If there is no direct account relationship between two operators on the foreign exchange market, foreign exchange transactions are traditionally settled via correspondent banks (cf. chart 1). In this case, when one party meets its obligation irrevocably, it does so without knowing whether its counterparty will settle its liability. This means that there is a risk of the counterparty delivering late (liquidity risk) or, in the worst case, not at all (credit risk). These risks are compounded if the foreign exchange market participants are in different time zones. If one party does not fulfil its obligations, depending on the size of the transaction liquidity and/or solvency problems may arise for the counterparty and thereby trigger a chain reaction (systemic risk).