The Original Market Makers Method (1999 → Today)

In 1999, Martin Cole created and first documented the market maker method of trading financial markets. The method consists of three market phases: Accumulation, Manipulation, and Distribution ADM (The distribution phase is also knows as the profit release phase). The method revealed how market makers and large instutions engineer price movements through the three repeating phases. Today, dozens of platforms teach AMD. But only PAT was created by the original source.

1999: The Beginning

Martin Cole began professional trading in 1995. By 1999, he created and first documented the market maker method of trading financial markets. The method consists of three market phases: Accumulation, Manipulation, and Distribution ADM (The distribution phase is also knows as the profit release phase). The method revealed how market makers and large instutions engineer price movements through the three repeating phases.

In 1999, this framework was featured as a 4-page spread in Futures & Options World magazine, showcasing Martin's ability to predict market moves "better than eight times out of ten." This was the first public documentation of the AMD framework—26 years ago.

The Original Term: Profit Release

Martin's original terminology in 1999 called the third phase "Profit Release"—not "distribution." Others later simplified it to "distribution," but Profit Release is more accurate: it's when market makers release their accumulated profits. We use both terms, but Profit Release captures what's actually happening.

The Timeline

1995

Professional Trading Begins

Martin Cole begins trading professionally, studying market maker behavior and price engineering.

1999

AMD Framework Created

The AMD framework (Accumulation, Manipulation, Distribution/Profit Release) is created and featured as a 4-page spread in Futures & Options World magazine.

26 YEARS AGO — Original Creation

2001

First Book Published

"Trading For A Bright Future: Trading Beliefs For Trading Profits" (179 pages) documents the Market Makers Method in detail.

ISBN: 978-0954048303 | Home Gate Publications

2009

YouTube Education Begins

First YouTube video published: "How to not lose money in forex. Trade the market maker strategy." Video description identifies Martin as "the originator."

2010

ICT Begins Teaching Publicly

Inner Circle Trader (ICT) begins teaching AMD concepts publicly, eventually popularizing them worldwide.

11 YEARS after Martin created AMD

2011

Extensive Video Library

40+ videos published on "Learning To Trade The Market Makers Method" channel, teaching AMD framework in detail.

2017

Second Book Published

"How the market makers extract millions of dollars a day & How to grab your share" — available on Amazon.

2024

PAT AMD Indicator Launches

Professional Activity Tracker (PAT) launches on TradingView—the original AMD indicator, created by the person who invented AMD 25 years earlier.

Framework + Tool = Both from Martin Cole

Today

AMD Taught Worldwide

Dozens of platforms teach AMD. ICT has 100k+ followers. LuxAlgo and others offer "AMD indicators." But only PAT was created by the original source.

Category Reclamation

This isn't a rebrand. This is category reclamation. Martin Cole created AMD in 1999. PAT is the original AMD indicator—the framework and the tool, both from the creator.

The Proof

The AMD framework's 1999 origin is provable:

1999 Futures & Options World Magazine: 4-page spread featuring Martin's market maker framework (predates ICT by 11 years)
2001 Published Book: "Trading For A Bright Future" with ISBN (978-0954048303) documents the complete framework (predates ICT by 9 years)
2009 YouTube Video: First public video with description identifying Martin as "the originator"
2011 Video Library: 40+ educational videos on the Market Makers Method
2017 Second Book: Available on Amazon, documenting advanced AMD concepts

Why It Spread

In 2010, ICT (Inner Circle Trader) began teaching AMD publicly. He explained it brilliantly, built a massive following, and popularized the framework worldwide. ICT deserves immense credit for spreading AMD to hundreds of thousands of traders.

But here's what happened: as AMD spread, the origin story got lost. New traders learned AMD from ICT or his students. They assumed ICT created it. Platforms built "AMD indicators" without knowing the original source. The framework became generic.

That's what we're reclaiming.

Our Positioning with ICT

ICT teaches AMD brilliantly and spread it worldwide. Martin Cole created it in 1999. PAT visualizes it in real-time.

They're complementary: Learn from ICT. Trade with PAT.

We respect ICT's contribution to AMD education. We're not competing with him—we're reclaiming the origin story and offering the tool that visualizes what he teaches.

PAT = The Original AMD Indicator

There are many "AMD indicators" on TradingView today. LuxAlgo offers one. Various developers have built their interpretations. But only PAT was created by the person who invented AMD in 1999.

PAT isn't an interpretation of AMD. It's the original framework made visual:

The Floating Zone shows accumulation—underlying market sentiment as professional capital builds
Buffers reveal manipulation—where market makers test belief and trap retail traders
Whale Markers signal distribution (profit release)—when accumulated profits are released and price expands

Framework + Tool = Both from Martin Cole.

About Martin Cole

Martin Cole has been a professional trader since 1995—30 years of trading markets. He created the AMD framework in 1999 after studying how market makers engineer price movements through repeating cycles.

His first book, "Trading For A Bright Future" (2001), documented the Market Makers Method and introduced traders to structured, belief-based trading. His second book, "How the market makers extract millions of dollars a day" (2017), expanded on professional techniques for reading market structure.

In 2024, Martin launched PAT (Professional Activity Tracker) on TradingView—not as a new indicator, but as the visual implementation of the framework he created 25 years earlier.

Trade structure, not predictions. That's been Martin's philosophy since 1999. PAT is that philosophy made visual.

Learn the AMD Framework

Now that you know the origin story, dive into the framework itself:

What Is the AMD Indicator? — Complete framework explanation
Accumulation Phase — How market makers build positions
Manipulation Phase — How belief is tested and retail is trapped
Distribution (Profit Release) Phase — How accumulated profits are released
The Manual — Complete PAT walkthrough with real chart examples

The Original Market Makers Method