The setup
Asia session (18:00–03:00 CT) builds a volume structure while New York sleeps. That structure becomes the Asia Initial Balance — the reference range US traders react to at 9:30. Read it right, you know where the day’s edge lives before the bell rings.
Why it works
Asia volume is thin compared to RTH, but it prints a real auction. When US liquidity arrives, price either accepts the Asia IB (breakout continuation) or rejects it (fade back into prior-day value). The reaction in the first 15 minutes of RTH tells you which regime you’re in for the whole day.
Entry framework
- Mark the Asia IB high + low (18:00 CT start to 02:00 CT end, adjust for DST).
- Note where overnight value area built — above, below, or inside the Asia IB.
- At 9:30 CT: watch the first 5-minute bar vs the Asia IB edge.
- Acceptance: price opens + holds above Asia high → long bias, entries on pullbacks to Asia high.
- Rejection: price opens above Asia high then flushes back inside → short bias, entries on retest of the high from below.
- Delta + absorption at the edge confirms the read.
Invalidation
Price chops the Asia IB edge in both directions within the first 15 minutes. Walk away. The IB isn’t a clean reference today.
Example
Chart goes here. Placeholder.
Sizing
Size per your plan. Size down when the regime is unclear. The Asia IB works best on trend days, not chop days.