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Liquidity & depth

Iceberg Detector

Detects hidden refilling liquidity (synthetic)

Iceberg Detector looks for levels where the visible resting size is small but executed volume vastly exceeds it — the level "won't exhaust" because a hidden player keeps refilling it. A sell iceberg holds resistance, a buy iceberg holds support. Because MotiveWave gives no Market-by-Order data, this is a heuristic ("synthetic") detection from the aggregated book — false positives are possible, always confirm with context.

Data requirementTick data + live depth (DOM) — both

A heuristic, not MBO — without a Market-by-Order feed an iceberg cannot be confirmed for sure. It needs both tick data and live depth (DOM), which is recorded forward to disk. For periods when the study wasn't running, depth is missing.

Monthly access
$21/mo

Standalone subscription for a single study. Cancel anytime.

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Free updates for the subscription Implementation guide for MotiveWave Setup video tutorials

What it does

  • Detection via executed ÷ visible volume ratio (R)
  • One-sidedness filter + absorption at the extreme
  • Manual or automatic size threshold (mean + SD)
  • Optional refill counting from DOM snapshots
  • Adjustable arrow direction (price reaction / book side)
  • Records depth to disk + shares the folder with the heatmap
  • Merges icons across time and price to avoid clutter

How to read it

01

▲ Sell iceberg at resistance — buyers hit the offer, a hidden seller refills and price can't push through → often a top / reversal zone.

02

▼ Buy iceberg at support — sellers hit the bid, a hidden buyer holds and refills → often a bottom / accumulation.

03

Repeated icons at the same price across bars = a persistently held iceberg (strong level). Best with the heatmap, bubbles and CVD.

Recommended presets

Where to start by market and trading style — fine-tune to your own feed.

InstrumentR (ratio)Min volumeDominance
MNQ / MES (micro)3–420–6060 %
ES / NQ4–5150–50060–70 %
CL (oil)450–15060 %
Crypto (perp)3–4per market60 %

Specs

Type
Overlay + signal
Data
Tick + DOM
Market
Futures, Crypto
Detection
Heuristic (MBP)