Forex market dashboard
Currency pairs at a glance
This dashboard brings together exchange rates for major, minor and exotic currency pairs. Here's how the pairs are grouped and what the reference rates shown on this page do and don't represent.
36 pairs shown
Rates are derived from the ECB euro reference rates (published once per TARGET working day around 16:00 CET). They are not live, executable quotes — your broker's bid/ask will differ. Change is versus the previous published reference date.
Reference rate vs live quote
A reference rate is a once-a-day snapshot published by a central bank for information and accounting. A live quote is a dealer's continuously changing bid and ask price at which you can actually trade.
Where the numbers come from
The European Central Bank publishes euro rates for around 30 currencies; we retrieve them through the open-source Frankfurter API and derive cross rates via the US dollar. If the source is down we show the last known value, clearly flagged, or nothing at all.
Put a rate to work
Open any pair for a historical chart and specification, then size a trade with the position size calculator or value a move with the pip calculator.
Beyond forex
Other markets
Educational explainers with data where a legitimate free source exists.
The forex market in brief
The foreign exchange market is where currencies are exchanged. It is the largest financial market in the world, with average turnover of more than $7 trillion per day, according to the BIS 2022 Triennial Survey. Trading happens over the counter through a global network of banks, dealers, brokers and electronic platforms rather than on a single exchange, and it runs around the clock on weekdays. See Forex Market Hours for session times.
Currencies are always traded in pairs. In EUR/USD, the euro is the base currency and the US dollar is the quote currency; the price shows how many dollars one euro buys. For a full introduction, read What is forex? and How currency pairs work.
How pairs are grouped
Majors
Major currency pairs pair the US dollar with another heavily traded currency. They are generally the most liquid pairs, with the tightest spreads.
| Pair | Nickname |
|---|---|
| EUR/USD | Fiber |
| USD/JPY | Gopher |
| GBP/USD | Cable |
| USD/CHF | Swissie |
| AUD/USD | Aussie |
| USD/CAD | Loonie |
| NZD/USD | Kiwi |
Minors (crosses)
Minor pairs, also called cross currency pairs, combine two major currencies without the US dollar. Examples include EUR/GBP, EUR/JPY, GBP/JPY and AUD/NZD. Some, such as EUR/GBP, are very actively traded; others are less liquid than the majors and may have wider spreads.
Exotics
An exotic currency pair combines a major currency with the currency of a smaller or emerging economy, such as USD/TRY, USD/ZAR, USD/MXN or EUR/PLN. Exotics often have wider spreads, lower liquidity and larger, less predictable moves, and some can be affected by capital controls or sudden policy changes.
What the reference rates on this page are
Rates on this dashboard come from the euro foreign exchange reference rates published by the European Central Bank, retrieved via the Frankfurter API. The ECB publishes these once per working day, around 16:00 CET. Each rate states how many units of a currency one euro buys; rates between two other currencies are derived as cross rates.
It's important to understand what these numbers are:
- They are reference rates, not trading quotes. You cannot buy or sell at them. A broker quotes a bid price and an ask price that change continuously.
- They are a daily snapshot. Markets keep moving after publication, so the live market can differ noticeably.
- They don't update on weekends or TARGET holidays. The page shows the latest published day.
- The currency list is limited to those the ECB publishes, so many exotic currencies may not appear.
Reference rates are useful for comparison, education, accounting estimates and as inputs for our calculators.
A worked example: deriving a cross rate
Illustrative rates: EUR/USD = 1.0850 and EUR/GBP = 0.8600.
GBP/USD = EUR/USD ÷ EUR/GBP = 1.0850 ÷ 0.8600 = 1.2616 (rounded)
This is how the dashboard can show pairs that the ECB doesn't publish directly. The Currency Converter uses the same approach.
Using the dashboard with other tools
- Check the size of a move in money terms with the Pip Calculator.
- Compare the dollar's broad direction with the Dollar Index.
- See upcoming central bank meetings on the Economic Calendar.
- Practice on historical data in the Trading Simulator.
Risks
Currency trading, especially with leverage, carries a substantial risk of loss. Exchange rates can move sharply on news, and spreads can widen in quiet or volatile conditions. The information on this page is for education and reference only and is not a recommendation to trade any currency.