What Is the Role of a Matching Engine in a Centralized Exchange?

The matching engine is the core technological component of a Centralized Exchange (CEX). Its role is to efficiently and fairly match incoming buy and sell orders from the order book.

It operates under a specific set of rules, usually price-time priority, to determine which orders should be executed against each other. By rapidly and privately executing these matches, the matching engine prevents external market manipulation, including front-running, by keeping the order flow confidential until execution.

What Is a “Pro-Rata” Matching System and How Does It Differ from Price-Time Priority?
Can a Centralized Exchange (CEX) Environment Be Exploited by a Sandwich Attack?
How Does an exchange’S’matching Engine’ Process Different Types of Orders?
What Is a ‘Stop-Market’ Order’s Priority in the Order Matching Engine?
How Do High-Frequency Trading (HFT) Firms Attempt to Gain an Advantage despite the Price-Time Priority Rule?
How Does ‘Time Priority’ in Order Matching Affect the Likelihood of Positive Slippage?
How Does an Off-Chain Matching Engine Work on a CEX?
What Is the Role of a “Central Limit Order Book” (CLOB)?

Glossar