The FX Race to Zero

Abstract

This chapter traces how technological changes have affected the structure and operation of currency markets, and examines the issues associated with these developments. These changes have caused significant concern within the industry and raise complicated questions about whether additional regulation is necessary. Nevertheless, they have received relatively little theoretical or empirical attention in comparison to similar developments in equities markets. To address this gap, the chapter outlines the primary market structural issues in foreign exchange markets, including potentially abusive trading techniques, last look, and perverse incentives to monetize access to speed and information. Further, the chapter provides an example of a high frequency latency arbitrage opportunity and discusses the potential mitigating impact of a randomized delay mechanism. This is followed by an analysis of recent regulatory efforts to address these issues in the UK, the EU, and the US, in addition to a review of industry-led initiatives to establish best practices for algorithmic traders and venue operators. The chapter concludes by discussing key questions and constraints for future research.