The Hummingbird Project (2018)

Trader's Film Library #5 · Markets and trading in fiction. A rare film about what part of the modern market really looks like: a race against time.

Original title: The Hummingbird Project · Type: film · Created by: Kim Nguyen · Usefulness for traders: ★★★★☆

What it's about

Two cousins (Jesse Eisenberg and Alexander Skarsgård) want to lay a straight fibre-optic cable from Kansas to the exchange servers in New Jersey to gain a one-millisecond edge over the competition. They're pursued by their former boss (Salma Hayek) and by reality.

What it has to do with markets

Inspired by real projects to build faster links between exchange data centres for high-frequency trading (HFT). It shows that for some market participants the edge is speed, not analysis.

Lessons for traders

• there are participants in the market an individual trader can't compete with on speed
• your edge has to fit your horizon: you won't win by milliseconds
• liquidity in the book is largely automated (order flow atlas #15)

What to watch out for

The technical details are simplified, but the idea of a race for milliseconds is real.

Discussion

The discussion takes place in Hetman Capital Club (in Polish). Join the discussion in the Club →

Navigation

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The description outlines the plot without revealing the ending where possible (true stories have a known outcome). Educational content, not investment advice.