Market Participants

Every second, vastly different participants are active in the market, from beginner retail traders to central banks. Each has its own goals, tools, and degree of influence. Once you understand who is on the other side of your order, market movements stop feeling random.

Retail Traders

That means you. A retail trader trades using their own money through a standard account with a broker or exchange.

Key characteristics of this group:

• Capital ranging from a few thousand to a few hundred thousand dollars
• Accounting for just 5–10% of total volume
• Decisions are often driven by fear and greed
• Information comes from public sources: news, charts, and social media

Having a smaller account also has an advantage: you can enter and exit a position without moving the price. A fund managing a billion dollars cannot do that.