VFI
Volume Flow Indicator — volume-weighted momentum oscillator (LazyBear).
What it is
Volume Flow Indicator — volume-weighted momentum oscillator (LazyBear).
The Volume Flow Indicator (VFI), published by Markos Katsanos, is an evolution of On-Balance Volume that ignores micro-moves. Each bar's log return is compared to a noise threshold derived from a rolling standard deviation of returns; bars inside the threshold contribute zero, bars above it contribute +volume, bars below contribute −volume. The series is then smoothed and normalised by average volume.
Reads are simple: VFI > 0 indicates net accumulation, VFI < 0 indicates net distribution, and zero-line crossings are the headline signal. Divergence between VFI and price is treated the same way as RSI divergence — a warning that the move is running on thinner participation than it looks.
Compared to OBV, VFI is much less noisy on low-volatility bars and more honest about gap bars, but it has more parameters to tune.
Read the full Volume Flow Indicator (VFI) definition in the glossary →
Live chart
TradingView has no built-in study for this indicator, so there's no live chart to embed here. It's a structure / smart-money tool — the best way to see it is to run it inside a strategy and backtest it.
The strategies below put this indicator to work — open one and backtest it.
Parameters
| Parameter | Default | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 130 | 30 – 800 |
| Cutoff × | 0.2 | 0.01 – 5 |
| Volume cap × | 2.5 | 0.1 – 10 |
| Signal length | 5 | 1 – 100 |
| Smooth VFI | off | — |
Output fields
The named values this indicator exposes to your entry and exit rules.
Related strategies
Ready-made, runnable templates that use this indicator. Open one to inspect or backtest it.
Backtest this indicator
Drop this indicator into a rule-set, run it over years of BTC/USDT data, and see whether the edge is real or just curve-fit — no credit card required.