A "Dark Pool" is a private trading venue where financial securities are bought and sold without public visibility. These platforms allow institutional investors, like mutual funds and pension funds, to execute large trades without revealing their intentions to the broader market, which helps prevent price fluctuations that could occur if the trades were made public. Dark pools operate outside traditional exchanges, such as the New York Stock Exchange or NASDAQ, and are regulated to ensure fair practices. While they provide benefits like reduced market impact and increased privacy, they also raise concerns about transparency and the potential for unfair advantages among certain traders.