The foreign exchange market is unique because of the following characteristics:

• Its huge trading volume representing the largest asset class in the world leading to high liquidity
• Its geographical dispersion
• Its continuous operation: 24 hours a day except weekends, i.e., trading from 22:00 GMT on Sunday (Sydney) until 22:00 GMT Friday (New York)
• The variety of factors that affect exchange rates
• The low margins of relative profit compared with other markets of fixed income
• The use of leverage to enhance profit and loss margins and with respect to account size

As such, it has been referred to as the market closest to the ideal of perfect competition, notwithstanding currency intervention by central banks.