market maker
A market maker is an artisan who stands between buyers and sellers with personal capital, prioritizing order book equilibrium over profit. They restrain runaway prices at the peril of their own losses, disguising mechanical repetition as charitable virtue. Blamed first when chaos erupts and treated like air when stability returns, they are heroes of mixed fortunes. They weather every storm in the market, yet one misstep can shred their capital like a double-edged sword.