Fair Value Gap (FVG): imbalances that get revisited
A Fair Value Gap (FVG) is a three-candle pattern where the third candle's low sits above the first candle's high (bullish gap) or the third candle's high sits below the first candle's low (bearish gap), leaving a price zone that was never traded. Price often returns to fill the gap; first touch of a bullish gap tends to act as support, of a bearish gap as resistance. SIMMENT tracks 1h gaps of at least 0.2% of price and a quarter of ATR.
Why gaps exist
Fast moves skip prices. When a large order or a liquidation cascade pushes through a zone in one candle, resting orders in that zone never got filled. Later, when price returns, those orders and the traders who missed the move are still there, which is why gaps so often react on first touch.
Tap, fill and what each means
A tap is price entering the gap. A fill is price trading through the far edge. For a bullish gap below price, a tap is a potential support test; a full fill means the support failed and the imbalance is gone. For a bearish gap above price, a tap tests resistance and a fill means the upside liquidity got taken. Fresh gaps formed on a single fast candle bigger than 1x ATR are the ones most likely to be revisited.
How the SIMMENT desk uses FVGs
The level watcher scans 1h candles every five minutes, keeps unfilled gaps from the last seven days, and sends three kinds of push alert: a gap formed on a fast move (at least 1x ATR), a first tap, and a full fill. Alerts open the pair's chart. Gaps are study levels; the auto desk does not trade them.
Quick answers
Do all fair value gaps get filled?
No. Many do, especially recent ones, but strong trends can leave gaps open for weeks. That is why the desk drops gaps older than seven days.
This metric is a tile on the SIMMENT paper desk. Open a free account, get 10,000 virtual USDT and watch it on live Binance prices. Enter the desk → · iOS app
Educational content. Simulated trading only. Not financial advice. Updated 2026-09-06.