If you have opened Binoria on a Sunday afternoon, you will have noticed that some markets are still moving while others are flat and unavailable. The ones still trading are marked OTC. This article explains what that label means, why those markets stay open, and when it makes sense to use them.
What does OTC mean?
OTC stands for over-the-counter. In the wider financial world, an over-the-counter market is one where pricing happens continuously between participants rather than being routed through a single centralised exchange with fixed opening hours.
The practical consequence for you is simple: an OTC market does not close when an exchange closes. It is quoted around the clock.
Why some markets close and others do not
Traditional markets run on sessions. A stock index follows its home exchange's trading day. Forex runs continuously through the week but stops over the weekend. When those sessions end, there is no live price to trade against, so the market becomes unavailable.
OTC markets are not tied to a single session in that way, which is why they remain open when the rest of the asset list goes quiet.
| Exchange-hours markets | OTC markets | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Only during the session | 24 hours, 7 days a week |
| Weekends | Closed | Open |
| Public holidays | Usually closed | Open |
| How you place a trade | Same | Same |
When to use OTC markets
There are three situations where OTC markets are the obvious choice:
- Weekends and holidays. The most common reason. If you want to trade on a Saturday, OTC is what is available.
- Outside your local session. If your day does not line up with the market you normally follow, OTC markets let you trade on your own schedule rather than the exchange's.
- Practising consistently. If you are working on a routine, being able to sit down at the same time every day matters more than which specific market you use.
How to find OTC markets on Binoria
- Open the trading platform and click the asset selector at the top of the chart.
- Look for markets with OTC in the name.
- Select one. The chart, expiry selector and order panel behave exactly as they do for any other market.
New to the platform? Every market — OTC or otherwise — is available on a demo account with virtual funds first. There is no need to deposit to see how any of this behaves.
Things worth knowing before you start
OTC markets are not a different product and they are not a shortcut. They carry the same risk as any other market on the platform, and the same principles apply: decide your position size before you open a trade, and do not trade money you cannot afford to lose.
If you are still getting familiar with how positions and expiries work, start with the demo account and come back to OTC markets once the mechanics feel routine.