Cumulative Volume Delta

Cumulative Volume Delta (CVD) is a technical analysis indicator used in trading to measure the net buying or selling pressure in a market by tracking the difference between buying and selling volume over time. It’s particularly popular in futures, forex, and cryptocurrency trading, where volume data is critical for understanding market dynamics.

### How It Works:
- **Volume Delta**: For each price bar or time period, the volume delta is calculated as the difference between buying volume (trades executed at the ask price, indicating buyer aggression) and selling volume (trades executed at the bid price, indicating seller aggression).
- Formula: Volume Delta = Buying Volume - Selling Volume
- **Cumulative Volume Delta**: CVD sums up the volume delta over a specified period, creating a running total that reflects the overall trend of buying or selling pressure.
- If CVD is rising, it suggests stronger buying pressure (bullish sentiment).
- If CVD is falling, it indicates stronger selling pressure (bearish sentiment).

### Key Features:
1. **Divergence Analysis**: Traders use CVD to spot divergences between price movements and volume trends. For example, if the price is rising but CVD is declining, it may signal weakening bullish momentum (potential reversal).
2. **Support/Resistance Confirmation**: CVD can confirm breakouts or reversals at key price levels by showing whether volume supports the price movement.
3. **Trend Strength**: A steeply rising or falling CVD line indicates strong directional pressure, while a flat CVD suggests indecision or consolidation.

### Example:
- If a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin has 10,000 units bought at the ask and 7,000 units sold at the bid in a given period, the volume delta is +3,000. Over multiple periods, these deltas are added to form the CVD.
- A rising CVD alongside a price uptrend confirms bullish strength, while a falling CVD during a price uptrend may warn of a potential pullback.

### Limitations:
- **Data Dependency**: CVD relies on accurate bid/ask volume data, which may not be available or reliable on all platforms (e.g., some exchanges don’t provide detailed order book data).
- **Lagging Nature**: As a cumulative indicator, it may lag behind rapid price changes.
- **Context Matters**: CVD should be used with other indicators (e.g., price action, support/resistance) for better accuracy.

### Practical Use:
Traders often plot CVD as a line chart below the price chart on platforms like TradingView or Sierra Chart. It’s useful for:
- Identifying trend reversals or continuations.
- Confirming breakouts or breakdowns.
- Assessing market sentiment in low-liquidity or high-volatility markets.