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The derivatives market is the financial market for derivatives - financial instruments like futures contracts or options - which are derived from other forms of assets.
The market can be divided into two, that for exchange-traded derivatives and that for over-the-counter derivatives. The legal nature of these products is very different, as well as the way they are traded, though many market participants are active in both. The derivatives market in Europe has a notional amount of €660 trillion.[1]