™Cumulative volume delta (CVD) is a running total of aggressive buy volume minus aggressive sell volume. Every trade where a buyer lifts the ask adds to it; every trade where a seller hits the bid subtracts from it. The line shows which side has been more aggressive over time.
How it is calculated
What to look for
| Price | CVD | What it can mean |
|---|---|---|
| Rising | Rising | Healthy move — aggressive buyers are driving it |
| Rising | Flat or falling | Divergence — the push is losing aggressive participation; price may be rising on passive buying or short covering |
| Falling | Rising | Absorption — aggressive buyers keep coming in, but passive sellers are absorbing them (or the reverse at a low) |
| Flat | Strongly up or down | One side is aggressive but getting absorbed — watch which side gives up |
These are tendencies, not rules. Always read CVD at a level you care about, alongside structure.
CVD vs volume
Ordinary volume tells you how much traded. CVD tells you which side initiated it. A huge volume bar can be one side absorbing the other; CVD shows which side was the aggressor, and the footprint chart shows exactly where inside the candle it happened.
Crypto-specific notes
- Spot vs perpetual futures. CVD on spot and on perpetual futures can disagree. Futures CVD often moves first because leverage traders are more aggressive.
- Exchange matters. CVD from one exchange is that exchange's flow, not the whole market. Use a liquid venue for a cleaner read.
- Liquidations distort it. A cascade of forced liquidations shows up as aggressive orders. Watching liquidations alongside CVD helps separate forced flow from real conviction.
CVD in LiveTradingAI
LTAI Chart includes a Cumulative Volume Delta indicator among its 100+ indicators, and the LTAI Terminal shows delta inside every candle on the footprint chart, plus liquidations and the Smart Tape — free in the browser on live Binance data. Open LTAI Chart →