Smart Money Concepts / ICT
⚠️ Very popular online: judge it on your own tested results, not on screenshots.
What it is
A popular framework describing how large players are thought to move price: liquidity grabs, breaks of structure, order blocks and fair value gaps (imbalances).
The rules
SetupHigher-timeframe direction; a sweep of an obvious high or low (liquidity), then a break of structure the other way.EntryOn a return into the order block or fair value gap left by that move.StopBeyond the liquidity sweep.TargetOpposite liquidity (old highs or lows); often 3R or more.
When it fails
Much of it is a new vocabulary for older ideas (supply and demand, stop runs). It is easy to fit to past charts and hard to apply consistently. Test it honestly before trusting it.
Risk profile
Tight stops and big targets: low win rate, large winners, long losing streaks.
Who it suits
Experienced chart readers willing to journal and backtest carefully.
Education, not advice. Goldman Academy teaches how markets and tools work. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell, and no lesson promises profits. Trading leveraged products carries a high risk of losing money; only trade money you can afford to lose.