97% of day traders lose money

[Abu-Naim]

What the article is just saying is that trading risk is the same as gambling risk if only 3% of traders are making money while 97% of are losing.

Can this be true?

Yes, it can be true. I have some trading experts in my favorite list, they hardly post PNLs these days because the market is not favorable to them this time and they hardly share signals more often than they use to because the market is not stable, and even the signals they share is not going as they wanted just that it do give profits after some times.

There is a very high risk in trading that is similar to that of gambling because future trading is very risky, and one can easily get liquidated unlike spot trading when you can become a holder till the market becomes stable or till you are in profit. The same way you lose in gambling when you make wrong predictions is the same as way you lose in trading.

[tygeade]

This is either a full wrong statistic, or the articles rest is telling some other story that we are not capable of reading. Because I am 100% sure that 97% do not lose money on trading. Sure "majority" is losing money is true, if we compare people year to year results then I would say majority of people lose money, which means anything more than 50% and that means we can have an understanding that if you do what you should, then you will be better than most.

But the number 97 is too much. Which tells me, either rest of the article talks about a certain niche situation that is not the most people or there is a lie in that article that was written to make it get some clicks which is working as we can see here.

[Alphakilo]

What the article is just saying is that trading risk is the same as gambling risk if only 3% of traders are making money while 97% of are losing.

Can this be true?

Trading is supposed to demand some level of professional skills and discipline that newbies must learn to build patiently, otherwise, it would not be distinguished from gambling persay.
A good trader should master risk management practices properly and understand how to interpret market analysis to excel in trading activities, along with other good knowledge on how to use tools and this is what separates the best traders from those who think trading is more like gambling to them.

[Zaguru12]

What the article is just saying is that trading risk is the same as gambling risk if only 3% of traders are making money while 97% of are losing.

Can this be true?

I would have created a poll about this but I know many people on this forum are lying. Some do not even know how to trade but they will speak good of trading like it is a business that someone can make money from.

Although the percentage might look exaggerated to some but I personally think it’s within that region of 90-97% losers. When people see stats like this they actually think it’s creating FUD and a little bit exaggerated but I can tell you that even on this forum only a 2 out of 10 can be considered a successful trader. Been profitable trader isn’t about getting profit in one trade and losing three other more or win getting profit in two or three trades and losing them all in a single trade.

Trading is actually way beyond drawing lines on chart and that’s why if you pull up a pool here you will get opposite data because that’s what many think until they get into the real act. It is like building a Machine, it looks easy on a paper

[tvplus006]

...What the article is just saying is that trading risk is the same as gambling risk if only 3% of traders are making money while 97% of are losing. ..

I often find this statement that trading is essentially a gambling game, and at the same time the authors forget about the main difference: trading requires skills, and gambling requires luck. It is precisely for this reason that many people, trying to make money without having the appropriate skills and experience for this, turn trading into a casino, hoping that they will definitely be lucky.

[batang_bitcoin]

I think that if it's in general, with the numbers validated or not from that author and from the others who had done the same research. It all ends up with one fact, and that is most of the day traders are losing money. And we as individual can prove that simply holding is profitable compared to being so active in the market by doing day trading. We know that reality and if it's just basing our experiences, we'd approve of that and we know that it's near to the reality that the majority of them are losing money instead of making.

[hostm]

My position I mentioned in this thread was closed by a stop-loss. I think 70,000 has now become support instead of resistance, but it's too early to talk about that.

Whoever is the first to identify the boundaries of the current trading range will be able to make a profit. I usually analyze on the 15-minute timeframe first and then consider higher timeframes.

I'm currently following five traders. They all have different strategies and use different indicators, but what sets them apart is that they win more often than they lose. Therefore, trading experience is also quite important, in addition to everything else.

[Obulis]

The similarities are just so clear that the difference seems to just be the choice of words.
Let's look at both:
...100% uncertainties
... Basically prediction and assumption
... Hjgh risk and quick gains venture
... Can cause addiction

Just like the heading "97% of day traders lose money" so it is with gambling, don't forget it mustn't be perfect the same but they indeed share excellent similarities.

[shinratensei_]

The article is outlining a webinar and tries to debunk it and while I believe that majority of traders are losing, I don't think the number is that high otherwise market will be empty because everyone is losing money to small amount of traders.
Maybe it's about 70% of people are losing, the odd is closer to pure speculation like in any others.

[Oluwa-btc]

What the article is just saying is that trading risk is the same as gambling risk if only 3% of traders are making money while 97% of are losing.

I would have created a poll about this but I know many people on this forum are lying. Some do not even know how to trade but they will speak good of trading like it is a business that someone can make money from.

I think the article defines the whole scenarios about a trader and mostly it shares absolutely almost if not all but similar attributes with gambling. Yes traders lose irresistibly without them knowing cause trading comes with unpredictable outcome sometimes your best strategy might be wtye worst in delivering results. Trading is cool provided you're professional in handling the risks that comes with it, the unforseen circumstances and lots more.

[Hamza2424]

I have not seen a huge percentage of people long money up to this before, the highest that I have seen is 85% of traders. But while making research, all traders are including which I think swing traders will be included. This article is about scalpers and day traders. I did not have premium subscription on the site which makes me not to read the December 11 2025 article finish.

What the article is just saying is that trading risk is the same as gambling risk if only 3% of traders are making money while 97% of are losing.

Yep, that's true, some really pretend to be traders but these days, I have been seeing the topics in trading discussions are not that good. I have some members like you in mind. I only check their topics, but to be honest, some other members are creating shit topics in here.

Anyway, speaking of 97% traders who face loss are definitely the ones who come to make money quickly Haha they think making money from crypto is easy if it is not quick, they think. By the way, I did not think the number to be this high,

Although it is only a study for day traders and you know bro how hard it is to be day trader, especially if a trader is future trading. The liquidation fear is real.

[barbara44]

While this number is probably fake like mentioned before, I think the number of people who are trading but have no idea how to trade is the most important issue we have. Obviously we can't just limit them, I think it was Russia or somewhere that limited, but we won't have that all around the world.

But the fact that some people lose all their money on trading when they have no idea how trading works is the biggest problem we have in the crypto world today and that causes a lot of negative press about us. It's not our fault, I mean it's their fault and they shouldn't have done it, but because they do lose, they end up crying about it everywhere and act as if they lost because of something else and not entirely their fault.

[WatChe]

Yep, that's true, some really pretend to be traders but these days, I have been seeing the topics in trading discussions are not that good. I have some members like you in mind. I only check their topics, but to be honest, some other members are creating shit topics in here.

Anyway, speaking of 97% traders who face loss are definitely the ones who come to make money quickly Haha they think making money from crypto is easy if it is not quick, they think. By the way, I did not think the number to be this high,

Although it is only a study for day traders and you know bro how hard it is to be day trader, especially if a trader is future trading. The liquidation fear is real.

Trading is a risky stuff and we must not take it lightly. Those who come to crypto trading only after reading success stories of different traders and without any prior preparation end up losing money. Crypto trading can give you good profit only if you spend your time and energies in mastering the skills. This is true that majority of traders lose money in trading and reason I already mentioned. If someone is opting for crypto trading then he must fully understand the risk associated with crypto trading and also identify the steps required to mitigate them. 

[Jegileman]

Can this be true?

I would have created a poll about this but I know many people on this forum are lying. Some do not even know how to trade but they will speak good of trading like it is a business that someone can make money from.

Trading would be speak more of like something possible because a lot of people that are portraying it like that want more people to show interest and learn from them, thereby getting to earn from that initiative. Trading is actually a way to make more money, a sustainable one for that matter but it all draws down to how you’re able to have the best of knowledge of it and apply it to the market. The trading market is very broad, people make money and people also lose a lot of money through trading, so we should at least know what we want and how to go about getting it rather than pushing a false narrative about trading which is no so to the public.

[Pandu Geddon]

Trading is a risky stuff and we must not take it lightly. Those who come to crypto trading only after reading success stories of different traders and without any prior preparation end up losing money. Crypto trading can give you good profit only if you spend your time and energies in mastering the skills. This is true that majority of traders lose money in trading and reason I already mentioned. If someone is opting for crypto trading then he must fully understand the risk associated with crypto trading and also identify the steps required to mitigate them. 

However, the influence of people who appear successful in trading can attract others to be interested in trading. Everything seems easy to make a profit, who wouldn't be interested in that? It's just that they try trading without knowing the risks, even without sufficient knowledge and skills. That is what causes many traders to lose. They start without knowing what they are actually doing.

[Cgrexp]

While this number is probably fake like mentioned before, I think the number of people who are trading but have no idea how to trade is the most important issue we have. Obviously we can't just limit them, I think it was Russia or somewhere that limited, but we won't have that all around the world.

But the fact that some people lose all their money on trading when they have no idea how trading works is the biggest problem we have in the crypto world today and that causes a lot of negative press about us. It's not our fault, I mean it's their fault and they shouldn't have done it, but because they do lose, they end up crying about it everywhere and act as if they lost because of something else and not entirely their fault.

No matter the number, most people are losing money in trading. Yes, many people make mistakes, they invest a large amount of money in it without knowing it and they lose money due to lack of knowledge. Trading itself is not bad, it is suitable for those who can use it correctly. But I think no matter how skilled a person is, can he always predict the Bitcoin market correctly? If he loses money, his fault will be on his own decision and that person will be responsible for it. So here we should not blame the crypto market or publish negative news. In the same market situation, one trader gains but another trader loses. But the person who lost must have lost because of his own decision.

[GreatArkansas]

I have not seen a huge percentage of people long money up to this before, the highest that I have seen is 85% of traders. But while making research, all traders are including which I think swing traders will be included. This article is about scalpers and day traders. I did not have premium subscription on the site which makes me not to read the December 11 2025 article finish.

What the article is just saying is that trading risk is the same as gambling risk if only 3% of traders are making money while 97% of are losing.

https://medium.com/illumination/97-of-day-traders-lose-money-18e5d89bfe83

Can this be true?

I would have created a poll about this but I know many people on this forum are lying. Some do not even know how to trade but they will speak good of trading like it is a business that someone can make money from.

I have always used this data from the previous cycle, until today the data is the same, some say 95%, 98%, 94% all say that traders lose money, perhaps I can conclude that more than 90% of all existing traders, this can be confirmed, I also trade at a loss, of the total I spent on trading capital during the last 3 years, I was not profitable.

Yes they are lying, except for those in the 3%, most traders or trading influencers who make a profit are trading class sellers, and are affiliated with brokers, from there they get their wealth to flex and attract people to trade.

Yeah, this makes sense, but I am also curious if they are losers/losing money, then who are the winners or making money? Like, yeah, for what I know, that's how trading works, it's like Player vs Player, where if you lose, someone will win.

[bangjoe]

I have not seen a huge percentage of people long money up to this before, the highest that I have seen is 85% of traders. But while making research, all traders are including which I think swing traders will be included. This article is about scalpers and day traders. I did not have premium subscription on the site which makes me not to read the December 11 2025 article finish.

What the article is just saying is that trading risk is the same as gambling risk if only 3% of traders are making money while 97% of are losing.

https://medium.com/illumination/97-of-day-traders-lose-money-18e5d89bfe83

Can this be true?

I would have created a poll about this but I know many people on this forum are lying. Some do not even know how to trade but they will speak good of trading like it is a business that someone can make money from.

I have always used this data from the previous cycle, until today the data is the same, some say 95%, 98%, 94% all say that traders lose money, perhaps I can conclude that more than 90% of all existing traders, this can be confirmed, I also trade at a loss, of the total I spent on trading capital during the last 3 years, I was not profitable.

Yes they are lying, except for those in the 3%, most traders or trading influencers who make a profit are trading class sellers, and are affiliated with brokers, from there they get their wealth to flex and attract people to trade.

Yeah, this makes sense, but I am also curious if they are losers/losing money, then who are the winners or making money? Like, yeah, for what I know, that's how trading works, it's like Player vs Player, where if you lose, someone will win.

This is not player vs player, more precisely player vs broker. like in player vs house gambling, this is why brokers or exchanges provide liquidity and trades that make a profit, but this is more precise in future or perpetual trading, while spot trading can assume player vs player because price movements are based on supply and demand even though it can also be intervened or manipulated by market makers.

[Johann Sebastian Block]

Can this be true?

In most markets the simple answer is Maybe, the number is on the high side looking at short-term results. Long-term studies have shown up to 97% of day traders do lose money. Never forget: That leaves a ton of profits for the rare winners.