Although they have evolved into liquidity providers, they have still remained in the gray zone, where they take all the risks by trading against you instead of sending your orders to the real market.

I’d like to introduce you to FIX API so that by the end of this article, you will have learned what FIX API is and how it can help you as a trader. Typically, ordinary retail traders use or accounts, or perhaps cTrader or NinjaTrader. None of these are ideal. When an order is sent, say, from an terminal, it will be sent to an server through a protocol created by – a protocol that leaves much to be desired. For one, it is slow, which creates a delay while the order is being transmitted. Also, if you’re in the A-book (i.e., you’re trading on the forex market), the order will be sent through a bridge that connects the server and the liquidity provider – and that is the best-case scenario. In the worst-case scenario, there will be a few more intermediaries along the way.

What is FIX API?

The Financial Information eXchange (FIX) protocol is an international communications protocol for electronic trading. It has been developed in order to improve communication between market participants.

If you have a trading system or a robot that requires fast order execution (e.g., a scalping robot or a robot for trading the news), FIX API is the way to go. FIX API gives the trader access to real-time quotes and market depth as well as the ability to submit market and limit orders via protected communication channels.