The map of markets

One auction, many arenas

Forex (FX), currencies traded in pairs (EUR/USD, GBP/JPY…). The largest market on Earth: roughly $7.5 trillion per day, open 24 hours from Monday to Friday because trading follows the sun, Sydney → Tokyo → London → New York. Deep liquidity, tiny spreads, and the market where most retail traders start.

Stocks, ownership shares of companies (Apple, Tesla…). Driven by earnings, growth and sentiment. Open only during exchange hours, which creates gaps: price can jump overnight on news while the market is closed. Indices (S&P 500, Nasdaq 100…) bundle many stocks into one number, you trade the *whole market's* mood instead of one company's story.

Commodities, real stuff: gold, oil, wheat, copper. Driven by physical supply and demand: weather, wars, OPEC decisions, mining output. Gold (XAU/USD) doubles as a fear barometer, when investors panic, they run to it. Crypto, the newest arena: open 24/7/365, extremely volatile, where a 10% day is ordinary. Opportunity and danger scale together.

• Every market has a personality: hours, volatility, what drives it.
• FX = sessions & macro · stocks = earnings & gaps · commodities = physical supply · crypto = sentiment & 24/7.
• Professionals master one arena first. Drifting between markets without a reason is a beginner pattern.