OVERVIEW OF DARK POOLS
Dark pools are automated trading systems that operate with limited pre-trade transparency. As a result, it appears that they function under a veil of secrecy. Limited pre-trade transparency is however crucial to the way they operate. They form an important segment of market structure because they allow large blocks to find liquidity with limited market impact. One of the focal points of the current debate on dark pools is whether they are fulfilling that objective, especially with average trade sizes reducing at dark venues. Figure 1 illustrates the relative positioning of various types of trading venues. Exchanges are highly transparent and essential for price discovery, while dark pools are opaque and are price-takers instead of price-makers