While the euro and yen crosses are the most liquid, there are other currency crosses that do not contain the US dollar, euro, or yen!

These will be known as “Obscure Currency Crosses.”

We’re talking about unusual currency pairings like AUD/CHF, AUD/NZD, CAD/CHF, and GBP/CHF. That is why they are known as cryptic crosses.

Trading in these pairs can be more difficult and risky than trading currency crosses in the euro or yen.

Because they are traded by a small number of forex dealers, transaction volume is substantially smaller, resulting in lesser liquidity.

Because of the illiquidity of the markets for these crosses, their values can become highly erratic, and being stopped out on whipsaws can become quite typical.

Take a look at these AUD/CHF and GBP/CHF screenshots:

You don’t want to be stopped by those deadly spikes, do you? As a result, most forex traders use larger stops while trading these pairs.

However, given the choppy movement of obscure crosses, it would be extremely difficult to find a profitable trade on these combinations.

Furthermore, because these currency cross pairs aren’t frequently traded by forex traders, the spreads on these pairs can be rather wide.

If you wish to trade these currency crosses, be prepared for big price swings and be willing to pay the huge spread!