Regulatory Requirement (Details) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) item	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)
Regulatory Requirement
Number of broker-dealer subsidiaries \| item	3
Net capital	$ 3,681.0
Number of broker-dealer subsidiaries required to maintain capital in connection with the operation of DMM business \| item	1
Broker Dealer Subsidiary One
Regulatory Requirement
Minimum net capital required to be maintained by broker-dealer subsidiaries	$ 1.0	$ 1.0
Net capital	48.3	74.5
Excess net capital over the required net capital	47.3	73.5
Broker Dealer Subsidiary Two
Regulatory Requirement
Minimum net capital required to be maintained by broker-dealer subsidiaries		1.0
Net capital	11.6	10.8
Excess net capital over the required net capital	10.6	9.8
Broker Dealer Subsidiary Three
Regulatory Requirement
Excess net capital over the required net capital	367.1
VFCM
Regulatory Requirement
Minimum capital required to be maintained in connection with the operation of the Company's DMM business		$ 1.9
Required amount under exchange rules	$ 1.0
Required amount under exchange rules as percentage of market value	15.00%
Number of trading units whose market value is considered to calculate required net capital under exchange act \| item	60

The amount of net capital in excess of the minimum required net capital.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Rule 15c3-1
-Number 240
-Section 15c3-1

Name:	us-gaap_ExcessNetCapitalAt1500Percent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Minimum amount of net capital required to be maintained by entity's broker-dealer subsidiary to engage in securities transactions.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Rule 15c3-1
-Number 240
-Section 15c3-1

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MinimumNetCapitalRequiredForBrokerDealerSubsidiary1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Minimum amount of net capital required to be maintained by the entity to engage in securities transactions.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Rule 15c3-1
-Number 240
-Section 15c3-1

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_MinimumNetCapitalRequiredForEntity1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Net capital is equal to the net worth of the broker dealer, less certain items such as exchange memberships, carrying value of securities not readily marketable, haircuts on marketable securities in proprietary accounts, furniture and equipment and other illiquid assets as defined.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher SEC
-Name Rule 15c3-1
-Number 240
-Section 15c3-1

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_NetCapital
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the number of broker-dealer subsidiaries of the entity.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	virt_NumberOfBrokerDealerSubsidiariesOfEntity
Namespace Prefix:	virt_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The number of broker-dealer subsidiaries required to maintain capital in connection with the operation of its Designated Market Maker business.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	virt_NumberOfBrokerDealerSubsidiariesRequiredToMaintainCapitalInConnectionWithDesignatedMarketMakerBusiness
Namespace Prefix:	virt_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Represents the number of trading units whose market value is considered to calculate required net capital under exchange act.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	virt_NumberOfTradingUnitsWhoseMarketValueIsConsideredToCalculateRequiredNetCapitalUnderExchangeAct
Namespace Prefix:	virt_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- 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:	virt_RegulatoryCapitalRequirementsLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	virt_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the amount of minimum net capital required to be maintained by the entity under the exchange act.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	virt_RequiredNetCapitalUnderExchangeAct
Namespace Prefix:	virt_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Percentage of net capital required to be maintained under minimum financial requirements, pursuant to the exchange Act.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	virt_RequiredNetCapitalUnderExchangeActAsPercentageOfMarketValue
Namespace Prefix:	virt_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=virt_BrokerDealerSubsidiaryOneMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=virt_BrokerDealerSubsidiaryTwoMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=virt_BrokerDealerSubsidiaryThreeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	dei_LegalEntityAxis=virt_VirtuFinancialCapitalMarketsLlcMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: