Introduction
eToro describes itself as a trading platform that includes the element of social media. Many users regard eToro as the “Facebook for Trading”.
It is a platform that offers CFD and non-CFD trading on various instruments sich as stocks, indices, commodities, currencies, ETFs and cryptocurrencies.
This section details the various methodologies and terms associated with the trading function of eToro. As a social and cryptocurrency trading platform, learning everything on this section will help you use the app better even as a casual investor starting to learn the many ins and outs of the trading world.
If you're more interested about the trading platform, then you should read our complete eToro test and the results.
| 🖥️ Platforms | Web, Mobile |
| 📋 Copy Trading | Yes |
| 🛍️ Market Types | Stocks, Commodities, Currencies, Indices, Crypto, ETFs |
| 💰 Minimum Trade | $10 (Crypto, Stocks, ETFs) |
If you're already convinced about trading with eToro, then the very first step is to open an account.
78% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
What Can You Trade on eToro?
You can trade the following with eToro:
- Commodities
- Cryptocurrencies
- Currencies
- ETFs
- Indices
- Stocks
Note: Some asset types may not be accessible depending on your country of residence. In the US for example, registered clients are only allowed to trade cryptocurrencies due to regulatory guidelines.
Are There Trading Fees?
eToro earns money from non-trading activities such as spread fees, currency conversion fees, crypto currency transfer fees, leveraged trading fees, withdrawal fees and inactivity fees.
Investing in Crypto or Cryptocurrencies
Cryptocurrency trading on eToro allows you to trade a variety of the world's leading cryptocurrencies and crypto crosses, stay up to date with each crypto coin's price updates with the help of the apps' analysis tools and advanced interactive charts.
Among the leading cryptos that can be traded on eToro are BTC, ETH, ADA, BNB and IOTA.
Bitcoin (BTC) Trading
Trading Bitcoin on eToro consist of these simple steps:
- Sign up for an eToro account. Verify and make a deposit. From here on, you can buy and trade Bitcoin effortlessly.
- Buy a Bitcoin. Take note that you don't have to buy 1 whole Bitcoin as you can buy fractions of it. For example, if a Bitcoin is valued at $50000, you can buy a 0.1 fraction of it at $5000. To do this, click on “Trade Markets” on the menu below your profile. Select “BTC”.
- Click “Trade”. On the pop-up window showing the “Buy Bitcoin”, select the amount of money you want to invest and click “Open Trade”.
Investing via the Web
You can do trading via the web through the web-based platform of eToro that can be accessed on a desktop browser. This may also be accessed on a mobile web browser as an alternative to installing their mobile applications.
Trading Platform Download on Desktop
There's no downloadable version for eToro for desktop use. If you're using Windows or Mac, you can easily access eToro via their web-based site on your desktop or laptop. You can only download from mobile app stores (Play Store or App Store) for your mobile phone and tablet use.
Day Trading on eToro
Day trading is when a trader buys and sell assets and stocks all in the same day. They are traders who prefer not to HOLD any positions overnight.
Simply say: Day trading involves continuous lookout for short movements in very volatile and liquid assets.
Guide, Tips and Tutorials
eToro's official website has a lot of trading guides, tips and tutorials to offer and majority of the resources can be found on their education section or trading academy. Remember to spend time researching for these useful resources online because this will help you harness your trading skills.
eToro Trading Central
eToro's Trading Central's Research Platform is a web-based application you can access to learn how to optimize and strategize your trading activities. It covers various topics such as Fixed Income, Equities, Forex, Indices and Commodities and is available for Platinum, Platinum+ and Diamond account holders.
Trading Charts: The ProChart
eToro has a feature called ProChart which you can customize the layouts and re-arrange chart labels. To use ProChart simply follow these steps:
- Click “Watchlist”.
eToro Watchlist - Click any chart you want to view.
Clicking a chart on the eToro Watchlist - After it opens a new chart, explore the buttons on the upper right side of the chart to start customizing your ProChart.
eToro ProCharts customization
Trading Course
You can sign-up for an online trading course or Market Watch webinars via the eToro's website. Various courses covered includes the following:
- Market and trading basics
- Placing trades and strategy
- Money and goal management
Knowledge Assessment
Trading knowledge assessment is part of the sign-up process in creating an eToro account. It comprises of a few questions meant to assess your level or knowledge of complex derivatives and trading with leverage.
Are There Robots/Bots or Automated Trading Systems?
There's no trading bot on eToro. Instead, eToro’s CopyTrader system applies the more efficient way of using its automated tools and features rather than stand-alone automated systems and bots.
One Click Trading
One Click Trading is a tool in eToro that allows users to open trades faster without having to go through pre-determined trade parameters like Stop Loss, Take Profit, Amount and Leverage.
To turn ON the One Click Trading mode, just follow these simple steps:
- Click “Settings”.
eToro Settings screen - Select “Trading”.
Selecting "Trading" on eToro settings screen - Under the One Click Trading, answer the question “Do you want to enable one click trading?” by setting the toggle to YES.
Enabling one click trading on eToro
You can also add markets to your One Click Trading by using the “add market tool” search bar below it.
Stocks or Shares Trading
Stock trading are done in real-time on the eToro platform based on the hours of the exchange. When the market closes, orders are made through the platform and will open when the market opens the next day.
To start trading stocks on eToro, simply select a company stock by clicking it and then tapping the “Trade” tab.
Afterward, a pop-up window will appear where you can set the settings such as amount you want to invest, the Stop-Loss, take profit orders and leverage. Once done, click “Set Order”.
Accessing Your Trading History
The eToro Trading History is where you can view all your trading activities summarized and displayed on a neat form. To view your trading history, simply go to your Portfolio tab found on the left-hand sidebar and select the clock icon.
It will automatically show all your trading activities the last 30 days (the default setting). You can select the timeframe of the trading history you want to view.
On the upper right screen, you can click on the "Filter" icon to show a drop-down menu where you can select the type of current investment (CryptoPortfolios, Copied Traders, Manual Trades).
Clicking the “list” icon will show you how the trade was closed. For example:
- SL: Closed due to Stop Loss
- Instrument's Symbol: Closed Manually
- TP: Closed due to Take Profit
Clicking on the wheel icon will show you two summaries. If you click on “Account Statement”, a report of all your transactions (deposits, withdrawals, positions opened and closed) will be generated. You can export this to an Excel or a PDF file.
If you click on “Customize”, you can adjust the information you want to see on your transaction history report by re-arranging the columns for different activity categories such as: amount invested, profit/loss, opening rate, closing rate and so on.
Trading Volumes
Quick 101:
A trading volume represent the total quantity of shares traded for a specific stock or security exchanged by sellers and investors during a trading day. Trade volume or volume of trade is measured on stocks, contracts, options and futures contracts and commodities. The higher the trading volume is, the more it is seen as a positive because it means it has better order execution and more liquidity.
In relation to this topic, eToro’s platforms have no volume indicators due to the fact that forex and CFD markets have no central exchanges so basically, there’s no direct source to get the actual volume data.
If you have made a minimum of 10 forex transactions with at least an accumulated value of $500000, this is considered a large trading volume. This is among the requirements of qualifying as a professional trader if you’re a resident of the EU as per the regulatory guidelines that were set by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA).
Currency Trading Hours
The trading hours for currency in eToro is as follows. All times are in EST:
The foreign exchange market opens on Sunday 5:05 PM and Closes on Friday at 4:30 PM for the following currency trades:
- EUR/USD
- USD/JPY
- GBP/USD
- USD/CHF
- NZD/USD
- AUD/USD
Currency trades that open on Sunday at 4:05 PM and closes on Friday at 3:30 PM are:
- EUR/GBP
- EUR / JPY
- GBP / JPY
- AUD / JPY
 trading on eToro.webp)
Gold Trading Hours
Gold trading hours opens on Monday at 4:00 PM and closes every Friday at 2:30 PM (both are in US & Canada Pacific Time). Same hours also applies to trading of Silver, Copper, Oil and NATGAS.
Stock Trading Times
eToro trading hours on stocks are based on the official opening and closing times of the exchange.
For example:
eToro stock trading hours follows the NYSE and the NASDAQ, two of the main American exchanges, which opens from Monday to Friday at 9:30 AM and closes at 4 PM (Eastern Time).
Other trading hours from other exchanges are as follows (all in EST):
- LSE: Monday (3:00 AM) - Friday (11:30 AM)
- HK Stock Exchange: Sunday (8:30 PM) - Friday (3:00 AM)
- Euronext Paris: Monday (3:00 AM) - Friday (11:30 AM)
- Borsa Italiana: Monday (3:00 AM) - Friday (11:25 AM)
- Copenhagen: Monday (3:00 AM) - Friday (10:55 AM)
- Tadawul Saudi Arabia: Sunday (2:00 AM) - Thursday (7:00 AM)
How to Close a Trade?
To close a trade on eToro simply follow these:
- Click on the “Portfolio” tab to view all the investment instruments you are trading.
- Click on the particular instrument to view a summary.
- Click the X mark next to the position you want to close (on the web-browser version)
- Click “Close Trade”.
Using the eToro mobile app:
- Swipe left on the position you want to close and click the red X.
- Click “Close Trade”.
Closing Part of a Trade
To partially close a trade, just follow these steps:
- Click on “Portfolio”.
- Select the instrument you want to close.
- On the next window, click the red X and tick “Close only part of the trade”.
- Choose the amount of USD or number of unites you want to close.
- Select “Close Trade”.
Difference Between “Order” and “Trade”
Here’s the deal:
An “Order” is initiated above or below the current market value of an instrument while a “Trade” is executed based on the current market's SELL and BUY prices.
The Minimum Trade Size
Each asset type has a specified minimum required investment amount in order for you to open a position.
The crypto, stocks and ETFs classes have the lowest requirement at $10 while the commodities, currencies and indices have the highest minimum trade size at $1000.
| Asset Type | Minimum Trade |
|---|---|
| Commodities | $1000 |
| Crypto | $10 |
| Currencies | $1000 |
| ETFs | $10 |
| Indices | $1000 |
| Stocks | $10 |
Mobile Trader
A mobile trader refers to a trader or investor who uses wireless technology in engaging in CFD or non-CFD trading. Mobile trading is fast becoming a favorite tool as it allows investors faster access to trading channels and exchanges as opposed to the traditional methods using a desktop computer.
Mobile trading with eToro is possible via their mobile apps which can be installed on smartphones and tablets that are powered by iOS or Android.
78% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
The SELL Trade or Short-Selling
To do a SELL on eToro, simply open a trade, switch the toggle to “SELL” from the default “BUY”.
The moment you switch to “SELL” and “OPEN” a trade, your position will be called as “Short-selling” which will increase in value once the asset's value decreases.
Remember:
The SELL does not mean selling an asset from your portfolio. Rather, it is opening a position that is categorized as “short”.
The Social Trading Feature
Among the unique features of eToro is its social element that allows users to engage in social trading through the “CopyTrader” feature.
How can you actually use this?
This feature allows users to scroll through the profiles of highly-successful traders using the eToro app, much like to sorting through Facebook profiles, to see their trading history, trading strategies and how much money they have earned or lost during a period of time.
Doing this, you can easily “copy” their trading strategy by simply allocating some funds to copy their trades.
Copy Trading
By reinventing mirror trading, eToro's copy trading function of its CopyTrader feature is a pioneering concept that enables users to copy traders of their own choosing by replicating their trading activities and strategies.
Simply say: Copy Trading allows you to have other more seasoned and skilled traders from around the world, do all the trading for yourself.
How Does eToro Copy Trader work?
CopyTrader starts working after you allocate a certain amount from your fund to copy another trader. Afterwards, you will need to select a trader to copy based from the profiles that will show up after clicking the “Copy People” tab.
Once that trader of your own choosing buys a certain stock, for example an AMZN stock, the amount you set aside for your copy fund will automatically buy its equivalent of AMZN stocks.
Before using the CopyTrader feature of eToro, a user will need to meet these requirements:
- The minimum amount to invest or copy a trader is $200.
- The maximum number of traders you can copy at the same time is 100.
- $500000 is the maximum amount of money you can invest to copy one trader.
- $1 is the minimum amount for a copied trade, so any values below that will not be opened.
Best eToro Traders to Copy and Follow
There are countless highly skilled and seasoned traders to copy and follow on eToro. However, basing on the top profiles and numbers of copiers and followers, these names are ranked atop the most copied traders on eToro:
- Jay Edward Smith (@jaynemesis): Over 1.8 million followers and 25000+ copiers and a return of 21.32% in 2021.
 trading profile on eToro.webp)
Jay Edward Smith (@jaynemesis) trading profile on eToro
*Past performance is not an indication of future results. Trading history presented is less than 5 complete years and may not suffice as basis for investment decision. - Olivier Danvel (@OlivierDanvel): More than 4.8 million followers and 7500+ copiers and a return of 2.15% in 2021 while managing over $5 million in assets on eToro.
 trading profile on eToro.webp)
Olivier Danvel (@OlivierDanvel) trading profile on eToro
*Past performance is not an indication of future results. Trading history presented is less than 5 complete years and may not suffice as basis for investment decision. - Jeppe Kirk Bonde (@JeppeKirkBonde): 506000+ followers and 26000+ copiers and a return of 15.88% in 2021.
 trading profile on eToro.webp)
Jeppe Kirk Bonde (@JeppeKirkBonde) trading profile on eToro
*Past performance is not an indication of future results. Trading history presented is less than 5 complete years and may not suffice as basis for investment decision.
What If Copy Trading Is Disabled?
If for some reason, your CopyTrader feature is disabled on your eToro dashboard, it could be due to some technical issues. After giving it some time and the problem persists, it would be better to contact customer support for assistance regarding this issue.
Copying Open Trades, What Will Happen?
If a user copy open trades on eToro, their funds will be automatically allocated to the copied trader's portfolio composition.
Trade Like a Steve
The phrase “Trade like a Steve” is an analogy at how one can benefit from using the CopyTrader feature of eToro. They also launched a video ad campaign to explain this.
For example:
Marky and Steve both use eToro to trade in the financial market. Steve spends a lot of time studying stock market movements, doing research on global investment trends as well as keeping a watchlist of some of the most promising stocks in the market. Marky meanwhile, spends most of his time doing something else than following his watchlist.
But because Marky is copying Steve, he becomes sort of like trading like Steve. Both Steve and Marky become a successful investor all thanks to Marky being able to replicate Steve’s trading strategies and activities. By using eToro’s CopyTrader feature, everyone can easily “Trade like a Steve”.
eToro™ - Trade like a Steve
Trading Signals
You can receive trading signals from the most successful eToro traders you want to copy by simply clicking on their profile picture to view their profile page.
On their profile page, you will see the following:
- Feed: This appears like a typical social media feed comprising of messages and other updates from the trader as well as “likes” and comments from other eToro users. This is a good tab to follow the trader you want to copy for updates on emerging stocks.
- Stats: You will see the trader's performance on this section over a variety of timeframes. You can study their average risk scores, number of copiers and profits and losses at every category.
- Portfolio:You will find a summary of the trader's current portfolio here including the percentage of their total invested capital
- Chart: This is where you can view a chart of their net worth.
To get daily trading signals from a trader you like to copy, just click on the “+” icon beside the “Copy” button on the right-hand side of their page. You will then add them to your watchlist and get real-time signals of every trading actions they make.
*Past performance is not an indication of future results. Trading history presented is less than 5 complete years and may not suffice as basis for investment decision.
eToro is a multi-asset platform which offers both investing in stocks and cryptoassets, as well as trading CFDs.
Please note that CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 78% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money.
Past performance is not an indication of future results. Trading history presented is less than 5 complete years and may not suffice as basis for investment decision.
Copy trading is a portfolio management service, provided by eToro (Europe) Ltd., which is authorised and regulated by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission.
Cryptoasset investing is unregulated in some EU countries and the UK. No consumer protection. Your capital is at risk.
eToro USA LLC does not offer CFDs and makes no representation and assumes no liability as to the accuracy or completeness of the content of this publication, which has been prepared by our partner utilizing publicly available non-entity specific information about eToro.