308 · Jack Schwager and Emanuel Balarie - Market Wizards, Measured: Inside the Criteria, Craft, and Grit

In this episode, we examine what actually happens when crypto markets break — how leverage builds beneath the surface, liquidity disappears, and liquidation cascades turn volatility into systemic failure. Doug Colkitt, a quantitative trader and DeFi builder whose experience spans both traditional finance and crypto market structure. Doug began his career on Wall Street at Citigroup before moving into high-frequency trading at Citadel during the 2008 financial crisis. He later built and traded his own systems across futures, volatility products, and international equities, including running a major market-making operation in Turkish stocks. Today, Doug focuses on crypto and DeFi infrastructure, working with perpetual futures, liquidation mechanics, and exchange design. We discuss why traders still get wiped out when they think they’re hedged, how liquidation cascades accelerate, and what recent market failures reveal about leverage and market structure under stress. Links +Resources: Ambient Finance on X (Twitter): @AmbientFinance Website: https://ambient.finance Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast: ●       Trade The Pool:  ⁠⁠http://www.tradethepool.com⁠⁠    Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. 00:00:00  Intro and Background 00:03:43  Starting Individual Trading and High Frequency Systems 00:04:09  Focus on Index Futures and Competitive Markets 00:06:15  Michael Lewis's 'Flash Boys' and HFT Accuracy 00:07:00  Impact of HFT on Smaller Traders 00:09:13  Market Makers and Price Competition 00:09:37  HFT Evolution and Market Dynamics 00:11:24  Trading VIX Futures and Market Inefficiencies 00:13:08  Transitioning to Medium Frequency Trading 00:13:34  Trading Turkish Equities and Market Makings 00:15:35  Exploring Cryptocurrency Trading 00:18:32  Diving into Decentralized Finance (DeFi) 00:20:06  Arbitrage Opportunities in Crypto Markets 00:22:00  Flash Loans and Risk-Free Trading 00:22:48  Adjustments to Trading Bots Over Time 00:25:11  Criteria for Trusting Decentralized Exchanges 00:28:46  Liquidity Providing and Yield Opportunities 00:29:16  Volatility and Risks in Liquidity Provisioning 00:31:47  Understanding Perpetual Contracts in Crypto 00:36:04  October 10, 2025 Crypto Massacre Overview 00:37:36  Leverage and Market Dynamics 00:41:23  Impact of Liquidations on Market Sentiment 00:41:43  Market Maker Behavior During Crises 00:43:45  Liquidity Issues in Centralized Exchanges 00:44:53 Hyper Liquid Vault and Liquidation Dynamics 00:45:55 Market Making Strategies and Risk Management 00:49:15 Insurance Fund Models in DeFi 00:51:43 Ambient Finance Project Overview 00:53:08 Separation of Exchange and Clearinghouse 00:54:14 Innovations in Perpetual Trading 00:55:46 Takeaways from the October 10th Massacre 00:57:03 Future Plans for Insurance Fund Integration 00:58:28 Real World Assets and Crypto Integration Trading Disclaimer:  Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

16 Joulu 1h 8min

Returning guest Vincent Bruzzese — trader, former statistics professor, poker player, and former Hollywood behavioral analyst — joins Tessa for a candid discussion about navigating one of the most narrative-driven markets in years. Known online as “Hari Seldon” in the Real Day Trading community, Vincent is recognized for posting his trades live and delivering multiple years of standout performance, with returns north of 60% and even 80%.  In this episode, Vincent talks about why traders are struggling with discipline, how sentiment and storylines are overpowering both fundamentals and technicals, and what separates structured trading from gambling. He also shares how tools like his walkaway analysis help reinforce better habits and improve decision-making. Tessa and Vincent dig into mindset, process, relative strength, risk management, and how he rebuilt after blowing up his account twice. They also explore the emotional side of trading in a market that often feels disconnected from reality — and how traders can stay grounded despite the chaos.   Links +Resources:  ●      Follow Vincent on Reddit:  ⁠https://www.reddit.com/r/RealDayTrading/⁠ ●      Follow Vincent on X:  ⁠@RealDayTrading⁠ ●      Vincent on CWT ⁠Episode 255⁠ ●      Vincent can also be found in the OneOption Chat Rooms Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast:   ●       Trade The Pool:  ⁠http://www.tradethepool.com⁠    Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads.   ●     00:00:00  Intro and Background ●     00:07:13  Market Analysis and Trading Strategies ●     00:09:00  Trading Mindset and Emotional Challenges ●     00:11:07  Market Trends and Skepticism ●     00:13:08  Market Irrationality and Future Predictions ●     00:14:41  Valuation Concerns and Institutional Influence ●    00:15:19  Psychological Aspects of Trading ●    00:16:30  Narratives and Market Bubbles ●    00:18:00  Passive Income Strategies in Trading ●    00:21:57  Long-term Investment Strategies ●    00:21:25  Personal Trading Experiences ●    00:24:08  Learning from Trading Losses ●    00:25:12  The Journey to Becoming a Trader ●    00:25:58  Mindset and Trading Psychology ●    00:30:45  Identifying and Avoiding Bad Trades ●    00:32:58  Overcoming Trading Challenges ●    00:37:48  Trading Strategies and Market Analysis ●    00:40:52  Current Market Conditions and Trading Decisions ●    00:43:20  Portfolio Management and Trading Style ●    00:46:39  Trading Preparation and Daily Routine ●    01:01:25  Navigating Market Volatility and Uncertainty ●    01:05:41  Final Thoughts on Trading and Market Dynamics   Trading Disclaimer:  Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

29 Marras 1h 28min

Christian Carreon returns to Chat With Traders nearly three years after his first appearance, where he shared his remarkable journey through stage-five kidney failure and the discipline it forged in him as a trader. Today, he brings an even deeper perspective—on markets, on patience, and on the Box Strategy that has become his signature. Christian is a breakout trend trader who waits for compression, defines his levels meticulously, and only commits when price breaks cleanly from the “box” with tight risk and clear direction. In this conversation, he walks us through how his approach has evolved, how he sizes up with confidence, and why patience inside consolidation is the foundation of every edge he has. From day-trading futures for cash flow to swing-trading leading stocks for growth, Christian shares the discipline, structure, and gratitude that guide both his trading and his life.   Links + Resources:  ●      Follow Christian on X:  @trading_boxes ●      Christian on NinjaTrader Live ●      Christian on CWT Episode 254   Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast:  ●       Trade The Pool:  http://www.tradethepool.com   Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. ● 00:00 Intro and Background ● 05:23 Kidney Donation Journey ● 06:37 Recovery Process After Transplant ● 09:45 Mental Focus During Recovery ● 12:51 Trading Goals and Adjustments ● 12:09 Risk Management in Trading ● 12:38 Sizing Up and Position Management ● 15:24 Identifying Trading Opportunities ● 16:23 Market Conditions and Trading Strategy ● 17:28 Support and Resistance Analysis ● 19:00 Using Indicators for Trading ● 22:48 Influence of News on Trading ● 24:00 Box Strategy Overview ● 27:18 Adapting Trading Strategies ● 29:40 Trading Discipline and Limits ● 32:10 Managing Investor Funds ● 33:15 Handling Market Events ● 36:03 Investor Mistakes and Adaptation ● 47:04 Reflections on Trading Journey ● 50:34 Catch up with Tessa Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

18 Marras 1h 18min

Dr. Efrat t Levy is a cybersecurity expert with a PhD in Computer Science and AI from Ben-Gurion University—one of Israel’s top tech institutions. After years studying how to detect hackers through side-channel signals, she applied the same logic to trading. In this conversation, Dr. Levy explains how she uses machine learning to map non-repainting key levels that reveal the hidden order flow—the subtle timing and volume clues that expose the real intent of big players. She shows how correlated markets often move together at these key levels and how that insight helps her trade with precision and low drawdown. We discuss filtering noise, managing psychology, and bridging cybersecurity thinking with market analysis—exploring how data and discipline can uncover the quieter forces shaping market behavior. Links + Resources:  ●      Dr. Levy’s website:  https://ctpacademy.com/ ●      Dr. Levy’s email: efrat.levy@egindicators.com ●      Dr. Levy on youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/@EGIndicators ●      Dr. Levy’s linktree: https://linktr.ee/efrat.levy   Sponsor of Chat With Traders Podcast:  ●       Trade The Pool:  http://www.tradethepool.com Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads.  ●   00:00 – Intro: From AI & cyber to trading ●     01:20 – PhD background, domains where AI applies ●     04:30 – First market exposure: anomaly detection for derivatives ●     07:45 – Side-channel analysis: uncovering hidden intent ●     12:10 – “Hidden order flow” and fingerprinting big players ● 18:30 – Single-tick levels vs. zones; why zones mislead ●     22:00 – The correlation filter: 3 of 4 assets hitting together ●     26:00 – Entries & stops: lowest drawdown mindset ●     30:30 – Managing trades by other markets’ levels ●     33:45 – Timeframe-agnostic approach; redefining “correlation” ●     51:00 – Instruments: indices, gold/silver/copper/platinum ●     56:00 – Psychological tripwires:streaks, missed A+ setups, ego risk ●     1:04:00 – How to reach Dr. Levy ●     1:05:00 – Catch up with Tessa   Trading Disclaimer:  Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

30 Loka 1h 36min

How a trader from Dallas built consistency—and a simple lifestyle of freedom in Southeast Asia—with a 30% win rate.  Diego Ivan Cortes Lopez grew up chasing perfection on the tennis court, where winning came naturally, but it was trading that taught him how to win by losing. After years of trial, error, and a six-figure setback, studying the methods taught by Oliver Velez, a prominent veteran professional trader, helped him rebuild his approach - focusing on daily support and resistance, clean reversal signals, and asymmetric risk-to-reward. Now trading large-cap stocks from Vietnam on a single 13-inch laptop with uncluttered charts and limiting his sessions to the first hour of the market open, Diego shows that real consistency and freedom come from mastering the math of risk and reward—and keeping both trading and life simple. Links + Resources:  ●      Diego’s Instagram:  diegoivan__7 ●      Diego’s Email: diegoivan0907@gmail.com    Sponsors of Chat With Traders Podcast: Trade The Pool:  http://www.tradethepool.com TastyTrade:  https://tastytrade.com/ Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads.  ●    00:00 – Early Life & Tennis ●     04:30 – Tennis Coaching & Business Success ●     09:00 – Early trading and the six-figure drawdown ●     14:00 – Rebuilding & Moving Aboard ●     20:00 – Finding Oliver Velez, relearning ●     27:00 – Today’s playbook: daily levels, 5-min entries, first-hour focus ●     34:00 – Risk, sizing, psychology, and “becoming a great loser” ●     40:00 – Living/trading in Asia; consistency over perfection ●     46:00 – Struggles, losing streaks, and long-term confidence ●     50:00 – Brief chat with Tessa   Trading Disclaimer:  Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

21 Loka 1h 3min

A former competitive gamer, Mario Dimitroff from Bulgaria got his start on a local trading floor before discovering that the U.S. premarket session best fit his skills. Now trading for a living and doing nothing else, his news-driven, event-based scalping focuses on low-liquidity movers. Leveraging gaming-honed speed and pattern recognition, he quickly decides whether to ride momentum or fade to mean, enters/exits fast, sizes within liquidity, and sustains his edge by cutting losers quickly, avoiding drawdowns, and stacking small consistent wins. In this episode, you’ll hear how Mario turned his competitive gaming instincts into an all-in commitment to the markets and full-time trading career. Links + Resources: Mario’s YouTube Channel:  The Wall Street Cat - YouTube Sponsors of this episode of the Chat With Traders Podcast: Trade The Pool:  http://www.tradethepool.com TastyTrade:  http://tastytrade.com/podcasts Time Stamps: Please note: Exact times will vary depending on current ads. 01:30 Introduction and background 03:50 Early Experiences and Learning from Failure 07:38 Return to Trading During COVID-19 08:38 Working on a Trading Floor 10:51 Trading Strategies and Market Insights 11:14 Imposter Syndrome and Mental Challenges in Trading 14:57 Career Decisions and Trading Philosophy 18:49 Finding Trading Edge and Style 20:39 Scalping and Pre-Market Trading 21:40 Meme Stocks and Market Euphoria 24:07 Navigating Market Downturns 25:49 Understanding Euphoria and Market Psychology 43:54 Avoiding Drawdowns and Maintaining Profitability 45:48 Scalping Strategies and Risk Management 51:56 Biggest challenges as a trader 59:15 How to reach Mario 59:30 Chat With Tessa Trading Disclaimer: Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

15 Syys 1h 13min

Online funding prop firms have captured the attention of traders in recent years. In this episode, the CEO of Trade The Pool, Michael Katz, joins the podcast to answer key questions and offer perspective from inside one of the leading firms. The conversation explores how these firms operate, what they mean for traders, and the common debates surrounding them.  The goal is not promotion of prop firms, but to pull back the curtain and provide a clearer understanding of the role prop firms play in today’s trading landscape.   Links + Resources:  ●     Trade The Pool:  http://www.tradethepool.com   Sponsors of Chat With Traders Podcast: ●      Trade The Pool:  http://www.tradethepool.com ●       Plus500:  Try futures trading with Plus500 >> Start with a FREE demo or claim a bonus up to $200 with an open account 👉https://us.plus500.com Trading futures involves the risk of loss and is not suitable for every investor.   Time Stamps: Please note - Exact times will vary depending on current ads.   ●     00:00   Introduction and background ●     05:02   Attraction to Funding Prop Firms ●     06:06   Risk Management and Evaluation Fees ●     10:08   Misconceptions About Prop Firms ●     11:58   Education and Community Support ●     15:35   Trading Evaluation Process ●     18:47   Success Rates and Trader Psychology ●     20:04   Adjusting Strategies for Prop Trading ●     22:07   Rules and Boundaries in Trading ●     27:51   Success Stories and Learning Curves ●     28:58   Psychology of Funded Trading ●     31:52   Trader Retention and Patterns ●     33:54   Scaling and Risk Management ●     38:42   Payout Rules and Compliance ●     40:29   Adapting Rules for Trader Success    Trading Disclaimer:  Trading in the financial markets involves a risk of loss. Podcast episodes and other content produced by Chat With Traders are for informational or educational purposes only and do not constitute trading or investment recommendations or advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

27 Elo 55min