What is Major Pairs?

The most-traded currency pairs, all involving the US dollar — EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY and their peers.

The major pairs are the handful of most-traded currency pairs in the world, and every one of them includes the US dollar on one side: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, USD/CHF, AUD/USD, USD/CAD and NZD/USD. Together they account for the large majority of global forex volume. Their popularity is self-reinforcing — enormous volume creates deep liquidity, deep liquidity creates tight spreads and clean price movement, and that attracts still more volume from banks, funds and retail traders alike.

For a developing trader, majors are the sensible home base. Spreads are often under one pip during active sessions, technical levels are respected more reliably because so many participants watch the same charts, and news affecting them is abundant and free. Exotic pairs can look tempting because they move dramatically, but wide spreads and thin liquidity quietly tax every single trade you take on them. Most professional curricula, ours included, are taught almost entirely on the major pairs and gold.