What Are Exotic Currency Pairs?
New to forex trading? Read on to learn what exotic currency pairs are and understand the advantages and disadvantages of trading exotic pairs.
Updated November 13, 2023
Currency pairs are the national currencies of two countries, with the value of one currency quoted against the other on the foreign exchange (forex) marketplace.
There are three types of currency pairs: major, minor, and exotic. Majors are commonly traded pairs in the forex market (USD/CAD, EUR/USD), minors are less traded pairs (GBP/CAD, CHF/JPY), and exotics are advanced currencies traded against less developed ones (USD/TRY, EUR/HUF, or GBP/MXN).
Advantages of Trading Exotic Pairs
- Higher potential profit: While novice traders are better off avoiding exotic pairs, the more seasoned investors can spot many trends, whether they are day trading or swing trading.
- Interest rates: Since inflation is typically higher in developing markets, interest rates will be higher in these countries. This is crucial because higher rates generally mean greater interest accumulates on the currency invested.
» Ready to start trading CFDs? Open an account with Fortrade
Disadvantages of Trading Exotic Currency Pairs
- Higher spreads: The higher spreads in exotic pairs will mean that more capital will be required to trade.
- Liquidity issues: Because trading exotic currency pairs is not as popular as trading the major pairs, there is less liquidity floating around, making it more challenging to enter and exit a trade at your target price.
- Devaluation: Exotic pairs are vulnerable to significant changes in government policies without any warning, whether a central bank slashes interest rates or the country is in political upheaval. Depreciation risks are prevalent.
Related Articles

GER40 vs. GER30: How the Shift Affects the German DAX Index
Filip Dimkovski
October 5, 2023

5 Forex Day Trading Strategies: How to Stay Ahead of the Market
Andrew Moran
June 18, 2024

Open P&L vs. Day P&L: What Should You Focus On?
Marcel Deer
April 10, 2024

CBDC Explained: The Future of Digital Currencies
Andrew Moran
November 12, 2023

New to Derivative Trading? Here's 5 Things to Keep in Mind
Marcel Deer
November 22, 2023

