What Makes an Exchange a Unique Institution?
A Commentary

Abstract

In this response to an article in the Winter 2014 issue of The Journal of Trading, the uniqueness of exchanges is examined, beginning with a review of previously published commentary on the subject. National securities exchanges are unique in that they operate simultaneously as market participants and self-regulatory organizations. The implications of operating under the doctrine of regulatory immunity as a for-profit participant are discussed in the context of NASDAQ’s Benchmark Orders and the Facebook initial public offering.