About Forex


The Foreign Exchange (FOREX) market is a cash (or “spot”) interbank market established in 1971 when floating exchange rates began to materialize. This market is the arena in which the currency of one country is exchanged for those of another and where settlements for international business are made.                                        

The Forex market is called an 'Interbank' market due to the fact that historically it has been dominated by banks, including central banks, commercial banks, and investment banks. However, the percentage of other market participants is rapidly growing, and now includes large multinational corporations, global money managers, registered dealers, international money brokers, futures and options traders, and private speculators.

The Forex is a group of approximately 4500 currency trading institutions, including international banks, government central banks and commercial companies. The foreign exchange market is the largest financial market in the world, with the equivalent of over $1.9 trillion changing hands daily; more than three times the aggregate amount of the US Equity and Treasury markets combined. Unlike other financial markets, the Forex market has no physical location and no central exchange. It operates through a global network of banks, corporations and individuals trading one currency for another. The lack of a physical exchange enables the Forex market to operate on a 24-hour basis, spanning from one zone to another in all the major financial centers.