How to Trade Cryptocurrency: A Beginners Guide | IG International
Follow six steps to easily start trading cryptocurrency. See crypto trading examples, learn how markets work and find out how to place your first trade.
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To get a better idea of the costs of trading, consider opening a <anchor>demo account</anchor>. You’ll get $20,000 in virtual funds to trade not only cryptos, but over 13,000 other popular markets.
Demo Trading Account: Try IG's Paper Trading Simulator | IG International
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CFDs are complex instruments. 70% of retail client accounts lose money when trading CFDs, with this investment provider. You can lose your money rapidly due to leverage. Please ensure you understand how this product works and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing money.  CFDs are complex instruments. 70% of retail client accounts lose money when trading CFDs, with this investment provider. You can lose your money rapidly due to leverage. Please ensure you understand how this product works and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing money.

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# Open a demo trading account

Develop your trading skills on thousands of markets, and master our award-winning\* platform for free.

Practise trading with $20,000 virtual funds

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[Group established 1974, FTSE250 listed](/en/about-us) [313,000+ clients worldwide](/en/about-us) [17,000+ markets](/en/about-us)

## What is a demo trading account?

A demo account is a simulated market environment offered by a trading provider that aims to recreate the experience of ‘real’ trading as closely as possible. This is so that you can get a feel for how different products and financial markets work. The main difference is you won’t be at risk of losing any money, so you can explore and experiment with confidence.

When you open a demo account with us, you’ll get immediate access to a version of our [online platform](/en/trading-platforms), along with a pre-set balance of $20,000 in virtual funds to practise with.

[Find out more about our live trading account](/en/create-account)

## Why use a trading simulator?

You can use a trading simulator, such as a demo account, to enable you to get to grips with a platform, build your strategy and grow in confidence, without having to risk any real money.

Trading simulators aren’t just for newcomers. As an experienced trader, you can use demo accounts to try out new strategies, tools or ideas, safe in the knowledge that your experiments won’t result in any real-world losses.

You’ll often see demo accounts described as ‘paper trading’, which is the term to describe simulated securities trading. With an IG demo trading account, you’ll gain access to over 17,000\* markets, including:

- [Indices](/en/indices)
- [Forex](/en/forex)
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- [Commodities](/en/commodities)

As well as a range of other markets including [bonds](/en/bonds), [rates](/en/trading-interest-rates) and [options](/en/options-trading).

## FAQs

What can you do on a demo trading account?

A demo account will enable you to see the financial markets available with IG, and get used to how they behave. You’ll be able to set alerts on markets you want to keep an eye on, so you can react instantly to any price volatility. The demo account will also help you get used to the IG platform, ensuring that you can read and analyse price charts, fill in the deal ticket and monitor open positions.

If you’re interested in using more advanced software, you can also get an [MT4 demo account](/en/trading-platforms/metatrader-4/mt4-demo-account) with us. This enables you to build your understanding of the [MetaTrader 4](/en/trading-platforms/metatrader-4) online trading platform in a risk-free environment.

Can I practise trading stocks and forex for free?

Yes, you can practise stock trading and forex trading for free with an IG demo account. No need to create a separate forex demo account or stock demo account – you can trade both markets via a single login.

Can I practise CFD trading?

With an IG demo account, you can practise [CFD trading](/en/cfd-trading) risk-free. This product uses [leverage](/en/risk-management/what-is-leverage), which enables you to gain full market exposure for just a small initial deposit. While this can magnify your returns, it can also magnify your risk – so it’s important to get to grips with how they work before you start to trade on live markets.

What is the difference between a demo trading account, trading simulator and paper trading account?

There is no difference between a demo trading account, trading simulator or paper trading account. All of these terms are just synonyms for the same type of simulated trading platform.

### Important points

A demo account provides you with the opportunity to try our web trading platforms in an environment with reduced risk. While much of the functionality of the live platform features in the demo, there are key differences to be aware of, including (but not limited to):

- Trades made through the demo account will not be subject to slippage, interest and dividend adjustments, or out of hours price movements
- Trades may be rejected if you have insufficient funds to open them, but, unlike on a live account, will never be rejected on the grounds of size or price
- You will not be charged for chart packages on a demo account
- Trades will not be closed if you have insufficient funds to cover margin and running losses, which can happen on a live account

This is by no means an exhaustive list, and therefore before opening a live account we recommend you read the information available on our website as well as the [Customer Agreement](/en/customer-agreement-cfd) to ensure that you are aware of the features of a live account.

For your country of residence, you may wish to use {{country}}.

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\\*\\* IG Group’s total markets

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^IG International Limited is part of the IG Group and its ultimate parent company is IG Group Holdings Plc. IG Group established in London in 1974, and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 index.

The risks of loss from investing in CFDs can be substantial and the value of your investments may fluctuate. 70% of retail client accounts lose money when trading CFDs, with this investment provider. CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. You should consider whether you understand how this product works, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.

CFD Accounts provided by IG International Limited. IG International Limited is licensed to conduct investment business and digital asset business by the Bermuda Monetary Authority.

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