Half of active demo users place their first trade within three and a half minutes, with gold and Bitcoin accounting for around 70% of activity.
TradeLocker Demo has already welcomed more than 100,000 users since launching in early May, giving traders a free way to explore the platform and test their strategies with $100,000 in virtual funds before going live.
An analysis of recent demo activity offers a closer look at how newer traders behave when they can practise without putting real money at risk.
Beginner trader trading habits
Half of the users who go on to trade open their first position within three and a half minutes of creating their account, showing how quickly they can get started on TradeLocker. At the other end of the spectrum, 10% of users only place a trade after spending 10 hours exploring the platform beforehand. This reflects a different group of beginner traders who take longer to study the charts and get to know the tools before placing a position on the platform.
Gold and Bitcoin are by far the most popular instruments, together accounting for around seven in every ten demo trades. When the S&P 500 is included, the three markets represent approximately 77% of activity. Traditional forex pairs such as EURUSD and GBPUSD account for less than 7% combined.
Demo users also show a consistent preference for buying: approximately 57% of positions are long, compared with 43% that are short.
The typical user closes five or six positions on a weekday, while weekend activity drops to 30–40% as fewer markets are open. By following live market data, TradeLocker Demo lets users practise in realistic conditions without risking real money.
“The data proves there is a demand for a place where traders can explore, experiment and build confidence before risking their real capital,” said Alex Skolar, Chief Product Officer at TradeLocker. “It also shows that new traders do not follow a single path, highlighting the industry’s need for accessible trading tools that support both immediate participation and more considered learning.”
Try TradeLocker Demo
TradeLocker Demo is available free of charge and provides traders with access to $100,000 in virtual funds. Traders can use it to explore the platform, practice order execution and refine their approach before connecting an account from a supported broker or prop firm.