title of this article is more of an urge and reminder to the new and aspiring traders among us, that if you do have a profitable trading strategy? It’s up to you to do one of the most difficult aspects of this job …

Just Do It.

Let’s bring this home with a poker analogy, because trading, at its core, is a game of probabilities and patience. Imagine you’re at the table with a solid hand. A pocket pair that’s statistically favored. The strategy is clear: bet steadily, manage your chips, don’t bluff into oblivion.

But then doubt creeps in.

You start overbetting to “maximize,” or folding prematurely because the flop didn’t sparkle. Suddenly, you’re not playing the odds; you’re playing your impulses. The same holds in trading.

A proven strategy is your pocket pair? Robust, tested, with positive expectancy over time. But if you can’t resist the urge to tweak it mid-hand, you’re sabotaging your own stack. Discipline means trusting the process, even when it feels unglamorous. It means resisting the siren call of method-hunting, where you hop from one system to the next, never letting any one compound its edge.

And here’s where it gets real for us at GTC Traders. We’re living the truth of Jim Simons’ words every day. We have shared a strategy, developed specifically for Premium Members of GTC Traders. The Quad Program. We are demonstrating live in the Short-Term Trading Account portion of the Sample Portfolio. This isn’t some backtested fantasy; it’s a robust, multi-regime program built on multiple four uncorrelated edges. It is currently ‘tuned’ to for linear returns and we are in our third profitable month. We’ve shared the philosophy, the parameters, the live P&L dashboard for Premium Members to watch in real time.

And we don’t worry about publishing it at all.

Why? Because we know the secret isn’t in the code. It’s in the commitment. Most won’t have the stomach to execute it without deviation, to let it hum along through quiet periods or regime shifts. They’ll feel that pull to change it, to chase flash over fortitude. But for those who Just Do It? That’s where the real edge lives.

Until next time, stay safe and trade well.

BTS Levels:

ESU2025

The bull/bear line for the ES is at 6486. This is the key pivot level for today and will determine the directional bias. Holding above this level favors bullish momentum, while sustained trading below it would invite sellers back into control.

Currently, ES is trading at 6487.75, just above the bull/bear line, suggesting a slight bullish edge in the pre-market. On the upside, the upper range target is 6523.50, with further resistance at 6558.75. A breakout above 6558.75 could open the path to the extended target at 6567.50.

On the downside, the lower range target is 6448.50. A break below this level could accelerate selling pressure toward 6413.00 and then the deeper support at 6340.25.

The short-term bias remains bullish while above 6486, but any failure to hold this level could quickly shift sentiment bearish for the session. Intraday traders should watch for momentum confirmation near the pivot and range targets.

NQU2025

The bull/bear line for the NQ is at 23,958.75. This level will determine directional bias today. Sustained trading above it favors bullish momentum, while rejection here would point to renewed selling pressure.

Currently, NQ is trading at 23,943.00, sitting just below the bull/bear line. This puts the market in a neutral-to-bearish stance heading into the session. If price cannot reclaim 23,958.75, expect downside pressure toward 23,893 and then 23,785, our lower range target. A break below 23,785 could open the door for a deeper move toward 23,621.50.

Overall, watch 23,958.75 closely. Bulls need to reclaim and hold it to shift sentiment back in their favor, while bears will defend this level to press for lower prices.

DTG Room Preview – Thursday, August 14, 2025