A common topic in the perpetual contract trading community: your strategy makes a killing in backtesting software, but once real money is involved, the true colors are revealed.



Why is this happening? Ultimately, it comes down to a few obstacles— the spread between spot and futures prices, the erosion caused by trading fees, and the time lag from order placement to execution. Simulated environments often idealize these factors, leading traders to be lulled into a false sense of security, only to stumble repeatedly in live trading.

There's a approach worth trying: using real market data for simulated trading. The advantage of this method is that you avoid the risk of real money while testing your strategy under conditions close to live trading. Rails Play adopts this approach, allowing traders to go through the entire trading process with virtual funds, using real-time market prices—no real money is at risk, and there's no need for complicated identity verification. This makes it a great testing ground for those looking to refine their trading systems.
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JustAnotherWalletvip
· 12-27 20:18
Backtest data is just for show, losing money immediately due to fees is frustrating. --- The spread and slippage are the real killers; backtest software always hide these from you. --- I told you, market feel and code are always two different things. --- Using real market data for simulation is indeed reliable; otherwise, it's just self-deception. --- The problem is, you have to admit your strategy isn't that awesome. --- Want to avoid burning money and still get a real experience? That's an idea. --- Those who say they made several times during backtests, in reality, they get liquidated in just a week.
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ChainMemeDealervip
· 12-27 18:02
Backtesting that stuff is just self-deception. As soon as leverage is applied, the true nature immediately shows itself, haha.
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FloorSweepervip
· 12-26 21:07
Backtest data looks as beautiful as a dream, but once you go live, your defenses immediately break down. This is too extreme. Slippage and transaction fees are the real killers; the simulator smooths all of these out. Instead of continuing to discuss theoretically, it's better to run a test with real market data and see how the strategy actually performs. It's mainly the spread, fees, and time delay that kill strategies—how many people have been fooled by an idealized environment? Using virtual funds to verify strategies is a good idea; it's much better than risking real money to learn through trial and error. The simulated environment is just an illusion factory. You might think you're a trading expert, but in real trading, you'll be humbled in a second. Backtesting with real trading data versus ideal data can differ by a huge margin—this is a major industry pain point. Spread, costs, and slippage—if these three mountains aren't addressed, even the best strategy will fail. Strategy validation must be close to real trading conditions; otherwise, it's just self-deception. It sounds like the Rails Play approach is interesting, but the key is to see how effective the execution actually is.
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LostBetweenChainsvip
· 12-26 08:24
Backtest data looks good but what's the use? Once real trading starts, you'll know your true strength. --- Spread, fees, time lag—these three killers always crush my dreams every time. --- Honestly, I've thought about using real market data for simulated trading long ago, but no one takes it seriously. --- Watching others make money with Rails Play every day, I feel it's not quite what I imagined. --- I've fallen for the fake environment trick several times before; I need to see real data to believe it again. --- The idea of not risking real money to test strategies is good, but it still needs to be validated with real funds to trust. --- Every backtest makes me a big winner, but leverage turns me into a leek, cycle repeats. --- Haha, virtual funds don't matter, but the psychological pressure is different. When real money is on the line, my legs go weak.
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RuntimeErrorvip
· 12-25 04:49
Backtesting profits explode, live trading blows up, I've seen this script too many times haha
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ContractHuntervip
· 12-25 04:47
Backtesting huge profits but real trading leads to bankruptcy— isn't this just Yonghe's daily routine... The gap between simulation and reality, the spread, fees, time differences—these things can really ruin people. Try real data simulation, at least you won't be taught a lesson the moment you open a position. You’ll know if the strategy is good or not after a test, which is definitely more cost-effective than risking real money. Backtesting earns a hundred times but real trading loses everything— when will this curse be broken? A world without slippage is paradise, but unfortunately, we live in hell.
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just_vibin_onchainvip
· 12-25 04:41
Backtest data looks terrible, the spread and fees immediately ruin the results. I just want to ask, who else has been scammed?
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RugPullProphetvip
· 12-25 04:35
Backtesting data is all lies; once real money is involved, you immediately know your true strength.
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CrashHotlinevip
· 12-25 04:25
Backtest data looks amazing, but as soon as I go live, I become a rookie. I know this very well. Fees and slippage are truly hidden killers; backtesting software smooths everything out for you. Wow, simulating trading with real market data is indeed a brilliant idea. It can verify strategies without risking real money. Spread, time difference, fees—these three big obstacles are all fake in backtests. Strategies are always genius on paper, but once real money is involved, they immediately face social death. Testing on virtual accounts is much more reliable than blindly shouting signals. Sometimes I wonder, is my strategy bad or is the backtesting software deceiving me? Reality is often much harsher than expected, really.
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GasDevourervip
· 12-25 04:24
Backtesting is basically self-deception. Slippage and fees are not considered at all, and losses come quickly. The profits shown in simulated trading are all fake; real money goes in and you get wiped out in seconds. The spread is a silent killer; many experts have been ruined by it. A good strategy looks good, but reality is too harsh. Using real market data for backtesting is indeed more reliable, as it can reveal the true level of the strategy. Futures trading works this way: backtests show huge profits, but live trading results in huge losses, cycle after cycle. So, strategies that haven't been tested through blood and sweat are not worth anything.
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