How do the challenges work at Eightcap Challenges for traders seeking funding?

💡 Answer

Eightcap Challenges offers three simulated trading paths:

  • One Phase: A single assessment stage (10% target) with balance-based drawdown limits (4% daily / 8% max). After passing, the trader enters the Payout Stage with an 80% profit share (optional 90%).
  • Two Phase: A two-stage evaluation (10% then 8%) with balance-based drawdown limits (5% daily / 10% max) before progressing to the Payout Stage (80% profit share; optional add-ons).
  • Day Trader Challenges: A fast, time-limited (1–8 hours) challenge starting directly in the Payout Phase on a $10,000 simulated balance where the payout is calculated as a stake-multiplier (2x/5x/10x) upon successful completion.

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Eightcap Challenges vs Funding Pips vs DNA Funded - Prop Firm Comparison (March 2026)

Side-by-side comparison of Eightcap Challenges vs Funding Pips vs DNA Funded. 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.

Eightcap Challenges vs Funding Pips vs DNA Funded - Prop Firm Comparison (March 2026)
Eightcap Challenges
Eightcap Challenges is a broker-backed simulated trading program operated by Eightcap International Ltd (Seychelles) that offers One Phase and Two Phase CFD challenges on mt4, mt5 and tradelocker with balance-based drawdown limits, a 14-day payout cycle, and 80% profit splits...
Funding Pips
Funding Pips is an aggressively marketed prop firm offering Instant Funding, One Step, and Two Step evaluations with profit splits up to 100%, but stricter post-funding risk rules and transparency issues mean it suits disciplined, experienced traders more than beginners.
DNA Funded
DNA Funded is a broker-backed Australian prop firm partnered with DNA Markets that lets traders choose between 1-step, 2-step, rapid 10-day challenges and instant funding, with 80%–90% profit splits, access to 800+ CFD markets via TradeLocker, and combined simulated funding...
Overview
Trustpilot Rating 4.1 4.5 3.8
Trustpilot Reviews 3,569 48,916 84
Headquarters Seychelles United Arab Emirates Australia
Age (Years) 1 N/A N/A
Max Funding $600,000 $300,000 $600,000
Profit Split Start 80% 80% 80%
Profit Split Max 90% 100% 90%
Platforms mt4 mt5 tradelocker MT5 cTrader Match-Trader TradeLocker
Assets FX Commodities Indices Crypto US Stocks (Day Trader only) FX Metals Indices Energy Crypto FX Commodities Indices Stocks Crypto
Leverage
FX Leverage 100 100 50
Metals Leverage 20 30 10
Crypto Leverage 3 2 2
Risk & Drawdown Rules
Max Daily Loss Maximum Daily DrawdownEightcap Challenges applies a balance-based daily drawdown rule calculated from the previous day’s account balance snapshot (Previous Day Balance × Limit%). Your account’s intraday equity loss must not exceed this daily limit.One Phase: 4% daily drawdown (Assessment and Payout Stages).Two Phase: 5% daily drawdown (Assessment, Qualification and Payout Stages).Day Trader: No daily drawdown; risk is managed via fixed maximum drawdown thresholds tied to the selected timeframe and multiplier. Maximum Daily LossFunding Pips applies model-dependent daily loss limits between 3% and 5% of the account balance.How It Is Applied:Zero (Instant): 3% maximum daily loss with a 1% floating loss cap after funding.One Step: 3% maximum daily loss and 6% max overall loss.Two Step Standard: 5% maximum daily loss.Two Step Pro: 3% maximum daily loss with stricter consistency rules.Breaching the daily loss limit at any moment typically results in account termination. Maximum Daily LossDaily loss limits at DNA Funded depend on the program. Single Helix uses a 5% max daily drawdown, Double Helix typically applies 6% in Phase 1 and 5% in Phase 2, Rapid Challenge runs with a 4% daily loss cap and Instant Funding does not apply a separate daily limit but is constrained by a tight trailing overall drawdown.The daily loss check is balance- or equity-based around the end-of-day snapshot, and breaching the permitted percentage at any point in the trading day constitutes an account violation.
Max Total Loss Maximum DrawdownOverall drawdown is enforced as a fixed percentage of the initial balance for standard challenges and as fixed-dollar thresholds for Day Trader Challenges.One Phase: 8% maximum drawdown (Assessment and Payout Stages).Two Phase: 10% maximum drawdown (Assessment, Qualification and Payout Stages).Day Trader: Maximum drawdown is defined in dollars and varies by timeframe and multiplier (DT-1/DT-2/DT-4/DT-8 with 2x/5x/10x options). Maximum Overall LossMaximum overall loss on Funding Pips accounts ranges from 5% to 10% depending on the model.How It Works:Zero: 5% trailing drawdown from the highest equity.One Step: 6% maximum loss relative to starting balance.Two Step Standard: 10% maximum loss.Two Step Pro: 6% maximum loss with tight risk requirements.If your equity falls below the allowed threshold, the account is considered breached even if the violation is brief. Maximum Overall LossFor Single Helix, Double Helix and Rapid Challenge, DNA Funded uses static lifetime loss caps, typically around 10% for the main 1-phase and 2-phase models and 5% for Rapid.Instant Funding accounts instead use a 4% trailing overall drawdown that ratchets up as new equity highs are made; if balance or equity falls below this trailing line the account is breached, even if it remains above the initial starting balance.
Drawdown Type Balance-based (Daily from previous-day balance; Max fixed from initial balance) Drawdown ModelFunding Pips combines a trailing drawdown on its Zero model with static max loss rules on other accounts.Key Points:Zero accounts use a 5% trailing drawdown plus a 1% floating loss cap once funded.One Step, Two Step Standard, and Two Step Pro use fixed overall loss limits (6% or 10%) relative to starting balance.Drawdown calculations include both closed and open positions.Risk rules can become stricter after funding than during evaluation, so traders must adapt once funded.This structure creates tight but clearly defined loss thresholds, especially on the Zero and Pro models. Drawdown ModelThe evaluation challenges primarily rely on static drawdown limits calculated from either the initial balance or an end-of-day balance snapshot, while the Instant Funding program uses a classic trailing drawdown that tracks new highs and never resets upward after a payout.In practice this means evaluation traders can stabilise their static loss buffers by growing the account gradually, whereas Instant Funding traders must protect profits more aggressively because the allowed loss band follows their performance.
Payouts
Payout Frequency Payout FrequencyOne Phase & Two Phase: Standard payout eligibility begins 14 days into the Payout Stage (or 7 days with the earlier-payout add-on), provided all payout-stage requirements and KYC are satisfied.Day Trader Challenges: Payout eligibility is immediate upon successful completion of the time-limited challenge. Payout FrequencyFunding Pips offers flexible payout cycles that vary by model and reward option.One Step and Two Step: Tuesday (60% split), bi-weekly (80%), on-demand (90%), or monthly (100%).FundingPips Pro: Weekly payouts with up to 80% split, increasing through scaling and Hot Seat.Zero (Instant): Bi-weekly payouts at 95% split, with 100% available at Hot Seat.Hot Seat: On-demand payouts with 100% profit split and up to $2M in funded capital.On-demand cycles typically require meeting specific consistency and minimum reward thresholds before requests are approved. Payout FrequencyFunded traders at DNA Funded can usually request a payout every 14 days, provided they have traded on at least three separate days and finished the period with a positive balance.With the optional Early Payout Booster, that payout frequency can be shortened to every 7 days on eligible challenges, offering weekly cash flow for consistent performers.
Days to First Payout 14 1 14
Payout Processing Time Payout ProcessingPayout requests are reviewed by the risk team for rules compliance and KYC (if required). Approved payouts are typically processed within 24–48 hours of an eligible request, but may take longer if additional review is required. Payout ProcessingFunding Pips processes most payout requests within 1 to 3 business days once approved. Instant Visa and Mastercard payouts are available and often arrive within about 30 minutes, while crypto withdrawals depend on network conditions and payment providers. During the payout process, trading on the affected account may be temporarily disabled until funds are sent. Payout ProcessingPayouts are requested through the DNA Funded dashboard and, once approved, are typically processed within about 1–4 business days, after which arrival time depends on the chosen payment rail.The firm warns that additional time may be needed for bank wires, compliance checks or during periods of high demand, but most crypto withdrawals are completed relatively quickly once released.
Payout Methods Crypto International Bank Transfer Bank Transfer Crypto Mastercard Riseworks Visa Direct Crypto International Bank Transfer
Payments
Payment Methods Credit/Debit Card (Visa Mastercard) Crypto (USDT TRC20 USDT ERC20 BTC) Credit/Debit Card Bank Transfer Skrill PayPal Google Pay Apple Pay Crypto Neteller Paysafe Card Credit Card (Visa Mastercard) Crypto (TRC20 ERC20 BTC)
Trading Permissions
News Trading Trading during major news events is restricted: you cannot place trades within 10 minutes before or after high-impact events (per FXStreet). Trading inside the window is treated as a soft breach that triggers a warning and removal of any profits made from those trades. News trading rules at Funding Pips depend on the model and reward cycle.One Step, Two Step, and Pro:Evaluation phase: news trading is allowed.Funded accounts: profits from trades opened less than 5 hours before and closed 5 minutes before or after high-impact news may not be counted toward rewards.On-demand reward cycles can remove some news restrictions, but conditions still apply.Zero Accounts:News trading is not allowed. News trading is permitted in principle, but traders must avoid opening, modifying or closing positions within roughly 10 minutes before and after high-impact economic releases or other designated major events, as defined by calendars such as FXStreet.Pure news scalping, latency or gap exploitation around data releases is prohibited, and violations can lead to profit removal or account closure, especially on funded accounts.
Weekend Trades Weekend trading is allowed. The platform supports 24/7 trading, including the ability to manage positions over the weekend. Weekend holding rules vary by model.One Step, Two Step, and Pro:Holding trades over the weekend is allowed, subject to normal platform trading hours and gap risk.Zero Accounts:Holding trades over the weekend is not allowed; positions must be closed before market close. Weekend trading rules differ by instrument and program. For most challenges, crypto positions can be opened and managed over the weekend, while positions on other markets may be held but not actively traded while markets are closed.The Rapid and Instant Funding challenges are stricter and generally do not allow weekend trading at all, so traders on these products should ensure positions are closed before the weekly market close.
Copy Trading Copy trading or mirroring another person’s trades is prohibited and may result in profit removal or account termination. Copying between your own accounts is allowed only if all accounts are registered under the same email address. Funding Pips allows controlled copy trading with important limitations.Permitted:You may copy trades between your own Funding Pips accounts under the same individual.Your Funding Pips account may act as a master to external slave accounts via partners such as PropFirmOne, as long as core rules are respected.Not Permitted:Using copy trading arrangements to circumvent risk limits, hedge opposite accounts, or engage in arbitrage-style strategies.All copied activity must comply with Funding Pips risk, consistency, and forbidden strategy rules. Copy trading is tightly controlled at DNA Funded. Copying or mirroring trades from non-DNA accounts, between different users or across multiple profiles is prohibited, and managing other people's accounts is considered a breach.Within a single user's own DNA Funded accounts, limited internal copying may be acceptable, but traders must still respect all risk rules and avoid patterns that resemble large-scale account netting or group trading.
EA Allowed Expert Advisors (EAs) and indicators are permitted, but prohibited strategy types (including martingale, grid, tick trading, arbitrage variants, gap trading and account management) are monitored and can trigger violations—especially during the Payout Stage. Expert Advisors (EAs) are allowed at Funding Pips only under strict conditions.Permitted:EAs that function primarily as trade or risk managers on your own accounts.Not Permitted:Third-party or commercial EAs whose logic you do not control.Algorithms designed for latency arbitrage, gap exploitation, or other abusive high-frequency behaviour.All automated trading must reflect your own strategy and respect the firm’s risk and consistency rules. Expert Advisors and algorithmic strategies are allowed on 1 Phase, 2 Phase and Rapid challenge accounts, provided they do not implement banned behaviours such as high-frequency scalping, latency arbitrage, martingale or grid systems.On Instant Funding accounts, EAs and fully automated algos are not permitted; these programs are meant to be traded manually or with very light automation that still reflects the trader's own discretion.
KYC & Restrictions
KYC Required No Yes Yes
KYC Stage Australia, Saint Lucia, Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Cuba, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Myanmar, Russia (and Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk and Sevastopol regions of Ukraine), Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Zimbabwe, Libya Funding Pips requires identity verification in line with its payout and compliance procedures. Full KYC is mandatory when using the Rise platform for payouts and may be requested before larger or repeated withdrawals via other methods. Traders should expect to submit standard ID and residency documents before accessing significant profit distributions. DNA Funded applies full KYC for larger withdrawals, requiring a government-issued photo ID, proof of address and a selfie or likeness check through its third-party verification provider.KYC is typically required once withdrawals exceed about $1,000, and failed or unverifiable KYC will result in account closure without refund, as decisions from the external provider cannot be manually overridden.
Restricted Countries Australia Libya Lebanon Pakistan Russia Somalia South Sudan Sudan United States Zimbabwe Afghanistan Central African Republic Cuba Democratic Republic of the Congo Guinea-Bissau Iran Iraq Myanmar North Korea Syria Yemen Iran United Arab Emirates Vietnam Australia Cuba Iran Iraq North Korea Myanmar Russia (including Crimea Donetsk Luhansk and Sevastopol) Somalia Syria Central African Republic Democratic Republic of the Congo Guinea-Bissau Sudan South Sudan Afghanistan Lebanon Yemen Zimbabwe Libya

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