Co-Location Infrastructure
Co-location infrastructure refers to the practice of housing a trader's servers within the same physical data center as the exchange's matching engine. This setup minimizes the distance data must travel, reducing network propagation delay to the absolute minimum possible.
For firms engaged in high-frequency trading, co-location is a competitive necessity to ensure their orders reach the engine before those of competitors. This infrastructure also provides access to high-speed cross-connects that offer more reliable connectivity than standard internet paths.
In the crypto space, some exchanges offer virtual co-location within cloud regions to provide similar benefits. It is a fundamental component of the technical edge required to execute strategies that rely on speed.