Killzones are periods during the trading day when markets tend to move more actively. These windows usually line up with major session openings, overlaps between global markets, or times when important economic data is released. Because liquidity and volatility increase during these periods, traders often focus on killzones to catch clearer price moves.
In ICT-style trading and other price-action methods, common killzones include the London session open, the New York session open, and the London–New York overlap. These windows often bring institutional activity, stronger momentum, and cleaner market structure. Traders use them to look for setups such as liquidity grabs, fair value gap reactions, or trend continuation.
Killzones help traders limit screen time and avoid low-volatility periods. Instead of trading all day, traders concentrate on short, defined windows when the market is most likely to create meaningful opportunities.
Killzones help traders focus on the most active parts of the day, improving trade efficiency, timing, and overall strategy performance.
Many traders watch the London open (around 2–4 AM ET), New York open (8–10 AM ET), and the London–New York overlap (8–11 AM ET). These times often see increased liquidity and stronger price movement because major financial centers are active. Some strategies also use the Asian session open or specific windows around economic news releases.
Killzones align with the start of major trading sessions when banks, funds, and institutions execute large orders. Economic data releases and corporate announcements also tend to cluster around session opens. This combination creates sharp moves, liquidity hunts, and breaks in market structure—all of which provide clearer setups for active traders.
Traders set time-based rules to trade only during specific windows. They look for setups such as liquidity sweeps, breakouts, fair value gaps, or trend shifts that often appear during high-activity periods. Killzones help with consistency because traders focus on the same time windows daily, making it easier to refine timing and reduce noise.
A trader waits for the New York open killzone. Minutes after the stock market opens, price sweeps the previous hour’s low and then quickly reverses. The trader uses this reaction as a signal to enter a long position in line with their trading plan.
