We use a range of cookies to give you the best possible browsing experience. By continuing to use this website, you agree to our use of cookies. You can view our cookie policy and edit your settings here, or by following the link at the bottom of any page on our site.
Exchange definition
An exchange is a marketplace where financial instruments – such as commodities, stocks, or derivatives – are traded. They can be either physical, like the New York Stock Exchange, or purely digital like a bitcoin exchange.
By centralising the buying and selling of a particular instrument, exchanges aim to make trading fair for all and as efficient as possible. The rise of electronic trading has led to huge progress in efficiency, and also changed the way that exchanges work in a major way.
Stock exchanges will have requirements for any businesses seeking to get listed. Most traders will not deal directly with exchanges: instead placing trades via a broker.
Visit our shares trading education section
For more on what you need to know as a stock trader, take a look at the shares trading education section.
Contact us
Our helpdesk is open 24 hours a day from 9am Saturday to 11pm Friday.
