How do the challenges work at Crypto Fund Trader for traders seeking funding?

💡 Answer

Crypto Fund Trader structures access to its final-stage simulation through several challenge paths:

  • 2-Phase Evaluation: Phase 1 typically requires an 8% profit target, and Phase 2 a 5% profit target. The common loss limits are a 5% max daily loss and a 10% max overall loss, with minimum 5 trading days per phase and no time limit.
  • 1-Phase Evaluation: A single stage with a 10% profit target, a 4% daily loss limit, and a 6% trailing drawdown that trails until the account exceeds +6%, then locks at the initial balance. Minimum 5 trading days, no time limit.
  • Instant Evaluation: A scale-oriented path where traders can request a “Withdrawal & Update” at +10% (no minimum trading days for that upgrade). CFT limits users to three active Instant evaluations at a time and allows scaling up to $1,280,000 on the Instant model.
  • Ascend Evaluation: A fast-track program with additional rules (notably around news windows and coordinated/copy behaviour). Upon completing Phase 2, the account is closed and replaced with a redeemable “ticket” in the dashboard’s Withdraw section.
  • Bybit Evaluations: Traders connect their own Bybit account via API and trade USDT futures contracts (715+ pairs referenced by CFT/Bybit integration notes).

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Crypto Fund Trader vs E8 Markets vs FundedNext - Prop Firm Comparison (March 2026)

Side-by-side comparison of Crypto Fund Trader vs E8 Markets vs FundedNext. Quickly scan maximum funding, profit splits, risk rules, leverage, platforms, instruments, payout schedules, payment options, trading permissions and KYC restrictions to narrow down your prop trading firm shortlist. Data updated March 2026.

Crypto Fund Trader vs E8 Markets vs FundedNext - Prop Firm Comparison (March 2026)
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...
E8 Markets
E8 Markets is a US-based prop-firm-style evaluation brand operating simulated accounts via third-party platforms, offering 1-step programs such as E8 One and E8 Signature (Forex/Crypto) with dynamic drawdown models, leverage up to 1:30 on FX, and performance-fee payouts via Plane...
FundedNext
FundedNext is a UAE-registered prop trading platform that offers Stellar 1-Step, Stellar 2-Step, Stellar Lite evaluations plus Stellar Instant funding. It combines balance-based drawdown rules, access to MT4/MT5/cTrader/Match-Trader (TradingView supported for analysis), and reward shares up to 95% (with add-ons)...
Overview
Trustpilot Rating 4.4 4.4 4.5
Trustpilot Reviews 1,106 3,232 61,473
Headquarters Switzerland United States United Arab Emirates
Age (Years) 5 N/A N/A
Max Funding $300,000 $500,000 $300,000
Profit Split Start 80% 80% 80%
Profit Split Max 90% 100% 95%
Platforms MT5 Match-Trader Bybit MT5 cTrader Match-Trader TradeLocker MT4 MT5 cTrader Match-Trader
Assets Crypto Forex Indices Commodities Stocks FX Metals Indices Energy Crypto Commodities Crypto Forex Indices
Leverage
FX Leverage 100 30 100
Metals Leverage 100 15 15
Crypto Leverage 100 5 1
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”). 3 5
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%). 4 10
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 ModelE8 One uses a 3% Daily Drawdown (from the day's starting balance) plus a 4% Dynamic Drawdown that limits maximum running or closed loss. E8 Signature products use an end-of-day (EOD) Dynamic Drawdown limit (set as a fixed dollar amount by account size) plus a 2% Daily Pause that stops trading for the rest of the day but does not breach the account. Stellar 1-Step / 2-Step / Lite: Daily Loss and Maximum Loss are calculated from the initial balance of the phase and include closed + floating PnL (plus commissions/fees). The daily limit resets at 00:00 (server time GMT+2). The maximum loss threshold is fixed as a percentage of the initial balance, while the “maximum permitted loss” displayed can expand or shrink with accumulated profit/loss within a trading cycle.Stellar Instant: Uses a 6% trailing maximum loss limit that ratchets upward with profits; it does not reset after withdrawals.
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 Frequency E8 Markets payouts are requested on-demand once a trader meets eligibility criteria. E8 Signature Forex/Crypto: First payout requires 3 profitable days; subsequent payouts require 5 profitable days (each profitable day is ≥0.3% realized closed PnL), plus a 35% Best Day Rule. Payout buffer and payout caps apply. E8 One (E8 Trader stage): 40% Best Day Rule and the trader's net profit (payout share) must be greater than 50% of the account's daily drawdown; buffer rules can apply in specific scenarios. Payout Frequency (Performance Rewards)Payout timing depends on the account model:Stellar 1-Step FundedNext Account: rewards are requested on a 5 business day cycle (first and subsequent cycles).Stellar 2-Step & Stellar Lite FundedNext Accounts: first reward is available after an initial 21-day cycle, then bi-weekly (every 14 days) thereafter if eligibility is met; a “Bi-Weekly Reward” add-on can bypass the initial 21-day wait.Stellar Instant: first reward is available after 5 business days, then rewards can be requested on-demand, subject to eligibility and trailing drawdown buffer rules.
Days to First Payout 15 0 5
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 ProcessingPayouts are typically processed within 1–2 business days (excluding weekends) and then received in ~1–3 additional business days; the total process may take 2–5 business days. Payouts are delivered via Plane (bank transfer) or Rise (crypto options), subject to payout-provider onboarding/KYC. Payout ProcessingPerformance Reward requests are submitted through the FundedNext dashboard. Processing time can vary based on compliance checks, payout method/provider, and request volume; allow additional time for bank/crypto settlement after approval.
Payout Methods Bank Transfer (EUR USD) Crypto (USDT ERC20 USDT TRC20 BTC ETH) Plane (Bank Transfer) Rise (Crypto) Rise Crypto Bank Transfer
Payments
Payment Methods Credit/Debit Card Crypto (11 supported currencies) Credit/Debit Card Crypto Credit/Debit Card Crypto Local Payment Methods
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. E8 One: In Phase 1, news trading is allowed without restriction. On the E8 Trader stage, a prohibition window applies for high-impact news: 5 minutes before and 5 minutes after the release, during which opening/closing/modifying trades is prohibited; profits earned during the window may be removed without an account violation. E8 Signature Forex/Crypto: News trading is allowed without restrictions in both Phase 1 and the E8 Trader stage, with a reminder that high-impact news can cause volatility and slippage and that the user is responsible. News trading is generally allowed across FundedNext CFD models, but FundedNext applies ‘restricted news time’ rules on funded accounts: if trades are executed during restricted high-impact, instrument-correlated news windows, a portion of the profit can be removed during cycle review (commonly referenced as a 40% deduction on affected profits). Stellar Instant has a distinct news-time profit treatment where FundedNext may retain a larger share of profits generated during designated news time.
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. E8 Signature Forex/Crypto: Overnight/weekend holding is not supported; positions are closed daily at 23:00 server time and trading reopens at 00:15.E8 One: The help center does not impose the same daily position-closure rule; weekend/overnight exposure remains subject to normal market gaps and drawdown calculations. Overnight and weekend holding is allowed across all active CFD account types (Stellar Instant, Stellar 1-Step, Stellar 2-Step, Stellar Lite). Swap charges (unless swap-free) can impact floating PnL and therefore drawdown calculations.
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). E8 Markets allows copy trading across evaluations and E8 Trader accounts (and to/from personal accounts) as long as the accounts belong to you. A key restriction is that you cannot copy trades or reuse the same trading ideas between multiple E8 evaluation accounts; each evaluation must be traded independently. Team trading and third-party signal services are not permitted. Copy trading is allowed only between your own FundedNext Challenge accounts (one ‘master’ and one or more ‘slave’ accounts) as long as total combined Challenge capital does not exceed $300,000. Copy trading is prohibited between any FundedNext Account and any other FundedNext Account or Challenge account (even if you own them). Cloud-based copy services are not allowed; VPS-based copiers are permitted only for copying between your own Challenge accounts.
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. Expert Advisors (EAs) are allowed. E8 states it limits one strategy per user and may terminate accounts if it detects multiple users executing the same trades/strategy. Server request limits (e.g., order/TP/SL modification limits and maximum positions per day) also apply. EAs/automation are supported on MT4/MT5 (and platform-native automation where applicable). Match-Trader is positioned for manual trading and does not support MetaTrader-style EAs. Any automation must still comply with FundedNext’s prohibited strategy and fair-use rules.
KYC & Restrictions
KYC Required No Yes Yes
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.) KYC is required as part of eligibility and compliance checks. To receive a payout, traders must also be able to onboard and pass KYC with E8's payout providers (Plane or Riseworks/Rise); if a trader cannot complete provider onboarding, E8 states it cannot issue a payout. KYC (identity verification) is required after passing a Stellar Challenge and before a FundedNext Account is issued. Traders upload government-issued ID (and in some cases proof of address) via the dashboard Verification Center; once approved, FundedNext typically issues the FundedNext Account within 48–72 hours. KYC must be completed within 30 days after passing, otherwise the account can become inactive.
Restricted Countries N/A Afghanistan Albania Algeria Myanmar (Burma) Burundi Belarus Central African Republic Congo Democratic Republic of Congo Cuba Ethiopia Hong Kong Iran Iraq Kenya Kosovo Lebanon Libya Mali Midway Islands Nicaragua North Korea Pakistan Russia Samoa Somalia South Sudan Sudan Syria Ukraine United Arab Emirates Vatican City State Venezuela West Bank Western Sahara Yemen Zambia; Limited (E8 Signature Forex/Crypto only): Bulgaria India Romania Bangladesh Indonesia Taiwan Cambodia Laos Viet Nam Croatia Afghanistan Albania Antigua and Barbuda Bangladesh Belarus Belize Bouvet Island Burundi Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Cuba Democratic Republic of the Congo Eritrea Ethiopia Fiji Grenada Iran Lebanon Libya Malaysia Mali Myanmar Nicaragua North Korea Russia Somalia South Sudan Sri Lanka Sudan Syria Tuvalu Ukraine Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zimbabwe