The Problem with Skipping Paper Mode
Most DeFi bots fail not because the strategy is wrong, but because of execution issues:
- Wallet not funded correctly
- Gas price spikes causing slippage
- API rate limits hitting during volatile periods
- Strategy configuration mistakes
Paper mode catches all of these before real money is at risk.
What Happens in Paper Mode
Your agent runs exactly as it would in live mode, except all swaps are simulated:
- Price data is real (fetched from the Mango API)
- Trade records are written to the database
- P&L is calculated as if trades executed at market
- Logs stream in real-time to your dashboard
After 24 hours and at least 1 paper trade, you can inspect your agent's performance and decide whether to go live.
Reading Your Paper Mode Results
On your agent dashboard, look for:
- Today P&L: How much you would have made/lost today
- Total P&L: Cumulative simulated performance
- Trade History: Every signal and execution
If your agent is consistently profitable in paper mode, it's ready to go live.