To be honest I don't have much experience with trade markets in general.

I've dabbled here and there throughout the years - mostly with little success. I am somewhat new to the crypto world. I started with XRP in November and had the same experience with trading in the past so I decided to educate myself by studying Elliot Wave Theories, MACD, EMA, etc. I am now comfortable reading charts at a newbie level but keep coming back to the same question: Is the traditional TA used for stocks, securities, etc. really the best way to judge movement of cryptocurrencies?

Here is the problem I am having with 100% translation of traditional TA to crypto:

Mainstream markets are regulated. Although the US government is a money printing machine, true, but there is some degree of accountability and ethical standards enforced by the SEC and other regulating agencies. There is nothing stopping crypto developers from unethical practices that have taken place over the last couple years such as "printing" new currency, manipulating the market through various methods, pump and dump scams, etc. To say that a coin or token operates on the principles of a pure(ish) market is simply not intelligent.

So where do we go from here?

Short answer is, I don't know. Going forward I think it will be most beneficial for all of us to step back from the proverbial elephant in order to understand the bigger picture. Think of crypto not as an extension of traditional markets, but a new and (very) infantile one at that. The NYSE launched its first securities trade in 1792 but it was almost 30 years before a regulating body formed (New York Stock and Exchange Board) and successful efforts to control market manipulation are still a work-in-progress 200 years later.

I look forward to what everyone has to say so don't be shy!

Jeff