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.
The opening candle is the last level marked in the Protocol. Its high and low define the day's first battleground — the Reveal often happens when price sweeps the opening candle's range.
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