What a funded account is
A funded account is a live or simulated trading account backed by a prop firm's capital. You trade it under a documented risk framework and keep a share of the profit — usually 80–90%. The firm carries the drawdown risk; you carry the discipline requirement.
Live vs. simulated funding
Most modern prop firms use A-book simulated accounts on real market feeds. Your PnL is real cash to you, but the firm hedges externally rather than routing every trade to a broker. This isn't a downgrade — it's what lets firms scale trader capital to 6- and 7-figure amounts.
How you get funded
- Pick an account size and buy the evaluation.
- Hit the profit target without breaching daily or max drawdown.
- Complete KYC.
- Trade the funded account. Request payout on the payout cycle.
What you actually control
- Your strategy, timeframes, and instruments (within allowed lists).
- Position sizing — up to the leverage and lot caps.
- When to request payouts once you clear the minimum profit threshold.
What you don't control
- Drawdown rules and payout cycle — those are contractual.
- Instrument availability during news blackouts (firm-dependent).
- Whether prohibited strategies (hedging arbitrage, tick scalping) reverse your PnL.
Try Zero Funded
One-Step and Two-Step evaluations from $3K to $20K, 80% profit split, and USDT payouts on funded accounts.