Forex market scope

The Breton Woods Agreement was initiated in 1944 in an effort to keep cash from draining out of war-ravaged Europe. Currency values were pegged to the U.S. Dollar, which was then pegged to the price of gold. The modern era of foreign exchange first emerged in 1971 with the collapse of the Bretton Woods Agreement. The U.S. Dollar was no longer convertible into gold, signaling an increase in currency market volatility and trading opportunities.
The collapse in 1973 of the subsequent Smithsonian and European Joint Float agreements signaled the true beginning of the free-floating currency exchange system that drives the markets today. Starting in the 1980’s, computer technology extended the reach of the exchange marketplace. Today, the values of the major world currencies are independent of each other, with intervention available to the states only through the central banking system.

Foreign Exchange Markets – size and scope
The foreign exchange market dwarfs the combined operations of the New York, London, and Tokyo futures and stock exchanges. Daily turnover on the spot market is approximately US$1.5 trillion per day.
Spot transactions and forward outright FX trading takes place in the inter-bank market. 51% of the market is in spot FX transactions, followed by 32% in currency swap transactions. Forward outright FX transactions represent another 5% of this daily turnover. Options on inter-bank FX transactions making up another 8%. Therefore the inter-bank market accounts for 96% of the global foreign exchange market, with the remaining 4% being divided among all the global futures exchanges.

The role of Forex in the Global Economy
Over time, the foreign exchange market has been an invisible hand that guides the sale of goods, services and raw materials on every corner of the globe. The forex market was created by necessity. Traders, bankers, investors, importers and exporters recognized the benefits of hedging risk, or speculating for profit. The fascination with this market comes from its sheer size, complexity and almost limitless reach of influence.
The market has its own momentum, follows its own imperatives, and arrives at its own conclusions. These conclusions impact the value of all assets -it is crucial for every individual or institutional investor to have an understanding of the foreign exchange markets and the forces behind this ultimate free-market system.
Inter-bank currency contracts and options, unlike futures contracts, are not traded on exchanges and are not standardized. Banks and dealers act as principles in these markets, negotiating each transaction on an individual basis. Forward "cash" or "spot" trading in currencies is substantially unregulated - there are no limitations on daily price movements or speculative positions.