The first candle of the New York session (6:30 AM PT) — marked in Gold as the day's reference range.
The Opening Candle is the first printed candle of the New York session, marked in Gold at 6:30 AM in the LA Traders Protocol. Its high and low form the opening range — the level everything else measures against. Price acceptance above the opening range is bullish; acceptance below is bearish; and a sweep of one side followed by a reclaim is a session-defining Reveal. Many traders use the first 1-minute, 5-minute, or 15-minute candle — what matters is that you mark it consistently and treat it as a structural reference.
The opening candle is the New York session's opening statement. Everything after it is cross-examination.
6:30 AM candle prints 5,839–5,843. Price spends 20 minutes building above 5,843, then expands higher. Acceptance above the opening range. Longs have the ball.
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