markets and technology built HFT and FAQ about HFT

Markets and technology built high frequency trading

Markets and technology built HFT (high frequency trading) into a stock market force when inside allies, dollars and power changed markets. Potent changes favored HFT over investors. Until then, most changes during the evolution of markets, had supported investors. But after HFT arrived, technology, dollars and power changed market priorities. The new priorities and technology, tilted markets against investors. To trace the technology evolution, see the infograph included in this lesson. It shows 4 centuries of technology evolution that made HFT possible.

What you learn from this lesson:
Markets and technology built HFT

Stock markets and technology built high frequency trading with the combination of evolving technology, money and power that favored HFT. That favorable treatment led markets to place investors at a disadvantage. As a result, favored HFT players became deeply embedding across 21st century stock markets. Now that favored position affects the wealth of every investor including those who have never heard of HFT. This lesson explains the technology evolution and the role that played helping establish and embed HFT in stock markets.

Frequently Asked Questions about Markets and technology built HFT

What drove the development of high frequency trading?

Deep financial pockets and technology developed high frequency trading to win the stock market race for profits. It was built to be the first to know, trade, buy, or sell.

It was inevitable once NASDAQ introduced electronic trading in 1983, and regulators accepted computer trading in 2000, which opened markets to high frequency trading.

As a result, trading, markets, and investing transformed when High frequency trading algorithms used advances in math, science, computer processing, and communication technologies.

One result was that trade execution times dropped from seconds to nanoseconds, which is well beyond the capabilities of humans.

The combination of technology and money means it is here to stay.

How did high frequency trading get established?

The endless race for profits, technology, and four centuries of stock market evolution created high frequency trading. While the lure of market riches and evolving technology made high frequency trading inevitable, it was huge fees that cemented it in place. Those fees, paid to regulators and exchange management's, ensured high frequency traders got the first privileged access to data as well as essential trading system changes. Made without prior notice to investors, those changes embedded the advantages of high frequency trading over every large or small investor. That stock market technology evolution is illustrated in the infographic included in the linked lesson.

How did high frequency trading start?

High frequency trading began in the evolution spurred by investors seeking speed and information advantages over other traders in the four centuries of stock market development. But the current era of high frequency trading began after electronic trading became an accepted part of markets. That development began the electronic and technology race for the fastest systems of communication and trade execution. Those systems, combined with cutting-edge programming, developed into high frequency trading systems. That use of technology changed markets and investing everywhere.

When did algo or algorithm trading begin?

Algo, algorithm, or computer trading began when NASDAQ introduced electronic trading in 1983. It started quietly but quickly spread in the following years as algorithms or math formulas controlled computerized buying, selling, or holding positions.

As each market enabled it, the technology spread across stock, currency, commodity, option contracts, and cryptocurrency markets.

Already established electronic trading, markets, investments, and investing changed with the introduction of algos. As a result, automated electronic trading systems progressed ever faster in the race for the fastest communication and execution technology.

That evolution accelerated through many steps to become high-frequency trading.

What value does high frequency trading provide to investors?

High frequency traders prey on market orders, spread misinformation, increase investor cost, all without investor benefits. High frequency traders pay high stock exchange fees for advantages like colocating servers with exchange trading engines, access to premium market data, and seeing investor orders. These advantages put high frequency traders ahead of all large and small investors! As well, the costs of upgrading exchange technology to cope with high frequency trading speeds and volume, are a tax on all investors. And the feeding frenzy high frequency trader volumes even earn exchange rebates with all benefits going to high frequency traders, exchanges, and even fee collecting regulators, leaving investors with the bill!

Centuries of evolving technology

Over 4 centuries, stock market technology evolved to deliver HFT. The unending drive for profits that powers stock markets combined with evolving technology to build HFT. That technology powered combination now spreads a layer of investor fleecing costs across markets. Investors, funds and markets bare the cost with proceeds going to HFT. The technology evolution that powers the scheme is illustrated on the infograph. It traces the evolution of the 3 key technologies essential for building HFT.

Those technologies are:

Communication

Calculation

Coding


The infograph uses images to represent the evolution of these technologies. The endless search for an advantage drove investors to those technologies. They chased profits by doing all they could to be first to get news or market data.

Better informed investors always move to the front of the profit line. Informed investors can buy or sell before others react or know and move prices. Seeking that information advantage continually drives markets to ever faster technologies. 

Communication technology evolved

The communication evolution shows European sailing ships racing overland traders to the Orient. Than carrier pigeons are the messengers bringing news of Napoleon’s defeat. Electricity, telegraph service and telephones follow as now messages approach light speed delivery!

Calculation technology evolution

Calculation evolution shows from tote board and abacus to computer and nanosecond processor. The progression of processing technology flows to join the other technologies.

Coding technology evolution

Coding evolution has from counting and formulas to deep learning and artificial intelligence. These developments also flow with the other technology streams.

Greed and speed feed the wealth race

The following timeline illustrates market events as a never ending race for wealth. Speed is money. Greed and speed, rather than fairness and stability, always drives markets. Events in the four centuries of markets show the history of seeking speed that brings us to the era of HFT.

Markets and technology built high frequency trading traced through 4 centuries - See Infographic

stock markets and evolving technology make HFT

Technology progressed until markets and technology built high frequency trading

From the beginning, innovative humans and technology progress, continued changing markets and investing. Development milestones over 400 years are listed below:

First 300 Years - 1602 - 1899 

  • 1602 - 1st stock market - Amsterdam funds sailors racing overland traders to the Orient 
  • 1792 - Dutch traders establish NYSE raising capital for ventures in the New World
  • 1815 - Rothschild grows wealth with carrier pigeon message of Napoleon's defeat 
  • 1850 - Paul Reuter uses carrier pigeons and telegraph to gather European news.
  • 1851 - Reuter opens London office delivering 1st European news
  • 1863 - London bound ships pitched U.S. news into Irish sea for telegraph news cast

20 Century - 1900 - 1999

  • 1971 - NASDAQ establishes electronic quotation system
  • 1983 - NASDAQ 1st electronic trade - Bloomberg real time price quotes
  • 1986 - London Stock Exchange 1st major market with electronic trading 
  • 1992 - CME adds Globex electronic trading to options and futures markets 
  • 1995 - High Frequency Trading volume 0
  • 1997 - Toronto Stock Exchange goes electronic 
  • 1998 - SEC authorizes computerized trading 

21 Century 

  • 2000 - High Frequency Trading less than 10% of trades 
  • 2005 - High Frequency Trading more than 33% of trades 
  • 2007 - ICE Intercontinental Exchange begins electronic options trading 
  • 2008 - ICE futures contracts become fully electronic 
  • 2009 - SEC mandates decimal trading to end fractional prices 
  • 2009 - High Frequency Trading 1 : 2 trades
  • 2010 - Flash Crash - high frequency trading drops $4 billion market value from NYSE
  • 2010 - High Frequency Trading exceeds half the total market
  • 2011 - Nanosecond (billionths of a second) trade execution achieved
  • 2012 - Dataminr generates trades from social media data
  • 2012 - Social media news 54 minutes ahead of conventional news reports
  • 2012 - ICE goes 100% electronic closing option pits
  • 2012 - High Frequency Trading exceeds 70% of U.S. equity trades
  • 2012 - Computer chip executes a HFT transaction in 74 nanoseconds! 
  • 2013 - Faster microwave messages replace fiber optic for HFT  
  • 2013 - Italy taxes HFT 0.002% 
  • 2013 - SEC and CFTC ban social media financial announcement  
  • 2014 - One day HFT plunge and surge of U.S. Treasury 10 year note prices 
  • 2017 - Solarflare achieves 20 nanosecond trade time 
  • 2017 - Cryptocurrency bitcoin trading grows to 80% HFT 
  • 2019 - ICE building a 3 millisecond delay for gold and silver daily futures trades

Now You Know:
Markets and technology built HFT

You know, stock markets and technology built high frequency trading with the combination of evolving technology, money and power that favored HFT. Because HFT got favorable treatment in markets, investors have been placed at a disadvantage. one result of favoring HFT, this stock market change has been deeply embedded across 21st century stock markets.

Now well established in markets those changes affect the wealth of every investor including those who have never heard of HFT. The explanation of how the technology evolution got HFT established and embeded in stock markets. The lesson is from the Ultimate Guide To Stock Market Investing Success by White Top Investor.

You also know the answer to the question:
When did HFT begin and how did it get extablished?

Paragraph 2 the answer reworded here omitting the course and lesson names and numbers.

HFT evolved once electronics and computers infiltrated stock markets. It began in major markets when NASDAQ first introduced electronic trading in 1983. After that, in 2000, the SEC accepted computer trading opening the doors to HFT. As the technology evolution continued, execution times fell from several seconds in a rapid decline to billionths of a second. That cutting edge technology progressed to make HFT an established factor across markets. 

Such an outcome was inevitable once stock markets met the evolving technology. And it was the technology evolution that changed markets. Until then, most stock market developments benefited investors. But HFT, money and power flashed past investors when markets were radically changed! Those changes are illustrated on the included infographic. That infographic traces the 4 centuries of increaseing speed and evolving technology.

In addition you know these lesson takeaways from, Markets and technology built HFT:

Markets and technology built HFT into a stock market force when inside allies, dollars and power changed markets. Potent changes favored HFT over investors. Until then, most changes during the evolution of markets, had supported investors. But after HFT arrived, technology, dollars and power changed market priorities. The new priorities and technology, tilted markets against investors. To trace the technology evolution, see the infograph included in this lesson. It shows 4 centuries of technology evolution that made HFT possible.

  • HFT become established because 3 related technologies evolved
    Communications - Calculation - Coding all underwent significant developments
  • HFT technology combines the latest communication, calculation and coding
  • First with information has the profit making advantage
  • Communication technology evolved from carrier pigeons to near light speed
  • Calculating evolved from fingers and tote boards to nanosecond processors. 
  • Coding grew from finger counting to Artificial Intelligence 
  • HFT grows, seeps and embeds into virtually all markets.
  • Technology evolves to become a faceless, nameless HFT fleecing machine. 
  • HFT can clip investors, funds and markets. 
  • HFT clips money from trades across markets. 
  • HFT money flow spews into the pockets of the HFT wizards. 
  • HFT benefit wizards and insides not investors or funds. 
  • Understanding HFT power prepares us to deal with it. 
  • To keep more money in your pocket learn to deal with HFT. 
  • Lessons in this course teaches the knowledge and skills needed to deal with HFT.

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High frequency trading explained, lesson links:

Introducing high frequency trading explained Lesson 1

Racing for profits drives high frequency trading Lesson 2

Markets and technology built HFT Lesson 3

Technology powers high frequency trading Lesson 4

High frequency trading secrets exposed! Lesson 5

Laws and ethics beat investors Lesson 6

Market management burns investors Lesson 7

High frequency trader 3-Way ambush Lesson 8

Fair and foul high frequency trading Lesson 9

High frequency trading strategies, risks and regulations Lesson 10

Misinformation myths of high frequency trading Lesson 11

Markets technology and laws respond to high frequency trading Lesson 12

Investors deal with high frequency trading Lesson 13

FAQ about high frequency trading

Next lesson 4: Technology powers high frequency trading

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