Shadow Mode — Paper Trading

Shadow Mode is SharkBlock’s simulation environment. Same logic as live trading, but with virtual SOL — no real funds at risk.

What Is Shadow Mode?

A Shadow bot runs the exact same matching engine, security screening, and execution logic as a live bot. The only difference: trades use virtual SOL that you fund directly from the app. No money moves on-chain.

This lets you validate a strategy under real market conditions before risking real capital — and switch to live with zero configuration changes.

Key Features

🎯 Risk-Free Testing

• Use any amount of virtual SOL — funded from the app, no deposit needed
• Experiment with filters, targets, presets without consequences
• See how your strategy reacts to live market events

📊 Real Market Data

• Same real-time Solana swap stream that powers live trading
• Same enriched token data (volume, holders, security flags, etc.)
• Realistic outcomes — including slippage, market impact and security rejections

⚡ Identical Execution Path

• Same matching engine
• Same entry / exit logic
• Same security screening
• Same target system (take-profit, stop-loss)
• Only difference: virtual SOL instead of real SOL

📈 Performance Tracking

• Realized and unrealized PnL per shadow bot
• Win rate, trade count, average gain / loss
• Full transaction history

How Shadow Mode Works

1. Virtual Balance

Fund the shadow wallet with any amount of virtual SOL from the app. You can top up or reset the balance at any time.

2. Strategy Configuration

Configure the bot exactly as you would for live trading: entry filters, exit targets, presets, max concurrent positions, position size.

3. Identical Execution

When a token matches your strategy, the bot opens a position with virtual SOL — same swap quote, same security screen, same anti-MEV settings (the tx isn’t actually broadcast on-chain).

4. Analyze Results

Watch the bot in real time. Review which entries triggered, which targets fired, where you’d have made or lost money.

Getting Started

1. Sign in to SharkBlock
2. Click Create Bot → choose Shadow Mode
3. Name the bot, give it an emoji
4. Configure the strategy (Create Strategy)
5. Fund the shadow wallet with virtual SOL
6. Enable the bot (Enable Bot)
7. Watch performance from the dashboard

Shadow-Only Features

These are disabled on delegated (live) bots to protect real funds.

Important Notes

⚠️ Same Logic, Virtual Money

• Shadow execution is a simulation against real market data — it does not actually submit transactions on-chain
• Results reflect what would have happened with real funds under the same conditions
• Anti-MEV settings are honored in logic but have no real-world MEV effect (since the tx never hits the network)

🔄 Seamless Promotion to Live

• The strategy you’ve validated in Shadow Mode can be replicated on a delegated bot with the same configuration
• Switching modes means creating a new delegated bot with the same parameters and granting delegation

📋 Best Practices

• Test in multiple market conditions (bull, chop, dump)
• Run for at least a few hours to a few days before drawing conclusions
• Compare different parameter sets side by side (one shadow bot per variant)
• Pay attention to why trades fired — not just to PnL

Limits

• Up to 3 shadow bots per account (in addition to 3 live bots)
• Shadow bots are free — no fees of any kind

Ready to Test?

Shadow Mode is the safest way to learn SharkBlock and validate your ideas. Start with it before going live.