Que es Forex y Como Funciona: Complete 2025 Trading Guide

Ever wondered how the value of your money changes when you travel abroad？ You've already joined the world's largest financial market.

　　The Foreign Exchange (Forex or FX) market is where people trade currencies. It runs 24 hours a day, five days a week and powers global trade and investment.

　　This guide will help you understand exactly que es forex y como funciona (what Forex is and how it works). We will then show you a clear path for como invertir en forex (how to invest in Forex) safely.

　　Here is what you will learn:

• What the Forex market is and why its size matters.
• The basic mechanics of how trading works.
• How to start trading, step by step.
• Key risk management rules to protect your money.

　　

What Is Forex？

　　

The Market Explained

　　Think of the Forex market as a giant global auction. There is no central building like a stock market.

　　Instead, it works through a network of banks, companies, and individual traders. Currencies are bought and sold online, creating a market where values change every second.

　　

Unprecedented Market Scale

　　The size of the Forex market is huge. So, cuanto mueve el mercado de forex al dia？ (how much does the forex market move per day？).

　　According to the 2022 survey from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS), daily trading reached $7.5 trillion. This massive volume means you can almost always buy or sell major currencies instantly.

　　You can find more details in the official BIS survey report.

　　

Main Market Players

　　The market includes many different types of traders. Each plays an important role.

• Central Banks: Groups like the U.S. Federal Reserve or European Central Bank trade to manage their currency and control policy.
• Major Commercial Banks: These form the core of Forex trading. They handle trades for clients and also trade with their own money.
• Multinational Corporations: Companies like Apple or Toyota trade currencies to pay for goods in other countries.
• Investment Managers & Hedge Funds: These groups trade large amounts to make profits or reduce risks.
• Retail Traders: This includes people like you who trade on a smaller scale through a broker.

　　

Core Trading Mechanics

　　This section explains the basics of como funciona forex, from theory to what you'll see on a trading screen. Understanding these ideas is key to learning forex trading como funciona.

　　

Understanding Currency Pairs

　　Every Forex trade involves buying one currency while selling another. This is why currencies come in pairs.

　　The first currency is the "base" currency. The second is the "quote" currency.

Category	Description	Examples
Major Pairs	Include the USD and another major currency. Very liquid.	EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY
Minor Pairs	Major currencies that don't include the USD.	EUR/GBP, EUR/JPY, AUD/CAD
Exotic Pairs	A major currency paired with one from a smaller economy.	USD/MXN, EUR/TRY, JPY/NOK

　　

Reading a Quote

　　The forex tipo de cambio (Forex exchange rate) always shows two prices: the bid and the ask.

　　Let's use an example: EUR/USD = 1.0850/1.0852.

　　The first number, 1.0850, is the "bid" price. This is the price at which you can sell euros.

　　The second number, 1.0852, is the "ask" price. This is the price at which you can buy euros.

　　The small difference between these prices is called the "spread." This is how brokers make money.

　　

What is a "Pip"？

　　A "pip" is the smallest standard unit of change in a currency pair's price. For most pairs, a pip is the fourth decimal place (0.0001).

　　If EUR/USD moves from 1.0850 to 1.0851, it has moved one pip. For pairs with the Japanese Yen (JPY), a pip is the second decimal place (0.01).

　　Pips measure your profit or loss. If you buy EUR/USD at 1.0850 and sell at 1.0900, you've made 50 pips profit.

　　

Lots, Leverage, and Margin

　　"Lots" refer to the size of your trade.

• Standard Lot: 100,000 units of the base currency.
• Mini Lot: 10,000 units of the base currency.
• Micro Lot: 1,000 units of the base currency.

　　Leverage lets you control a large position with a small amount of money. It's like a loan from your broker.

　　With 100:1 leverage, you can control a $100,000 position with just $1,000. This money you put up is called "margin."

　　Leverage increases both possible profits and losses. It can be very risky for new traders.

　　

The Global Clock

　　

Four Major Sessions

　　The Forex market runs 24 hours a day because of different time zones and trading sessions. The four main sessions are:

• Sydney
• Tokyo
• London
• New York

　　

Why Session Overlaps Matter

　　The busiest trading times happen when sessions overlap. This is when prices move the most, creating more trading chances.

　　The biggest overlap is between London and New York. A huge amount of trading happens during this four-hour window.

Session	Overlap with Next Session	Key Characteristics
Sydney	Tokyo	Quieter start to the week
Tokyo	London	Focus on Asian pairs like JPY, AUD
London	New York	Highest volume and price movement
New York	(Closes the trading day)	High volume, reacts to US news

　　

Strategic Timing

　　Understanding the horario mercado forex (Forex market hours) helps with your trading decisions. If you like fast-moving markets, you might focus on the London/New York overlap.

　　If you prefer slower markets or trade pairs like AUD/JPY, the Asian session might work better for you.

　　

Your Step-by-Step Guide

　　Here is a practical plan for how to start trading. This is como invertir en forex broken down into simple steps.

　　

Step 1: Choose a Broker

　　This is your most important decision. Your broker must be trustworthy and regulated by a respected authority.

　　Look for regulation from groups like the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), or the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). You can check a broker's status on the regulator's website, like the FCA Register.

　　Also compare their costs, trading platforms, and customer support.

　　

Step 2: Open Your Account

　　Opening an account is usually simple. You'll need to provide ID (like a passport) and proof of address (like a utility bill) to comply with rules.

　　Then you'll fund your account. Most brokers offer several payment methods, including bank transfer, credit card, or e-wallets.

　　

Step 3: Develop a Plan

　　Never trade without a plan. A trading plan is like a business plan that guides your decisions.

　　Your plan should define what currencies you'll trade, when you'll trade, and your strategy for entering and exiting trades. It must include risk management rules.

　　

Step 4: Use a Demo Account

　　A demo account uses fake money in a real market. This step is essential.

　　Before risking real money, spend time on a demo account. You can make mistakes without losing actual cash.

　　Take your demo account seriously. Use it to test your trading plan until you can follow your strategy consistently.

　　

Step 5: Your First Live Trade

　　Once you're making consistent profits on a demo account, you can try trading with real money. Start small.

　　Place your first trades using the smallest position size, a micro lot (0.01). This lets you experience real trading with minimal risk.

　　

Anatomy of a First Trade

　　Let's walk through an example trade to see how all these concepts work together.

　　

The Trading Idea

　　Let's say based on recent economic news, we think the Euro will strengthen against the US Dollar. We believe the EUR/USD rate will rise, so we decide to "buy" the pair.

　　

Setting Up the Trade

　　We'll define every aspect of the trade before entering. This is key to disciplined trading.

• Pair: EUR/USD
• Action: Buy
• Position Size: 1 Micro Lot (0.01)
• Entry Price: 1.0850
• Stop-Loss Order: 1.0820 (Limits our potential loss to 30 pips)
• Take-Profit Order: 1.0910 (Sets our potential profit target at 60 pips)

　　Our potential reward (60 pips) is twice our potential risk (30 pips). This gives us a risk/reward ratio of 1:2.

　　

The Outcome & Analysis

　　Two main outcomes can happen, and both are controlled. If the market drops to 1.0820, our stop-loss closes the trade for a small, planned loss.

　　If the market rises to 1.0910, our take-profit order closes the trade for a planned profit. The most important part isn't whether we win or lose this trade.

　　It's the process. By setting our risk and reward upfront, we've removed emotion and made a business decision.

　　

Risk & Strategy

　　Good trading is more about managing risk than making big wins. Protecting your money is your most important job.

　　

The Golden Rule

　　The most important risk rule is to risk only a small percentage of your trading money on any single trade. Professionals typically follow the 1-2% rule.

　　This means if you have a $2,000 account, don't risk more than $20 to $40 on one trade. This ensures a string of losses won't wipe out your account.

　　

Intro to Analysis

　　There are two main ways to analyze markets for trading opportunities.

• Fundamental Analysis: Looking at economic data, interest rates, political events, and central bank policies to determine where currencies might go.
• Technical Analysis: Studying price charts to find patterns and trends. Traders use indicators and chart patterns to predict future price movements.

　　Many traders use both approaches together.

　　

Common Beginner Mistakes

　　Avoiding common mistakes can greatly improve your chances of success.

• Using too much leverage: This is the fastest way to lose all your money.
• Emotional Trading: Letting fear or greed control your actions instead of your plan.
• Revenge Trading: Jumping back into the market after a loss to try and "win back" your money.
• Trading Without a Stop-Loss: This is like driving without brakes and very dangerous.

　　

Your Journey Begins

　　You now understand que es forex y como funciona and have learned about currency pairs, pips, leverage, market hours, and the steps for como invertir en forex.

　　Remember that successful trading takes time to learn. It's a business built on education, discipline, and risk management.

　　Your journey starts now. Open a demo account, use what you've learned, and take your first careful step into the world's largest financial market.