The forex market has a higher degree of leverage than other markets (such as the stock market). Leverage is the loan given by a broker to a trader to allow the trader to invest in greater quantities than otherwise. However, higher leverage also means risk of higher losses.
There are no central clearing houses that oversee international currency trade. However, the central banks and governments usually regulate the forex trade.
The forex market has a large variety of currencies and is open 24/5 as it is an international market. The market opens on Sunday 5pm EST and closes on Friday 5pm EST. Therefore, there is a wider range of opportunities for trade. However, the risk also increases as an international incident in some far-away time-zone might devalue your currency assets while you are sleeping.
There are fewer commissions and fees to be paid in currency trading.