Order Book Friction

Friction

Order book friction represents the costs incurred when executing trades against the prevailing order book, particularly relevant in cryptocurrency, options, and derivatives markets. It arises from the impact of a trade on the price due to limited liquidity at certain price levels, effectively widening the spread and increasing execution costs for subsequent orders. Quantifying this friction is crucial for accurate trading strategy backtesting and risk management, as it directly affects realized profits and loss.