Aug 22, 2025

Why ROI in Trading Signals Is Often Manipulated: The Hidden Truth

Trading signals often promise ROI of +250%, but in reality traders usually earn just a few percent. Learn how ROI results are manipulated and why transparent strategies matter.

In the world of crypto trading, it’s common to see advertisements boasting “+250% ROI in a week.” It sounds exciting, but the reality for most traders is far less impressive. In this article, we’ll uncover how ROI is often manipulated in trading signals, why traders end up with only a small profit despite spectacular promises, and what approach delivers sustainable results.

How ROI Really Works

Leverage vs. Actual Profit

With 25× leverage, a +10% price move should theoretically yield +250% profit on the margin used. But signal providers rarely close the entire position at that point. Instead, they often sell half earlier, at a much smaller gain. This reduces the average profit per trade compared to the “book value” ROI they showcase.

ROI on Trade vs. ROI on Capital

Another trick is that signals typically use only a small fraction of account capital, often just 2%. So even if that trade shows +250% ROI, it applies only to that 2% portion.

Example:

2% of account × +250% ROI = +5% gain on the full account.

The marketing screenshot shows +250%, but in reality the trader only earns +5%.

Why Traders Feel Misled

Expectation vs. Reality

Subscribers buy signals expecting explosive gains. Seeing +250% ROI, they imagine their account will multiply in weeks. Instead, after following signals for a month, they end up with only +3–5% growth, sometimes less.

The Psychological Effect

After paying for signals, the trader compares cost vs. outcome: they risked capital, endured the stress of leveraged trades, and earned just a few percent. The result is disappointment and a sense of being misled.

The Core Problem

The issue is simple: providers sell a dream, not the reality.

The dream: +250% ROI in a week.
The reality: +3–5% monthly growth on actual capital.

If signal sellers presented the real equity curve, it wouldn’t be flashy enough to sell. That’s why they highlight best-case trades, not consistent performance.

The Alternative: Honest, Transparent Trading

Bots Instead of Signals

Rather than chasing ROI screenshots, many traders are turning to automated systems. Bots can:

run 24/7 without emotional bias,
scan the market and optimize TP/SL dynamically,
show a real equity curve instead of cherry-picked trades.

Steady Growth Beats Empty Promises

A strategy that delivers +5–10% per month may look “boring” compared to +250% ROI claims, but it’s realistic, sustainable, and compounding over time.

Conclusion

Trading signals often manipulate ROI figures, showcasing spectacular gains that translate to only minimal account growth. Traders pay for the illusion of quick wealth and end up with small returns and frustration.

The smarter choice is to focus on transparent systems that measure real account growth, not cherry-picked screenshots. Successful trading isn’t about hype – it’s about consistency.

Take the Transparent Path to Trading Success

If you want a solution that works without manipulation and shows real capital growth, check out Intralogic Backtesting Bot. A system built for sustainable performance, with full transparency of results.