Major pairs

Major pairs consist of the US dollar (USD) paired with other highly liquid currencies: EUR, JPY, GBP, AUD, CAD, CHF, and NZD. Examples include EUR/USD, USD/JPY, and GBP/USD. These pairs represent the largest share of daily forex trading volume due to the economic significance of the issuing countries. Their high liquidity typically results in tighter spreads and more efficient price discovery.

For retail traders, major pairs often present lower trading costs because their high liquidity leads to narrower bid-ask spreads. This can mean a smaller effective transaction cost per trade compared to other currency pairs. Their deep markets also tend to reduce the risk of significant slippage during volatile periods. This makes them a common starting point for new traders.