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Forex glossary

Base Currency

In a currency pair, the base currency is the first one named and the unit being bought or sold. In EURUSD, the euro is the base and the quote tells you how much of the second currency one euro is worth. If you buy EURUSD you hold euros and are short dollars; if you sell it you are short euros and long dollars.

Related term

Quote Currency

The quote currency is the second currency in a pair and the one the price is expressed in. In EURUSD at 1.0850, the US dollar is the quote currency and one euro…

Spotted an error or a missing nuance?

Definitions are written by us and corrected when we are told we are wrong. If your broker quotes differently — especially on gold — say so and we will record the assumption.