Markets of the world

How India, the US, Japan, crypto, forex and commodities differ in hours, instruments, lot sizes, circuit breakers, costs, taxes and regulators.

1. One world, many marketsStocks, currencies, coins and commodities trade in different places with different rules, but the same kind of chart works for all of them.
2. Opening bells around the worldWhen Tokyo is closing, Europe is waking up, so the trading day travels around the planet.
3. India: NSE and BSEIn India, shares trade on NSE and BSE from 9:15 until about 3:30, and SEBI is the referee.
4. United States: stocks, ETFs and extended hoursUS stocks trade mainly from 9:30 to 4:00 New York time, with thinner trading before and after.
5. Japan: Tokyo's two sessionsTokyo trades in a morning and an afternoon session with a lunch break, and shares usually come in units of 100.
6. Crypto: the market that never sleepsCrypto trades every minute of every day on many different platforms, so there is no closing bell and no single price.
7. Forex: pairs, pips and sessionsA currency pair shows how much of the second currency buys one unit of the first, and a pip is a tiny standard step used to measure its moves.
8. Commodities: futures, contract sizes and expiryA commodity future is a deal for a fixed amount of something, like 1,000 barrels of oil, on a set future date.
9. Lot sizes comparedOne unit means very different amounts in different markets, so check what one lot is worth before you trade.
10. Circuit breakers and price limitsWhen prices fall too fast some markets hit pause, but not every market has a pause button.
11. The real cost of a tradeEvery trade has a price tag, even when an app says zero commission.
12. Who holds your asset: settlement and custodyAfter you buy, it takes a little time for the asset to become officially yours, and someone has to keep it safe.
13. Basic tax awarenessProfits can be taxed, and how much depends on your country, how long you held and what you traded, so always check the current rules.
14. Who watches the market: regulators and safetyRegulators are the referees of the market, so only use platforms and advisers that are registered with them.
15. Leverage rules around the worldThe same trade can allow lots of borrowed money in one country and very little in another, because each country protects beginners differently.
16. Opens, closes and weekend gapsMarkets that close can jump when they reopen, so the open and the weekend are special moments on the chart.