Can you explain the challenge model used by SFX Funded?

💡 Answer

SFX Funded runs five distinct routes to a funded account, plus a deferred-payment variant. The rules differ materially between them — most importantly the drawdown model — so choose on the rulebook, not the price.

Rapid 1-Step

Profit target: 3% (Phase 1 only)
Daily loss: 3%, measured from the higher of balance or equity at 00:00 UTC
Max loss: 4% trailing — always 4% below your highest recorded account value
Minimum trading days: none in evaluation; 10 per payout once funded
Time limit: none
Stability Index cap: ≤15%; first payout available from 3 trading days; account review up to 48 business hours after passing
Indicative pricing: $7.5k = $48, $15k = $60, $30k = $114, $60k = $174, $120k = $294

1-Step Pro

Profit target: 9%
Daily loss: none during the evaluation phase
Max loss: 6% trailing
Max floating loss: −1% of balance. First breach cuts your split by 40%; second breach closes the account permanently
Minimum trading days: 4 qualifying days (non-consecutive)
Funded payouts: after 7 trading days, no calendar-day wait; Stability Index ≤20%

Ascend 2-Step

Phase 1: 8% target · Phase 2: 5% target
Daily loss: 4%, calculated at 21:00 UTC off the higher of balance or equity
Max loss: 8% static, measured from the initial account size — the only major SFX model that is not trailing
Minimum trading days: 5 per phase · Time limit: none
Funded: first payout after 5 trading days; Stability Index ≤25% (the most forgiving consistency gate at the firm)
Indicative pricing: $7.5k = $79, $15k = $99, $30k = $189, $60k = $289, $120k = $489

Ignite 2-Step

A second two-phase, no-time-limit evaluation route referenced throughout SFX's payout, Stability Index (≤20%) and 20% challenge profit-share documentation. At the time of writing SFX's public help centre no longer carries a standalone Ignite rules article, so confirm the live parameters in the dashboard before purchasing.

Instant Funding

No evaluation, no profit target — funded from day one
Daily loss: 3%, reset at 00:00 UTC · Max loss: 6% trailing
Max floating loss: 2% (tightened to 1% on $300k and $400k accounts) — breaching it closes the account
Minimum trading days: 10 per payout cycle
Indicative pricing: $5k = $109, $10k = $149, $20k = $275, $40k = $413, $80k = $689, $150k = $949, $200k = $1,230, $250k = $1,520

Pass First, Pay Later (1-Step)

$7 up front. The activation fee is only charged after you pass: $10k = $109, $25k = $229, $50k = $349, $100k = $579
Evaluation: 3% target, 7% trailing max drawdown, no minimum trading days
Funded: 3% daily, 6% trailing max, 2% max loss per trade, 5 trading days per payout
First payout gate: KYC approved + 21 calendar days since first trade + 5 trading days + 2% minimum profit + Stability Index ≤20%
Split starts at 80% and scales to 100%

Pricing note: SFX runs frequent discount campaigns and promo tiers (for example $5k Instant for $9, $80k Instant for $88), so the figures above are indicative of the standard grid rather than a locked price list. Confirm at checkout.

Trustpilot rating status

At the time of writing, Trustpilot has removed SFX Funded's star rating and placed a public warning on the profile after detecting fake reviews. The 145 individual reviews remain readable, but there is no aggregate score — so we publish a rating of 0 here rather than a number we cannot verify. We apply the same treatment to every firm whose rating is currently suppressed, and it is a statement about the missing score, not a scored judgement of the firm. Read the underlying reviews yourself before committing capital.

Who SFX Funded suits

Good fit: disciplined manual traders who spread profit across many sessions, want cheap entry and very fast payout cycles, and are chasing the path to a 100% split. The Ascend 2-Step in particular is the one program here with a static drawdown and the most forgiving consistency gate.

Poor fit: EA-driven traders (no third-party bots, source code must be handed over), copy traders, hedgers, news scalpers, and anyone who makes their target in one or two big sessions — the Stability Index and the trailing drawdown are specifically designed to fail that profile.

Full challenge rules, profit targets, and time limits are detailed on SFX Funded official website.

More FAQs about SFX Funded

Guides Where SFX Funded Is Featured

These guides include SFX Funded alongside other prop firms, grouped by trading features, platforms, availability, and trader requirements.

SFX Funded vs E8 Markets vs QT Funded - Prop Firm Comparison (August 2026)

Side-by-side comparison of SFX Funded vs E8 Markets vs QT 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 August 2026.

SFX Funded vs E8 Markets vs QT Funded - Prop Firm Comparison (August 2026)
	SFX Funded SFX Funded is a Dubai-based prop firm (SFX International FZCO) trading since 2023, with six routes to capital — Rapid 1-Step, 1-Step Pro, Ascend 2-Step, Ignite, Instant Funding and a $7 Pass First, Pay Later model — on Match-Trader and... Visit SFX Funded	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... Visit E8 Markets	QT Funded QT Funded (Quant Tekel) is a simulated CFD prop firm (founded Oct 2023) offering QT Prime (2-step/3-step), QT Power (2-step) and QT Instant (instant funding). Traders get access to FX, indices, metals, crypto and oil on MT5, cTrader or TradeLocker,... Visit QT Funded
Overview
Trustpilot Rating	0	0	3.8
Trustpilot Reviews	0	0	13,050
Headquarters	United Arab Emirates	United States	South Africa
Age (Years)	3	5	N/A
Max Funding	$500,000	$500,000	$400,000
Profit Split Start	80%	80%	80%
Profit Split Max	100%	100%	100%
Platforms	Match-Trader Platform5	MT5 cTrader Match-Trader TradeLocker	MT5 cTrader TradeLocker
Assets	Forex Indices Commodities Metals Crypto	FX Metals Indices Energy Crypto	FX Metals Indices Crypto Oil
Leverage
FX Leverage	30	30	100
Metals Leverage	10	15	35
Crypto Leverage	2	5	2.5
Risk & Drawdown Rules
Max Daily Loss	Maximum Daily Loss The daily loss limit varies by program: 3% on Rapid, Instant Funding and Pass First Pay Later, 4% on Ascend 2-Step, and none at all during the 1-Step Pro evaluation phase. How it is calculated: at the daily reset SFX takes the higher of your account balance or your account equity and subtracts the percentage to set that day's floor. Because the higher of the two is used, an account sitting in floating profit gets a higher...	3	Maximum Daily LossDaily loss limits are program-specific:QT PRIME: 4% daily drawdown fixed to the initial balance (does not change with profits).QT POWER: daily drawdown is based on End-of-Day (EOD) equity; 3% on legacy rulesets and 4% for accounts issued after 9 Apr 2025.QT INSTANT: 3% daily drawdown fixed to the initial account balance (does not change with profits).Breaching the daily limit is treated as a hard breach on funded stages.
Max Total Loss	Maximum Overall Loss SFX Funded's overall loss limit tops out at 8% on the Ascend 2-Step and tightens to as little as 4% on Rapid. The headline percentage is the less important half of the answer, because only one SFX program uses a static limit: Ascend 2-Step: 8% static, measured from the initial account balance Pass First, Pay Later: 7% trailing in evaluation, 6% trailing once funded 1-Step Pro: 6% trailing Instant Funding: 6% trailing Rapid 1-Step: 4% trailing Why...	4	Maximum Overall LossOverall drawdown limits differ by plan:QT PRIME: 10% maximum drawdown (static, based on initial balance).QT POWER: 8% maximum loss limit (based on initial balance).QT INSTANT: 6% maximum drawdown that trails the highest recorded balance or floating equity (high-water mark). (Some operational details—such as whether trailing drawdown locks at starting balance after withdrawal—depend on the account’s issue date.)
Drawdown Type	Drawdown Model Mixed — and this is the most consequential difference between SFX programs. Trailing (most programs): Rapid (4%), 1-Step Pro (6%), Instant Funding (6%) and Pass First Pay Later (7% eval / 6% funded) all use a trailing maximum drawdown anchored to your highest-ever account value. In SFX's own words the level "moves up whenever your account reaches a new high" and "never moves down, even if your account value decreases later." Static (one program): Ascend 2-Step uses an...	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.	Drawdown ModelQT Funded uses a mix of static and trailing drawdown models:Static drawdown: QT PRIME (10% max loss) and QT POWER (8% max loss) use static overall drawdown anchored to the initial balance.Trailing drawdown: QT INSTANT uses a 6% trailing maximum drawdown from the highest recorded balance/equity, paired with a fixed 3% daily drawdown.
Payouts
Payout Frequency	Payout Frequency SFX Funded runs a Payout on Demand model on its Ignite, Ascend and Rapid funded accounts. The first request can be made 3 trading days after your first trade, provided you have made at least 3% profit on the account size and your SFX Stability Index is inside your program's threshold. That first withdrawal is processed at a reduced 40% split; the standard 80%+ split applies from the second payout onward. After the first payout, requests are accepted...	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 FrequencyPayout requests are available every 2 weeks (14 days) from the first trade on the funded account and every 14 days for each consecutive payout cycle.QT PRIME: Bi-weekly payouts at 80% split, or Prime On-Demand payouts (100% split) subject to eligibility requirements.QT POWER: payout on-demand subject to minimum conditions (including 35% consistency and minimum trading days).QT INSTANT: bi-weekly payouts at 80% split (with a 5% minimum profit and 25% consistency requirement for eligibility).
Days to First Payout	3	0	14
Payout Processing Time	Payout Processing SFX Funded states that withdrawal requests submitted through the dashboard are processed within 2 business days, and markets an average payout time of under 8 hours. It backs this with a Payout Guarantee: paid within 48 hours of risk-team approval, or SFX pays you $1,000. The 48-hour clock runs on business days only (Mon–Fri, Dubai time, 09:00–17:00, excluding UAE public holidays) and pauses over weekends, and it starts at approval rather than at submission — so the risk...	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 ProcessingQT Funded states payout requests are processed within 24 business hours after submission/approval (the request day does not count toward the 24-hour processing window).Minimum performance fee: the minimum payout amount is 1% or $100 (whichever is higher). For QT INSTANT, the minimum performance fee is stated as 5% of profit margin.
Payout Methods	Bank Transfer Cryptocurrency (USDT TRC20)	Plane (Bank Transfer) Rise (Crypto)	Crypto Bank Wire Transfer QT Card
Payments
Payment Methods	Credit/Debit Card Cryptocurrency Bank Transfer Mobile Money	Credit/Debit Card Crypto	Credit/Debit Card (Visa Mastercard American Express) PayPal Crypto
Trading Permissions
News Trading	Evaluation phases: news trading is allowed, on every program. SFX only warns about the volatility risk. Funded accounts: news trading is restricted. A 4-minute blackout window applies around every red-folder event on the Forex Factory calendar — from 2 minutes before to 2 minutes after the release. Inside that window SFX blocks market-order execution, pending limit-order activation, and stop-loss/take-profit triggers. Red-folder events marked "All Day" are exempt because they have no fixed release time. Penalties escalate and differ by program:...	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.	Evaluation stage: news trading is allowed.Funded stage (QT PRIME & QT INSTANT): news trading is restricted around Forex Factory red-folder (high-impact) releases: no manual trading activity (opening/closing/modifying positions or orders) within 5 minutes before/after the event; SL/TP and qualifying limit orders set earlier may still trigger. Violations are treated as hard breaches. QT PRIME On-Demand does not have the news rule applied.
Weekend Trades	Weekend crypto trading is allowed on all account types. SFX Funded is unambiguous on this: "you can trade crypto during the weekend with SFX Funded. This applies to all account types." Positions may be held open over the weekend and new positions may be opened. This is a genuine advantage over firms such as FTMO, which require Normal-account positions to be closed before the weekend break. Note two practical caveats: crypto leverage at SFX is only 1:2, and there are no swap-free accounts, so weekend and overnight financing costs apply and count against your loss limits.	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.	Weekend holding is permitted across QT PRIME, QT POWER and QT INSTANT (trades can be held over the weekend), subject to general risk rules and market conditions.
Copy Trading	Copy trading is not allowed at SFX Funded, in any form. The rule is one of the strictest in the industry: "the use of Copy Trading Software is not permitted." The ban covers automatic or manual copying of trades or strategies from other traders or signal providers, and applies to every account combination — evaluation to evaluation, funded to funded, funded to evaluation. Running identical trades simultaneously across your own multiple accounts is also caught by the rule, as is...	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 rules depend on total allocation:Under $400,000 total allocation: traders may copy trades and use the same strategy across accounts.$400,000 and above: traders may still hold multiple accounts, but they may not copy trades or use the same strategy between accounts; each account must use a different strategy and trade different instruments for its entire history.QT INSTANT: additional max-allocation rule for same-strategy use (max $99,000); QT Instant allocation also counts toward the overall $400,000 cap.
EA Allowed	EAs are allowed only under unusually restrictive conditions — this is one of the strictest EA policies among mainstream prop firms. Permitted: EAs you developed yourself and own the source code to Trade managers and risk managers Calculators and utility tools Prohibited: Any third-party EA. "Using any other third-party Expert Advisor is not allowed." Any EA where you do not own the source code — and SFX requires you to hand over a copy of the source code for verification...	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.	Expert Advisors (EAs) are permitted only with pre-approval. Traders must submit the EA name and links to [email protected] before use. Trade copiers are also permitted with approval, and copied executions must place visible SL/TP (no invisible trade management). Unapproved use can result in account forfeit and group trading with shared EAs is prohibited.
KYC & Restrictions
KYC Required	No	No	Yes
KYC Stage	KYC is mandatory and is handled by Veriff, a third-party verification provider. SFX states that "all traders must submit and pass to gain full access to their funded account or become eligible to receive payouts." When it is triggered: On passing an evaluation — Rapid, 1-Step Pro, Ascend and Ignite traders complete KYC after the risk-team review and before the funded account is released. Before the first payout — Instant Funding traders, who skip the evaluation, verify before their first...	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 is required as part of onboarding and may be requested by the company’s AML/KYC providers. QT INSTANT specifically requires KYC verification and a signed contract before trading is enabled. Accounts may be treated as inactive/invalid if the latest KYC requirements are not completed.
Restricted Countries	Cuba Iran North Korea Syria	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	Iran Iraq Myanmar Belarus North Korea South Korea Russia (MT5) Pakistan Syria Egypt United States (MT5 and cTrader) Canada (MT5)