A long time ago, our markets had to close at night — but these days, many traders don’t want to sleep either. Let’s take a look at the numbers: 24 hours per day times 5 days a week equals 120 hours (24 × 5) of trading time, 24 hours a day times 7 days a week equals 168 hours (24 × 7) of trading time. Subtracting 120 from 168 gives you an extra 48 hours of possible trading in total.
This represents an average increase of approximately 40% more time for all traders to trade every week. An extra 48 hours equals nearly 2 additional full days of market access in highly volatile global markets — so this isn’t just a mere increase: it’s revolutionary!
Modern multi-asset trading platforms make this possible makes this possible by enabling diversified traders to trade throughout the day, enabling access to Forex, crypto, commodities, and indices in every time zone.
Quick Data Overview:
Trading Model | Weekly Hours | % Increase vs 24/5 |
24/5 | 120 | Base |
24/7 | 168 | +40% |
= 48 additional hours of trading, which is a 30% to 40% increase in available market time.
Historically, the forex market (and most CFD markets) has been available Monday through Friday, in line with the global banking system. However, as geopolitical events occur 24/7 (regardless of whether the actual exchanges are open), the gap between markets is continually closing.
For example, if a geopolitical shock event occurs on a Saturday, and/or if a cryptocurrency spikes in price on Sunday evening, traders who trade the traditional 24/5 markets must wait; traders who trade 24/7 will be able to respond to the shock immediately.
While Retail CFD products cannot be offered in the U.S. Market. Traders can have similar exposure through Futures, Options, Institutional CFD engines, and Crypto-related derivative products.
The data shows there is a high demand for extended hours Trading, Retail accounts account for 20% to 35% of daily volume in the U.S., Crypto Futures have reached an average daily volume (ADV) recently of over 407.200 Contracts, which is an approximate increase of 46% year over year within Major U.S. derivative platforms, U.S. Equities have millions of shares traded during overnight U.S. Equity sessions outside of traditional hours.
Despite regulatory constraints in certain jurisdictions, demand for extended-hours trading continues to grow among retail and institutional participants globally.
For example, peak levels of Volume data from overnight US equity sessions have shown a record volume of approximately 2.94 million shares traded during one nightly US equity session.
The benefit of having cryptocurrency and forex open 24/6 rather than just 24/5 is that some of the price discovery process occurs during the 48 hours before the 24/5 sessions start, and you’re unable to participate.
With additional hours of trading by the regulated CFD broker UAE, the markets can attract more participants from around the world.
No longer is liquidity concentrated only during the market overlaps between London and New York – now the Asian and cryptocurrency markets and cross-border institutional flows are adding to the overall liquidity story across the extended trade day.
Institutional research supports that price formation is happening across all sessions and not just one geographical block. Extended trading hours of the forex and CFD broker allow traders to capture these cycles of liquidity, rather than missing an opportunity to participate.
Directional movements of open markets are typically induced by weekend/overnight news events, including:
Traders in a 24/5 trading model typically have to deal with reopening gaps. Traders trading in a 24/7 model can dynamically manage their positions in real-time
The difference in the two models provides a clear distinction as to how well traders may control/define their own risk exposure.
The strength of extended access comes when there’s a broad range of assets available to trade. How 24/7 Access Benefits You
This flexibility appeals to diverse traders who operate globally vs regionally.
The following section discusses the evidence (dv) of the 24/7 trading timezone:
The above-mentioned data shows that there is one clear trend: demand for continuous access is increasing.
Extended Access is Powerful – But Requires a Disciplined Approach.
Continuous Markets Do Not Require Continuous Screen Time
Ways to Protect Yourself While Trading Continuously
Modern platforms allow traders to stay protected without constant monitoring.
Bottom Line
The shift from 24/5 (120 hours) to 24/7 (168 hours) isn’t simply a scheduling upgrade. Those additional 48 hours per week translate to roughly +40% more market access — a structural advantage in modern trading.
As global markets continue evolving, extended-hours access is becoming the expectation rather than the exception. If you’re searching for a regulated global multi-asset broker with extended market access, Stonefort Securities provides diversified trading across FX, crypto, commodities, and indices through one unified account.
Disclaimer: Trading CFDs, forex, cryptocurrencies, and other derivatives involves significant risk and may not be suitable for all investors. Always ensure you understand the risks involved and seek independent financial advice if necessary.
24/5 equals 120 trading hours per week, while 24/7 equals 168 hours per week. The difference is 48 additional hours, enabling continuous access to markets.
Retail CFDs face restrictions in the U.S., but traders access similar exposure through regulated derivatives such as futures and options. Global brokers operate within compliant frameworks depending on jurisdiction.
Cryptocurrencies trade 24/7. Major FX markets operate nearly continuously during weekdays. Some brokers extend index and commodity access via structured pricing models.
Extended sessions contribute meaningful trading volume. Crypto futures ADV growth of ~46% Y/Y highlights increasing demand for round-the-clock liquidity.
Look for regulation, competitive spreads, asset diversity, strong infrastructure, and reliable execution. The Global Multi-Asset CFD Broker combines these elements with extended trading access.
