It is no secret that the stock market can be a complicated and overwhelming place to enter. Thanks to the invention of the Upstairs Market, which is a network of firms and institutional investors trading large blocks/high volumes of trade these trades are taken "off the trading floor." This allows these large investors to buy and sell these securities faster than the regular retail investors that traders on the floor experience.

The Upstairs Market is the antithesis of the Downstairs Market or stock exchanges. Upstairs trades are faster, more regulated, and less prone to insider trading. This gives the large investors access to a variety of opportunities and information that isn't easily accessible in the trading floor. It also keeps the market fair and safer for retail investors.

Intermediaries are often used in the Upstairs Market, which are people that have access to both the Upstairs and Downstairs Market. These people keep the Upstairs Market in check by allowing large investors to buy and sell securities on the behalf and notifying them of the best trades. In turn, the Intermediaries are rewarded with a commission from the large investors.

Regulators monitor the Upstairs Market closely by assessing the impact of their trades on retail investors. For example, regulators can watch the effect of the large investors trading and adjust the stocks before retail investors can react, preventing some of the larger swings or drops that can occur in the Downstairs Market.

Overall, the Upstairs Market is an integral part of the stock market and helps keep the market fair and safe for retail investors. Through the use of Intermediaries and careful regulation, retail investors are kept safe while also allowing large investors to reap the potential rewards of the Upstairs Market.