Collateralized Transactions - Assets Pledged (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Repurchase Agreement Counterparty [Line Items]
Financial instruments owned, at fair value, pledged to counterparties that have the right to deliver or repledge	$ 1,623,886	$ 1,634,979
Right to deliver or repledge
Repurchase Agreement Counterparty [Line Items]
Financial instruments owned, at fair value, pledged to counterparties that have the right to deliver or repledge	368,736	314,720
Not having the right to deliver or repledge
Repurchase Agreement Counterparty [Line Items]
Financial instruments owned, at fair value, pledged to counterparties that do not have the right to deliver or repledge	$ 1,204,165	$ 1,291,979

The fair value as of the balance sheet date of financial instruments and other positions owned by the entity including: (1) mortgages, mortgage-backed and asset backed securities; (2) US government and agency obligations; (3) state and municipal government obligations; (4) other sovereign government debt; (5) corporate obligations; (6) corporate equities; (7) principal investments; (8) derivative contracts; and (9) physical commodities. Excludes financial instruments and other positions owned and pledged as collateral to counterparties.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 940
-SubTopic 320
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=35711157&loc=d3e42546-110969

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentsOwnedAndNotPledgedAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The fair value as of the balance sheet date of financial instruments and other positions owned by the entity and pledged to counterparties as collateral, including: (1) mortgages, mortgage-backed and asset backed securities; (2) US government and agency obligations; (3) state and municipal government obligations; (4) other sovereign government debt; (5) corporate obligations; (6) corporate equities; (7) principal investments; (8) derivative contracts; and (9) physical commodities.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 30
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=66007379&loc=d3e113888-111728

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 860
-SubTopic 30
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1A
-Subparagraph (c)(2)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=64858031&loc=SL6224234-111729

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentsOwnedAndPledgedAsCollateralAtFairValue
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RepurchaseAgreementCounterpartyLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentsOwnedAndPledgedAsCollateralAxis=kcg_FinancialInstrumentsPledgedtoCounterpartiesRighttoDeliverorRepledgeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentsOwnedAndPledgedAsCollateralAxis=kcg_FinancialInstrumentsPledgedtoCounterpartiesNotHavingRighttoDeliverorRepledgeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: