Crypto Fund Trader vs FTMO - Prop Firm Comparison (March 2026)
Head-to-head comparison of Crypto Fund Trader and FTMO. Check max funding, profit splits, daily and overall drawdown rules, leverage, tradable assets, payout frequency, payment and payout methods, trading permissions and KYC restrictions before you buy a challenge. Data refreshed March 2026.
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Crypto Fund Trader
Crypto Fund Trader (CFT) is a Switzerland-based crypto-first evaluation firm operated via SWISS RLCRATES AG that offers 1-phase, 2-phase, Instant and Ascend models with no time limits on standard challenges, trading via MT5, Match Trader and Bybit, simulated allocations up...
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FTMO
FTMO is a Prague-based prop trading evaluation company founded in 2015 that uses a two-step challenge (FTMO Challenge + Verification) with unlimited time, strict 5% max daily loss and 10% max loss limits, and Normal or Swing funded account types....
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| Overview | ||
| Trustpilot Rating | 4.4 | 4.8 |
| Trustpilot Reviews | 1,106 | 40,041 |
| Headquarters | Switzerland | Czech Republic |
| Age (Years) | 5 | 11 |
| Max Funding | $300,000 | $400,000 |
| Profit Split Start | 80% | 80% |
| Profit Split Max | 90% | 90% |
| Platforms | MT5 Match-Trader Bybit | MT4 MT5 cTrader DXtrade |
| Assets | Crypto Forex Indices Commodities Stocks | FX Indices Commodities Stocks Crypto |
| Leverage | ||
| FX Leverage | 100 | 100 |
| Metals Leverage | 100 | 30 |
| Crypto Leverage | 100 | 3.3 |
| Risk & Drawdown Rules | ||
| Max Daily Loss | Maximum Daily LossCrypto Fund Trader calculates daily drawdown based on equity. For standard evaluations, the daily maximum loss is measured from the starting balance at 12:05 AM UTC. CFT lists the default daily limits as 5% on 2-phase evaluations and 4% on 1-phase evaluations.Add-ons may modify certain limits (for example, a 2-phase add-on that increases daily drawdown to 6%). Ascend also adds a specific news window risk constraint (see “News Trading”). | Maximum Daily LossFTMO applies a 5% Maximum Daily Loss. It is calculated from the account’s balance at midnight CE(S)T (platform time) each day and includes the running total of the day’s closed trades + floating P/L, including commissions and swaps. If the daily limit is exceeded at any time, the account fails. |
| Max Total Loss | Maximum Overall LossCFT’s standard evaluation structures use different overall loss models:2-Phase: maximum loss is typically fixed at 10% of initial balance.1-Phase: a 6% trailing drawdown applies (equity-based), and once the account exceeds +6% profit, the trailing line locks at the initial balance instead of continuing to trail upward.3-Phase (if selected): CFT states a 5% fixed maximum loss with a 5% daily max loss.Add-ons may increase max loss limits (e.g., a 2-phase add-on raising max loss to 12%). | Maximum LossFTMO applies a 10% Maximum Loss (overall loss limit). This is a static cap measured against the account’s starting balance, and it is evaluated on equity (closed + floating results, including trading costs). Breaching it at any time results in account failure. |
| Drawdown Type | Drawdown ModelCrypto Fund Trader’s drawdown enforcement is primarily equity-based. The daily loss limit resets using the account’s starting balance at 12:05 AM UTC. For overall drawdown, CFT uses static/fixed overall loss on 2-phase challenges (e.g., 10% of initial) and a trailing model on 1-phase challenges (6% trailing that later locks at the initial balance after +6% gain).Accounts that breach max daily, max overall, or trailing drawdown are deactivated and the trader is notified by email. | Drawdown ModelFTMO uses static loss limits: a daily loss limit that resets at midnight (platform time) and an overall loss limit based on the starting balance. Both limits include floating P/L and trading costs (commissions/swaps), so equity protection matters as much as closed P/L. |
| Payouts | ||
| Payout Frequency | Payout FrequencyIn the final-stage simulation, scholarship requests can be made after at least 15 trading days, or alternatively every 30 calendar days (if rules were not violated). Certain program variants (e.g., 3-phase rules) note a first request possible after 5 trading days, and an add-on may allow eligibility after 7 active trading days.For Instant accounts, CFT also supports a scale milestone: once the account reaches +10% profit, traders can request a “Withdrawal & Update” to both withdraw and double the account size. | Payout FrequencyFTMO rewards are processed on request. Once you have access to the FTMO Account, you can request your reward after a minimum of 14 calendar days from your first day of trading on the FTMO Account (biweekly request cadence).Minimum profit thresholds apply to cover transaction costs (e.g., $20 minimum for bank transfer, $50 minimum for crypto withdrawals). |
| Days to First Payout | 15 | 14 |
| Payout Processing Time | Payout ProcessingCFT states that once a scholarship is requested, its team verifies the information and sends payment within 48 business hours. After the payment is sent, CFT states the user receives the scholarship in no more than 24 hours (timing depends on the payment rail). | Payout ProcessingReward requests go through a review step (typically 1–2 business days). After approval, payments are usually processed within an additional 1–2 business days, depending on the chosen payout method and banking/processor timelines. |
| Payout Methods | Bank Transfer (EUR USD) Crypto (USDT ERC20 USDT TRC20 BTC ETH) | Bank Transfer Cryptocurrency Skrill Neteller |
| Payments | ||
| Payment Methods | Credit/Debit Card Crypto (11 supported currencies) | Credit/Debit Card Bank Transfer Cryptocurrency Skrill |
| Trading Permissions | ||
| News Trading | News trading is allowed on CFT evaluations according to its FAQ. For Ascend evaluations, CFT adds a news-window constraint: within 2 minutes before and after high-impact news or market opening, accounts must not open/add positions or raise maximum theoretical loss above 2% of initial balance. | Evaluation (FTMO Challenge + Verification): news trading is allowed freely during all releases.FTMO Account (Normal): for specified high-impact announcements and targeted instruments, you must not open or close trades (including SL/TP triggers) in the 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after the release.FTMO Account Swing: news trading restrictions do not apply. |
| Weekend Trades | Weekend/overnight holding is generally allowed (CFT states it accepts swing trading strategies and keeping trades open over the weekend). Market availability still follows instrument schedules: crypto trades 24/7 while forex is typically Monday–Friday and other CFDs follow their own market hours. | Evaluation (FTMO Challenge + Verification): holding trades over the weekend is allowed.FTMO Account (Normal): positions must be closed before the weekend market close (or if the market break/rollover is longer than 2 hours). Some cryptocurrencies may be tradable during specific weekend hours.FTMO Account Swing: no restrictions on holding positions over the weekend. |
| Copy Trading | CFT does not present a simple “copy trading allowed” rule in its public FAQ. However, it explicitly restricts multi-account coordination through rules such as the reverse trading/hedging constraints, and it states that copy trading between Ascend accounts is prohibited (including coordinated or mirrored behaviour that cannot be attributed to chance). | Trade copying tools can be used as long as your trading remains compliant with FTMO’s rules. FTMO’s services are for personal use only: you must not allow any third party to access or trade your accounts, and coordinated/manipulative trade patterns between connected accounts (e.g., opposite positions across accounts for manipulation) are forbidden. |
| EA Allowed | Automation is partially supported: CFT lists categories of prohibited EA types (notably HFT, tick scalping, arbitrage and demo-environment exploitation). EAs that do not fall into these categories are not explicitly banned in the FAQ, but traders remain responsible for ensuring automation complies with all rules. | EAs are allowed as long as the strategy is legitimate, replicable in real markets, and does not fall into forbidden practices. Note that automated trading that overloads servers (e.g., excessive server requests) is prohibited, and widely used third-party EAs may risk breaching maximum capital allocation constraints if multiple users run the same strategy. |
| KYC & Restrictions | ||
| KYC Required | No | No |
| KYC Stage | KYC is required as part of the scholarship/withdrawal workflow. After a scholarship request is submitted in the dashboard, CFT states the trader receives a contract to sign and a KYC to complete before funds are sent. (Bybit evaluations may additionally be subject to Bybit’s own KYC rules, which are the trader’s responsibility.) | FTMO requires identity verification before becoming an FTMO Trader and signing the FTMO Account Agreement. For individuals, this is KYC and typically requires a government-issued ID and proof of address. Businesses may require KYB documentation. Once the verification is complete, the FTMO Account Agreement is unlocked for signing in the Client Area. |
| Restricted Countries | N/A | Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Barbados Belarus Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Central African Republic Cuba Democratic Republic of the Congo Eritrea Guam Guinea Guinea-Bissau Haiti Hong Kong Iran Iraq Kazakhstan Kosovo Libya Mali Morocco Myanmar Nicaragua North Korea Pakistan Palestine Panama Puerto Rico Russia Samoa Sierra Leone Somalia South Sudan Sudan Syria Tunisia Uganda Ukraine (Crimea Donetsk Luhansk) United Arab Emirates United States Minor Outlying Islands Venezuela Virgin Islands (US) Yemen Zimbabwe |