The four forex sessions
Forex trades 24 hours a day from Sunday evening to Friday evening (New York time), passing through four financial centres. Each session runs roughly from 8:00 to 17:00 local time in its city.
| Session | Local hours | Most active pairs |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | 07:00–16:00 AEST/AEDT | AUDUSD, NZDUSD |
| Tokyo | 09:00–18:00 JST | USDJPY, AUDUSD |
| London | 08:00–17:00 GMT/BST | EURUSD, GBPUSD, XAUUSD |
| New York | 08:00–17:00 EST/EDT | EURUSD, USDCAD, US indices |
Best time to trade: the London–New York overlap
When London and New York are open at the same time (about 13:00–17:00 London time) volume and volatility peak. Spreads are usually tightest and most economic news from the US is released in this window.
The Asian session is quieter, which suits range strategies; Monday mornings and Friday evenings are often thin.
Weekend trading and crypto
Forex, gold and indices close on Friday at 17:00 New York time and reopen on Sunday at 17:00. Crypto markets trade 24/7. Some challenge types restrict weekend holding, so check the rules of your programme.