The resting orders waiting above and below price — how to read them, how they mislead, and where to practise for free.
A DOM ladder (depth of market) is a vertical price ladder that shows the resting limit orders at each price: bids (buy orders) below the current price and asks (sell orders) above it. It shows where orders are waiting to trade, which is different from a chart, which shows what has already traded.
How to read it
Bids and asksEach row is a price. The bid column shows how much is waiting to buy there; the ask column shows how much is waiting to sell.
Large resting ordersUnusually large orders can act as short-term support or resistance — while they stay.
Pulled and added ordersWatch orders change as price approaches. Size that disappears just before price arrives was never meant to be filled.
Traded vs restingThe DOM shows intention. Pair it with the tape and the footprint to see whether orders actually got hit.
DOM vs order book
They show the same data. An exchange's order book is usually a list of the best bids and asks; a DOM ladder lays that book on a fixed price ladder so you can watch orders build, shrink and get hit at each price in real time, and place orders directly at a price.
Why the DOM can mislead
- Spoofing. Large orders can be placed to create an impression and cancelled before they trade.
- It is one venue. A crypto DOM shows one exchange's book, not the whole market.
- Resting is not traded. A wall that never gets hit tells you about intention, not about what actually happened.
Free DOM ladder in the LTAI Terminal
The LTAI Terminal includes a DOM Trader ladder on live Binance data, next to the footprint chart, Smart Tape and Market & DOM Pressure gauges. You can click the ladder to place paper orders on live prices and review them in the statistics journal — free in the browser. Open the DOM ladder →
LiveTradingAI provides market analysis, charting and education tools — not trade calls or financial advice. Trading carries substantial risk of loss.
Frequently asked questions
What is a DOM ladder?A DOM (depth of market) ladder is a vertical price ladder showing the resting buy orders (bids) below price and resting sell orders (asks) above it at each price level, updating in real time.
What is the difference between a DOM and an order book?They show the same data. A DOM ladder arranges the order book on a fixed price ladder, which makes it easier to watch orders change at each price and to place orders at a price with one click.
Can large orders on the DOM be fake?Yes. Orders can be placed and cancelled before they trade, a practice known as spoofing. That is why resting size should be read together with what actually trades on the tape and footprint.
Is there a free DOM ladder for crypto?Yes. The LTAI Terminal in LiveTradingAI includes a DOM Trader ladder on live Binance data, with paper trading, free with a Google sign-in.
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