📍 Core Concept

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

Understanding and overcoming the fear of missing out in trading.

APOLLO ENCYCLOPEDIA

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What It Is

FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) is the emotional urge to chase price after a move has already begun. It's the feeling of watching a coin pump 30% and desperately wanting to buy, even though the setup has already played out.

Key insight: FOMO almost always leads to buying tops and selling bottoms. By the time the emotional urge becomes overwhelming, the smart money has already positioned and you're providing their exit liquidity. The crowd is typically wrong at extremes.

FOMO is amplified in crypto by social media, 24/7 markets, and the culture of showing gains. It's arguably the most destructive emotion in trading — responsible for more blown accounts than bad analysis.

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Managing FOMO

Have a written trading plan.

If a trade isn't in your plan, it doesn't exist. FOMO can't override a plan you've committed to following. Write your entries, exits, and position sizes before the market opens your emotions.

Accept missed trades.

The market offers new opportunities every single day. Missing one trade is irrelevant to long-term profitability. Chasing one trade and taking a loss, however, is directly harmful.

Track FOMO trades separately.

If you do act on FOMO, log it as a FOMO trade in your journal. Over time, you'll see their win rate and expectancy are terrible — this data becomes the antidote to future FOMO.

💡Pro Tip

When you feel the strongest urge to enter a trade, that's usually the worst time to enter. FOMO peaks at exactly the moment smart money wants your liquidity. Train yourself to recognize that feeling as a red flag, not a green light.

Master FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

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