The word "Forex" is a combination of the words FOReign and EXchange. By volume, it is the largest financial market in the world, open 24 hours a day (although this is debatable to some extent as at times its volume is considerably reduced) with an ever-increasing daily turnover of more than the combined turnover of all the major markets around the world on any given day. It is a very liquid market and therefore ideal for investment and trading.

As we are talking about an OTC (Over the Counter) market, without a central liquidation process, the prices arise from the supply and demand negotiated. The Forex market therefore has no fixed exchange rate. Although the main agents are banks, trading platforms offering forex derivatives are being made increasingly available to individual investors.

The rise of Internet has led to the expansion of this market, allowing smaller spreads and simpler investment.