There is a Secret $300 Million Cable Between New York and Chicago

Well, it's not so secret anymore but it was at the time when it was built. What is it for? Watch to find out.
Loukia Papadopoulos

They say that time is money and nowhere is this more true than in the stock market. But what does this have to do with a secret cable you may ask?

Well, let's take it from the beginning. The internet today functions with the speed of 1 foot (or 30 cm) per nanosecond meaning it is really really fast but not instantaneous.

In the United States, the market for futures exists mainly in Chicago. A future is like a stock: it is a promise that you may get a certain stock in the future for a set price.

However, most stocks sell in New York. This means that when a price changes in New York it takes a few milliseconds for that information to travel to Chicago, especially since the cable connecting Chicago to New York was not a direct route.

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