BitMEX creates candles using a combination of historic trades and orderbook data. Periods with traded volume produce standard OHLC (Open, High, Low, Close) candles. Periods without volume use the median of the last traded price, best bid, and best ask. You can switch to traded-prices-only candles by deselecting Use Mid-Market Charts.
How are default candles constructed?
BitMEX candles are created using a combination of historic trades and orderbook data by default. The construction method varies depending on whether there was trading activity during each candle period, ensuring that charts display continuous price information even for less actively traded instruments.
- Periods with traded volume – OHLC (Open, High, Low, Close) candles are built using the first, highest, lowest, and last traded price in the period respectively. For example, if three trades occur during a one-minute window at prices of 40,000, 40,100, and 39,950 USDT, the candle opens at 40,000, records a high of 40,100, a low of 39,950, and closes at 39,950.
- Periods with no traded volume – candles are created using the median of three values: the last traded price, the best bid, and the best ask price at the end of the window. The median calculation prevents a single stale value from distorting the chart, producing a more representative mid-market price for quiet periods.
The default approach ensures that every candle period is represented on the chart, even when no trades occurred. Continuous candle data is particularly useful when applying technical indicators, as gaps in the price series can distort moving averages, oscillators, and other calculations that rely on unbroken data sequences.
How do I switch to traded-prices-only candles?
If you prefer candles based solely on executed trade prices, you can disable the default mid-market behaviour. Deselect the Use Mid-Market Charts option under TradingView charts settings.
Traded-prices-only candles are useful when you want a chart that reflects actual execution activity rather than inferred mid-market prices. Traders who rely on volume-weighted analysis or who focus exclusively on confirmed trades often prefer this mode because every candle directly represents real market transactions.
Keep in mind that periods with no trading activity will produce flat or missing candles when this option is not active, which may create visual gaps on the chart for less liquid pairs. You can toggle between the two modes at any time without losing your chart layout or saved indicators.