How a crypto market works

A market pairs two assets, such as BTC and USDT. The price is the amount of the second asset you pay for one unit of the first.

Buyers post bids and sellers post asks. When a bid and an ask meet, a trade happens at that price. The most recent trade is the last price you see on a chart.

Volume tells you how much traded in a period. Thin volume usually means wider spreads and bigger price jumps from a single order.