AlphaNex Blog

Practical guides for serious traders

Manual backtest, prop firm challenges, ICT Smart Money, trading journal and strategy building. No fluff — only actionable techniques.

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Strategy

Order Block Trading Strategy: entry, stop and backtest

How to identify a valid order block, where to enter, where the stop goes, and how to backtest it bar by bar.

12 min · Strategy
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Strategy

The London Breakout Strategy: backtested rules for 2026

Exact session times, range setup, entry triggers, stop, target and the filters that turn it profitable.

11 min · Strategy
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Fundamentals

What is backtesting? A complete beginner's guide

What it is, why it matters, manual vs automated, and how to backtest a strategy step by step.

9 min · Fundamentals
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Fundamentals

10 candlestick patterns every beginner should know

Doji, hammer, engulfing, pin bar and more — what each means and how to confirm it before trading.

10 min · Fundamentals
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Prop Firm

How to pass the FTMO challenge on the first attempt

Hidden rules, money management and daily routine to pass FTMO without retaking the challenge three times.

12 min · Prop Firm
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Prop Firm

FundedNext vs FTMO vs The5ers: 2026 comparison

Drawdown, profit target, split, evaluation, payout. Which one really suits your trading style.

11 min · Prop Firm
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Prop Firm

Becoming a prop trader: the realistic path 2026

How long it takes, how much it costs, prerequisites, first challenges. Real numbers and practical roadmap (9-15 months).

11 min · Prop Firm
Backtest

Manual vs automated backtest: which is better?

Trade-offs, use cases, why manual trains discipline while automated seeks statistical edge.

8 min · Fundamentals
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Comparison

AlphaNex vs FXReplay: honest 2026 comparison

Features, pricing, UX, historical data, journal, prop firm simulator. Detailed comparison between the two platforms.

9 min · Comparison
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Comparison

AlphaNex vs ForexTester: honest 2026 comparison

Desktop veteran vs modern cloud. Price, features, integrated AI, prop firm. Which one is worth it today.

10 min · Comparison
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ICT

ICT Smart Money Concepts explained with examples

Order block, fair value gap, liquidity sweep, break of structure. What they really mean and how to spot them.

15 min · ICT
ICT

ICT Power of 3 (PO3) explained with practical examples

Accumulation, Manipulation, Distribution. The 3 stages of every important candle and how to use them for A+ entries.

12 min · ICT
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Indicators

Volume Profile: how to read it (the 3 levels that matter)

POC, VAH, VAL, HVN and LVN. Difference between fixed range and session profile, why volume matters more than price.

10 min · Indicators
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Fundamentals

Risk:Reward ratio: the definitive guide

Why RR matters more than win rate. WR×RR table, expectancy calculation, common mistakes and practical setups.

10 min · Fundamentals
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Fundamentals

How to calculate position sizing (with examples)

Exact formula for lot size based on risk. Forex, indices, gold examples. Common mistakes.

9 min · Fundamentals
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Fundamentals

Drawdown: what it is and how to manage it

Maximum, daily, statistical drawdown. Recovery asymmetry, prevention, psychological management.

10 min · Fundamentals
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Journaling

The trading journal that actually makes you improve

What to log (and what not), weekly review, the 6 essential metrics and how to use AI for error patterns.

9 min · Discipline