When traders talk about the forex market, one of the most important things to understand is how the market moves throughout the 24-hour cycle.
ICT (Inner Circle Trader) teaches that each trading day can be broken down into different phases.
The Asian Session is the first active phase of the market, and learning how it behaves sets the stage for successful trading later in the day.
1. What is the Asian Session as per ICT
The forex market opens each day with the Asian trading session, typically starting around 11:00 PM GMT and ending around 8:00 AM GMT.
The main financial centers during this time are Tokyo, Sydney, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
While the Asian session is often quieter compared to the London or New York sessions, it plays an important role in setting the initial range and liquidity pools for the day.
2. ICT’s View of the Asian Session
According to ICT, the Asian session acts as the first phase of the daily cycle in the PO3 (Power of Three) model:
- Accumulation Phase – Market consolidates and creates a range.
- Manipulation Phase – Stop hunts or liquidity grabs occur.
- Distribution Phase – Price moves in the intended direction during London or New York.
The Asian session usually reflects the Accumulation Phase.
This is where the market trades sideways, building up liquidity on both sides of the range.
3. Example of Asian Session Behavior as per ICT
Imagine EUR/USD starts trading at 1.0800 during the Asian session.
- Price moves up slightly to 1.0810.
- Then it moves down to 1.0790.
For most of the session, it stays between 1.0810 and 1.0790.
This 20-pip box becomes the Asian Range.
Later, when the London session opens, traders look for price to:
- Break above the range (buy-side liquidity), or
- Break below the range (sell-side liquidity).
This breakout often leads to a strong move, as institutions use the Asian range to set up liquidity traps.
4. Why is the Asian Session Important for ICT
- Defines Daily Range – The Asian session gives the market structure for the day.
- Liquidity Pools – Stops build above highs and below lows of the range.
- Setup for London & New York – Most big moves occur later, but they start by attacking Asian session liquidity.
5. ICT Trading Tip for Asian Session
ICT recommends traders mark the high and low of the Asian range on their charts.
- If London sweeps the high first, expect a move lower.
- If London sweeps the low first, expect a move higher.
This simple framework helps traders align with Smart Money concepts and avoid false breakouts.
6. Example Trade Setup as per Asian Session Training as per ICT (Active Phase)
Let’s say you mark the Asian range on GBP/USD:
- High = 1.2650
- Low = 1.2620
When London opens:
- Price first runs above 1.2650, stops out buyers, and then drops.
- This signals a liquidity grab, and the likely direction for the rest of the day is downward.
A trader can enter a short position after the sweep with a target towards 1.2600.
7. Conclusion
The Asian session may seem quiet, but in ICT’s framework, it is the foundation of the daily market cycle.
By marking the Asian range and understanding how London and New York use it for liquidity grabs, traders can anticipate big moves with confidence.
Mastering the Asian session is not about trading it aggressively but about using it as a roadmap for later sessions.
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