Simulation vs Live Trading

Nexgent supports two trading modes: Simulation for risk-free testing and Live for real trading on Solana.

Overview

Simulation Mode

What It Is

Simulation mode uses virtual wallets and simulated trade execution. No real transactions occur on the Solana blockchain.

How It Works

1. Virtual Wallet: Assigned a sim_xxxxx address
2. Virtual Balance: You add fake SOL to trade with
3. Simulated Trades: Prices from real feeds, but no on-chain execution
4. Full Tracking: Positions, P&L, and history tracked as if real

When to Use

• Learning: Understand how Nexgent works
• Testing: Try new strategies without risk
• Development: Test signal integrations
• Demo: Show the platform to others

Setting Up Simulation

1. Create an agent with Trading Mode: Simulation
2. Add a simulation wallet (auto-generated)
3. Add virtual SOL balance
4. Enable automated trading (optional)
5. Send signals and watch trades execute

Live Mode

What It Is

Live mode executes real trades on the Solana blockchain using actual SOL from configured wallets.

How It Works

1. Real Wallet: Configured via environment variables
2. Real Balance: Actual SOL from your wallet
3. On-Chain Trades: Swaps executed via Jupiter Aggregator
4. Transaction Fees: Real Solana network fees

When to Use

• Proven Strategy: After testing in simulation
• Production Trading: Actual profit/loss
• Real Results: When you're ready for real stakes

Requirements for Live Trading

Before going live, ensure you have:

• Tested strategy in simulation mode
• Configured a real Solana wallet
• Funded the wallet with SOL
• Understood the risks

Setting Up Live Trading

1. Configure Wallet

Add wallet private keys to your backend .env:

# Base58 encoded private keys
WALLET_1=your-base58-private-key-here
WALLET_2=another-wallet-if-needed

2. Switch to Live Trading

Click the Live Trading toggle in the top-right of the dashboard.

Comparison

Trade Execution

Position Tracking

Risk Profile

Switching Modes

From Simulation to Live

1. Review simulation performance: Check historical swaps for your strategy's effectiveness
2. Configure live wallet: Set up and fund a real wallet
3. Start small: Use conservative position sizes initially
4. Monitor closely: Watch your first few live trades carefully

From Live to Simulation

You can switch back to simulation at any time:

1. Open agent settings
2. Toggle mode to Simulation
3. Live positions remain until closed
4. New trades will be simulated

Best Practices

Before Going Live

1. Run simulation for at least a week - See how your strategy performs across market conditions
2. Understand all settings - Know exactly what your stop loss, DCA, and filters do
3. Review historical swaps - Analyze wins, losses, and patterns
4. Calculate risk - Know the maximum you could lose

When Live

1. Start with small amounts - Test with minimal capital first
2. Monitor regularly - Check positions at least daily
3. Have an exit plan - Know when to disable automated trading
4. Keep simulation running - Continue testing new ideas safely

General

1. Never invest more than you can afford to lose
2. Diversify - Don't put all funds in one agent or strategy
3. Stay informed - Crypto markets are volatile
4. Use stop losses - Always have downside protection

FAQ

Can I run both modes simultaneously?

A single agent can only operate in simulation OR live mode at any time, not both. You can, however, deploy multiple agents in different modes—some in simulation, some in live—and they operate independently.

Do simulation and live use the same price feeds?

Yes. Both modes use the same real-time price data from Jupiter/Pyth/DexScreener.

What happens to positions when I switch modes?

Open positions will be closed. This keeps all resources for that agent focused on its current trading mode and helps reduce the likelihood of rate limiting through integrations like Jupiter.

Is simulation completely accurate?

Simulation is about as close to accurate as you can get without executing on-chain. It uses Jupiter swap quotes and applies that quote data to simulated trades. Because it doesn't execute on-chain, you won't see the final on-chain outcome, but results are usually very close to what you'd get in live trading.