Forex closes on Friday night. The Volatility 80 Index (Vol 80, symbol VOL_80) does not: at Headway it trades 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including weekends and public holidays. That makes it popular with traders who only have time on Saturday and Sunday. Before you trade it, it is worth knowing what it actually is, because it works very differently from a currency pair.
What the Volatility 80 Index is
Vol 80 is a synthetic index. Its price is not taken from any exchange or real market; it is generated by an algorithm. Headway describes it as an index “generated by cryptographic algorithms that operate continuously, independent of global stock market hours, economic data releases, or geopolitical events”.
- No real asset behind it: you are not trading a currency, a stock or a commodity, only a number produced by software.
- No news and no sessions: central banks, NFP and the London open do not move it, so fundamental analysis does not apply.
- The number is a volatility setting: on synthetic indices, a higher number means bigger swings. Vol 80 is designed to stay very volatile all the time.
VOL_80 specifications at Headway
| Item | Headway VOL_80 |
|---|---|
| Trading hours | 24/7, no weekend or holiday close |
| Platform | MT5 only (not available on MT4) |
| Account types | Cent, Standard and Pro |
| Leverage | Up to 1:500 (margin 0.2% of position value) |
| Contract size | 1 lot = 1 index unit, so 1 point = USD 1 per lot |
| Spread | From 3.0 points |
| Commission | None |
| Swap | 0 for long and short positions |
Source: Headway’s instrument page for VOL_80, checked on 22 October 2026. Conditions change, so before trading open the symbol’s specification in MT5 (right-click VOL_80 in Market Watch, then Specification) and check the minimum volume, the current spread and the stop level.
Who is on the other side of your trade?
This is the most important point, and it is rarely mentioned. Headway itself says that because the index is synthetic, “liquidity is provided internally by the platform provider” and “price discovery is entirely contained within the platform’s own ecosystem”. In plain words: the broker’s platform creates the price and takes the other side of your trade.
- No independent price: with EUR/USD you can compare quotes from many brokers. With VOL_80 there is no outside market to check against.
- A built-in conflict of interest: when the broker is your counterparty, your loss is its gain. Headway says its generator is audited, but it does not name the auditor, so we could not check that claim.
- Licence: Headway’s website says its operator, JAROCEL PTY LTD, is authorised by South Africa’s FSCA (licence 52108). We could not confirm this on the FSCA register, which was unreachable during our checks. Read our Headway review for the full picture.
How much is one point worth? Sizing a Vol 80 trade
With a contract size of 1, every point that VOL_80 moves is worth USD 1 for a 1.0 lot position and USD 0.01 for 0.01 lot. So the formula is simple: lot size = money you are willing to lose ÷ stop distance in points.
| Account and risk | Stop distance | Lot size |
|---|---|---|
| USD 100, risk 1% = USD 1 | 100 points | 0.01 lot |
| USD 500, risk 1% = USD 5 | 250 points | 0.02 lot |
| USD 1,000, risk 1% = USD 10 | 500 points | 0.02 lot |
Because Vol 80 is built to be very volatile, a stop that looks wide can be hit within minutes. Measure the typical range first (for example with ATR on the H1 chart) and set the stop outside normal noise, then size the position from it. Our position size calculator and risk management guide explain the method. On a cent account the same trade is shown in cents, which lets you test with very small amounts.
Weekend trading: the advantages and the catch
| Advantage | The catch |
|---|---|
| You can trade when you are free, even on Sunday | There is no break, which makes overtrading and revenge trading easy |
| No sudden gaps from news or Monday opens | Moves are random by design, so patterns from forex may not work |
| No swap, so holding overnight costs nothing extra | Leverage up to 1:500 on a very volatile index can wipe a small account fast |
| Same MT5 tools and indicators as forex | You cannot compare the price with any other broker |
How to find VOL_80 in MT5 and test it safely
- Open an MT5 account at Headway (VOL_80 is not on MT4). Read our MT4 vs MT5 guide if you are unsure.
- In Market Watch, right-click, choose Symbols, search VOL_80 and click Show Symbol.
- Right-click VOL_80 and open Specification: note the minimum lot, spread and stop level.
- Add ATR to the H1 chart and watch it for a few days before your first trade.
- Start on a demo or cent account with 0.01 lot, and decide your maximum loss per day before you begin.
Our verdict
Vol 80 solves a real problem: it lets people who only have weekends trade on weekends. But it is not forex. The price comes from the broker’s own system, there is no independent market to check it against, and it is built to be very volatile. Use it, if at all, with small size, a hard daily loss limit and the understanding that you are playing against the platform. For most beginners, learning on a cent account with real currency pairs is the safer first step.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vol 80 open on Saturday and Sunday?
Yes. Headway states that the Volatility 80 Index operates 24/7 without interruption, including weekends and holidays.
Can I trade Vol 80 on MT4?
No. At Headway, synthetic indices including VOL_80 are available only on MT5, on Cent, Standard and Pro accounts.
Can technical analysis work on a synthetic index?
Indicators can be drawn on any chart, but the price is generated by an algorithm, not by buyers and sellers. Headway itself warns that standard indicators may behave differently. Test any strategy on a demo account for weeks before risking money.
Disclosure: leaksfx may earn a commission if you open an account through our Headway link. It does not change what we write about the risks above. Trading leveraged products can lose you more money than you expect; only trade money you can afford to lose.