Currencies with high liquidity have a ready market and therefore exhibit smooth and predictable price action in response to external events. The U.S. dollar is the most traded currency in the world. It features in six of the seven currency pairs with the most liquidity in the markets. Currencies with low liquidity, however, cannot be traded in large lot sizes without significant market movement being associated with the price. Such currencies generally belong to developing countries. When they are paired with the currency of a developed country, an exotic pair is formed. For example, a pairing of the U.S. dollar with India’s rupee (USD/INR) is considered an exotic pair.

Forex trade regulation depends on the jurisdiction. Countries like the United States have sophisticated infrastructure and markets to conduct forex trades. Hence, forex trades are tightly regulated there by the National Futures Association (NFA) and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). However, due to the heavy use of leverage in forex trades, developing countries like India and China have restrictions on the firms and capital to be used in forex trading. Europe is the largest market for forex trades. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is responsible for monitoring and regulating forex trades in the United Kingdom.

Forex markets are among the most liquid markets in the world. Hence, they tend to be less volatile than other markets, such as real estate. The volatility of a particular currency is a function of multiple factors, such as the politics and economics of its country. Therefore, events like economic instability in the form of a payment default or imbalance in trading relationships with another currency can result in significant volatility.