STRUCTURE OF THE FOREX MARKET

　　The Forex market is a textbook example of a perfect market built by humans. A market is defined as any location where buyers and sellers come together. When there are numerous buyers and sellers, and they are all aware of who has the best prices, perfect competition is accomplished. Consider ordering your favorite pizza for the greatest price and having it delivered in less than a second. That is what the forex trading market is capable of, despite the fact that it solely deals with currency exchange.

　　MARKET CONCENTRATION

　　When we have a single seller, whether it is a bank or a pizza restaurant, they may set the price to whatever they see suitable and even manipulate it at their leisure. This is a centralized market. Obviously, unless you are the one making the decisions, a centralized market is not advantageous for you. The good news is that the forex market is now decentralized; thus, let us examine the structure of this dynamic market.

　　PARTICIPANTS IN THE FOREX MARKET – DECENTRALIZED MARKET STRUCTURE

　　With the technological revolution, the Forex market structure was reorganized, and it is now an even more efficient market. The Spot Forex market is decentralized, which means no one or centralized player controls the market. Furthermore, because so many people influence the price of a currency pair, there is no one price for a given currency at any given time. Because quotes from various currency dealers differ, the price you see when trading is the retail price, which is determined by matching your buy or sell request with the best price provided in the liquidity pool.

　　While this may appear chaotic, the forex market is well organized and may be compared to layers or ladder rungs where each player seeks counterparties. The large banks are at the top of the ladder, while retail dealers are at the bottom. Let's take a look at what's available on each rung of the forex market structure.

　　THE INTERBANK MARKET

　　Banks in the Interbank Market want to deal with large amounts of FX and are seeking for those who can match their capacity requirements. Of course, this is when other banks enter the picture. This is the interbank market layer of the forex market structure, and it is located at the very top of the ladder. This layer's players trade directly with one another or through electronic or voice brokers such as Reuters Matching and EBS (Electronic Brokering Services). These brokers fiercely compete with one another in order to provide the greatest prices, which can only be obtained when you are linked to a bigger number of interested parties. More parties equal more liquidity, which equals lower interest rates. As a result, some currency pairings are more liquid with one broker than another.

　　It's also worth noting that while all banks in the interbank market may see the rates that each other is providing, it doesn't guarantee that any of them can make trades at those rates. Other considerations, such as reputation and credit status, come into play here.

　　THE INSTITUTIONAL SECTOR

　　Under the interbank market, the next rung of the ladder is occupied by hedge funds, retail market maker brokers, ECN brokers, and other financial institutions that are unable to establish credit agreements with the large banks and, as a result, must interact with commercial banks. This serves as a link in the forex market system between the interbank market and retail traders. While still giving better rates than retail traders, the rates offered here are somewhat higher and more costly when compared to interbank rates.

　　RETAIL INDUSTRY

　　The retail dealers are at the bottom of the food chain. Retail traders were formerly unable to engage in the forex market; now, owing to electronic trading, retail brokers, and the internet, even the average individual may now trade currency pairs with ease. Retail traders may not always obtain the best prices when compared to interbank markets, but in the struggle for clients, assisted by technology, major reputed brokers can give spreads and circumstances that put retail traders on level with the larger banks.