[Info] [Info] 5 reasons not to copy the #1 leaderboard trader

Why do most traders at the top of exchange copy-trading leaderboards vanish within months? Here are five ways the numbers lie.

1. Survivorship bias

• When thousands trade high-risk, a few will make huge gains by luck. The leaderboard shows only them.
• The ones who blew up doing the same thing quietly drop off the list.

2. Short-term returns

• 30-day and 90-day rankings favor whoever uses the most leverage.
• Look for 1+ year of history that has lived through a downturn.

3. Unrealized losses are invisible

• Returns are often based on closed trades. Losing positions still open don't show up.
• Many traders sit on losses larger than their margin. EADesk detail pages flag these positions with ⚠.

4. Performance changes as size grows

• When copiers and AUM jump, fills can get worse and traders sometimes get more aggressive.
• EADesk records copier counts daily, so you can see when people start leaving.

5. Your results differ from the master's

• Positions opened before you started aren't copied, and slippage, fees and profit share come off.
• Getting about 70% of the master's return is doing well.

So how should you choose?

1. Max drawdown under 20%
2. 6+ months of history with a steady curve
3. No large unrealized losses in open positions
4. Reviews and stickers from people who actually copied
5. Paper-copy for 2–4 weeks before deciding

"EADesk picks" in Copy traders re-ranks by drawdown, track record and consistency instead of return. The goal isn't the top return — it's the trader most likely to survive.