Currency trading definition

Currency trading is the practice of exchanging one currency for another to profit from changes in their relative value. It is also called forex trading or foreign exchange trading.

You trade currencies in pairs such as EUR/USD, GBP/USD, and USD/JPY, buying or selling a pair depending on whether you expect the base currency to gain or lose against the quote currency.

Currency trading responds to interest rates, inflation, central bank policy, economic data, political risk, trade flows, and sentiment. You manage the risk with position sizing, stop-loss orders, controlled leverage, and awareness of high-impact news. Most retail traders lose money trading leveraged products, so risk control matters more than any single trade.

Currency trading Example

You expect the euro to rise against the US dollar, so you buy EUR/USD at 1.0850 and set a stop-loss to cap the downside.

If EUR/USD rises to 1.0950, the euro has gained and you can close for a profit. If it hits your stop instead, you take a controlled loss.