- "taking liquidity" is taking existing orders off the orderbook and
- "making [liquidity]" is opening new orders that rest on the orderbook
It's the terminology of the industry.
At the end of the day, what counts as the truth is how much fees you pay when sending a limit order that immediately crosses.
And the answer, for every single market on the planet, is "you pay taker fees". Period.
Some equity venues are pay both sides. Others are “reverse” provider pays.
CME worlds largest futures exchange symmetrical fees
https://www.cmegroup.com/company/files/cme-fee-schedule-2023...
- "taking liquidity" is taking existing orders off the orderbook and
- "making [liquidity]" is opening new orders that rest on the orderbook
It's the terminology of the industry.