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crab market
What does crab market mean?
A period where price trades sideways in a range, 'crabbing' left and right rather than trending. Frustrating for both bulls and bears.
"It's been a crab market for months — no trend, just chop."
Origin
Crypto slang extending the bull/bear metaphor; a crab moves sideways.
Frequently asked questions
What is a crab market?
A crab market is a flat, sideways market that trades within a range and moves neither meaningfully up nor down.
Why is it called a crab market?
Because a crab walks sideways — the metaphor extends the bull (up) and bear (down) imagery to describe horizontal price action.
Why are crab markets frustrating?
They frustrate both bulls and bears, since there's no clear trend to trade and price just chops back and forth in a range.
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