Ryze / Ryze Zones vs ICT
Ryze Zones vs ICT: is Ryze just ICT repackaged?
A lot of traders learned ICT first, so the first question about Ryze is usually "is this just ICT with a new name?" Straight answer: no. Here's where Bonka's sunrise zones come from, how they differ from ICT, where the two overlap, and who each one fits.
The short answer
"I didn't take ICT, reword it, and slap my name on it like every other 'mentor' out there. I built Ryze myself, from nothing."
Bonka, founder of The Ryze Network
ICT (The Inner Circle Trader) is the trading teaching of Michael J. Huddleston, shared widely for free on YouTube. It's known for concepts like order blocks, fair value gaps, liquidity sweeps and killzones.
Ryze Zones, also called sunrise zones, are levels built from each session's sunrise candle at the New York, London and Tokyo stock exchanges. They highlight where price may react or reverse. Bonka developed them over years, and The Ryze Network teaches them. More on the method in Ryze Zones explained.
Ryze Zones vs ICT, side by side
| Compare | ICT | Ryze |
|---|---|---|
| Built by | Michael J. Huddleston | Bonka (Bonkanomics) |
| Where levels come from | Many concepts: order blocks, liquidity, fair value gaps, time windows | Each session's sunrise candle in New York, London and Tokyo |
| Marking levels | Usually by hand, from your own read of the chart | The Ryze Indicator marks them for you |
| How it's taught | Mostly free videos and self-study | Daily classes, coaching and trade reviews in the Ryze Discord, all recorded |
| Cost | Free content online | Free community, or the Full Program from $150 a month |
Where they overlap
The zones are Bonka's own. Around them, Ryze members learn confluences, and some use terms ICT traders already know, like fair value gaps and SMT divergence. Ryze also lines up with plenty of other approaches: order flow traders use the zones too.
Bonka is upfront about what the zones are and aren't:
"We don't know why they work as well as they do. We just know they work really well, and we know the best way to make money off them."
Bonka
Who each one fits
ICT is working for you
Keep doing it. A strategy works when you have the stats and execute it consistently.
You want a non-ICT approach
Ryze gives you specific levels every session, marked for you, and daily classes with someone reviewing your trades.
Ryze vs ICT FAQ
Is Ryze just ICT repackaged?
No. Bonka built Ryze himself. Its levels come from each session's sunrise candle at the New York, London and Tokyo stock exchanges, not from resold ICT material.
Do I have to unlearn ICT to learn Ryze?
No. If you already know concepts like fair value gaps or SMT divergence, they still help. Ryze adds the sunrise zones as the levels you trade from.
Is Ryze a good ICT alternative?
For traders who want a non-ICT approach, Ryze is built on its own levels, marked for you by the Ryze Indicator and taught in daily classes in the Ryze Discord.
Can I learn Ryze for free?
You can start in the free Ryze community. The Full Program adds daily classes, coaching, trade reviews and the Ryze Indicator.