The latest BIS data show not only that the foreign exchange market is large, but also what it is used for. Outright forwards—that is, contracts through which market participants lock in future exchange rates—reached an average daily volume of 1.8 trillion U.S. dollars in April 2025. Their share of global FX turnover rose to 19%, up from 15% in 2022.
Options More Than Doubled—A Clear Signal
At the same time, the volume of FX options has more than doubled compared to 2022 and now accounts for 7% of the total market. While FX swaps remain the largest segment at around 4 trillion U.S. dollars per day, the strong growth in forwards and options in particular signals one thing very clearly: the need for hedging, planning certainty, and flexible currency management is increasing.
Hedging is therefore not a defensive, peripheral activity, but rather a core function of international financial activity that is growing at a measurable rate.
Rising demand for hedging plays right into the hands of the 1000FTAD software, because it maps out hedging in a structured, fast, and software-based way.
