Common Questions

Traders Launch is a funded trading program. You pay a one-time evaluation fee to access a simulated account. Hit your profit target within the time limit and you move into a Simfunded account, where you can trade and request real payouts from your profits. No subscription, no recurring fees - just one upfront cost.

Traders Launch is for people who already know how to trade futures. You need to understand risk management and how to use a trading platform. We don't teach you to trade - we fund you once you prove you can.

You pay a one-time evaluation fee ranging from $49 to $599 depending on account size, session, and profit-split plan. If you haven't passed by day 60 but you're above 50% of your profit target, you automatically get a free 30-day extension - no extra charge. There's no subscription and no recurring billing.

None. You pay the evaluation fee once. No activation fee when you pass, no recurring charge once you're Simfunded, no hidden costs at any stage. The one-time evaluation purchase is all you pay.

Yes. Traders Launch does not accept traders from Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Russia, Belarus, Myanmar, Zimbabwe, Sudan, South Sudan, or Venezuela. See our Terms for the authoritative current list.

Targets depend on account size and session. 100K: $2,000 (both sessions). 200K: $3,000 (NYC) or $4,000 (22-hour). 300K: $5,000 (NYC) or $6,000 (22-hour). You need to hit this target while staying above your drawdown floor.

The evaluation window is 60 days. If you haven't passed by day 60 but you're above 50% of your profit target, you automatically get a free 30-day extension at no extra cost. Simfunded accounts have no time limit once you're funded.

Yes - 3 minimum trading days during the evaluation. You can't pass on a single day even if you hit the profit target. Simfunded accounts have no minimum trading days before requesting a payout.

Traders Launch uses End of Day (EOD) drawdown - not intraday trailing. Your drawdown level is calculated from your closing balance each session. It only moves up, never down. Once your account grows enough that the drawdown floor would reach your starting balance, it locks there permanently. Drawdown amounts: 100K: $1,000; 200K: $1,000 (NYC) or $2,000 (22-hour); 300K: $2,000 (NYC) or $3,000 (22-hour). We do not use intraday trailing drawdown, which we consider predatory.

During the evaluation, no single trading day can account for more than 40% of your total profits at evaluation end. If you're about to hit that limit, the system auto-closes your positions and locks you out for the rest of that session. This prevents a single lucky day from carrying the whole evaluation. The 40% rule does not apply in your Simfunded account.

Yes. During evaluation and in your Simfunded account, you must place at least 1 trade per week. During evaluation: missing a week deactivates your account. In your Simfunded account: missing a week pauses it - you remain eligible for profits and payouts but need to reactivate.

Starting sizes: 100K NYC = 5 micros; 200K NYC = 1 mini or 10 micros; 300K NYC = 2 minis or 20 micros; 100K 22-hour = 2 minis or 20 micros; 200K 22-hour = 4 minis or 40 micros; 300K 22-hour = 6 minis or 60 micros. Maximum across all account sizes: 15 minis (or equivalent in micros).

$0.50 per side - not round trip. You pay $0.50 when you open a position and $0.50 when you close it, so a full round-trip trade costs $1.00 per contract in commissions.

Hedging is not permitted. This includes hedging the same instrument across multiple accounts, such as being long NQ in one account and short NQ in another; hedging through correlated instruments, such as being long NQ and short ES; and coordinating with another trader or group of traders to create offsetting positions across separate accounts. This rule applies whether the accounts belong to the same trader or to different traders acting together.

Reasonable scaling and averaging are allowed. However, repeatedly adding size to losing positions, especially as a routine part of most trades, is considered excessive martingale-style trading and may result in an account review.

Scalping is allowed. For purposes of this rule, scalping means trades held for 5–30 seconds. HFT-style trading is not permitted. If more than 10% of your trades are opened and fully closed within two seconds, your account may be flagged by our HFT filter and paused for review.

Yes. Hedging and HFT-style trading are prohibited. Excessive martingale-style trading may result in an account review. Scalping and reasonable scaling and averaging are allowed within the rules described here and in the Terms.

Yes. The name on the payment card must match your registered account name. Purchases using someone else's card are blocked as a fraud prevention measure. No exceptions.

Yes. You pass the evaluation, build your buffer in your Simfunded account, and become eligible for payouts. There is no Phase 2, no second evaluation, and no post-pass consistency check.

After passing the evaluation you're moved into a Simfunded account. Before requesting your first payout, you need to build a small profit buffer above your starting balance. Buffer amounts: 100K: $1,000; 200K: $1,000 (NYC) or $2,000 (22-hour); 300K: $2,000 (NYC) or $3,000 (22-hour). Once you're above your buffer you're payout-eligible. You move into your Simfunded account on one of our brokers (NinjaTrader or IBKR) once the buffer is cleared.

Your Simfunded account must be above +1% profit from your starting balance to request a payout. You keep 55% or 80% of profits based on the plan you chose when you purchased. No consistency rules once you're Simfunded. No time restrictions on when you can request. At $100,000 in cumulative payouts you are paused and become eligible for scaling opportunities, including increased allocations and priority consideration for live-capital opportunities.

Payouts are processed daily. Crypto (USDT on Solana) and ACH bank transfers are processed every 24 hours. Wire transfers are processed weekly - when the funds arrive at your bank depends on your bank's processing time. We set conservative expectations and aim to exceed them.

No. Once your drawdown locks at your starting balance (which happens as you grow past the buffer stage), it stays fixed regardless of payouts. Taking a payout does not lower your drawdown floor. Your drawdown is permanently locked once you've cleared the buffer stage and entered your Simfunded account.

Three options: TradingView (browser-based, no download), Volumetrica (desktop and web), and Quantower (desktop). MES and MNQ come pre-loaded on all accounts. MGC (gold micro), MCL (crude oil micro), SIL (silver micro), and MYM (Dow micro) are available by request. All three platforms work for evaluation and Simfunded accounts.

Two session options. NYC Session: 9:30am–4:00pm ET. 22-Hour Session: 6:00pm–4:00pm ET the following day. You pick your session at purchase - it affects your fee, profit targets, contract limits, and drawdown. You can't switch sessions mid-evaluation.

Micro and mini futures. Pre-loaded: MES (S&P 500 micro) and MNQ (Nasdaq micro). Available by request: MGC (gold micro), MCL (crude oil micro), SIL (silver micro), MYM (Dow micro). Full-size minis (ES, NQ, GC, CL, YM) are also tradeable within your contract limits.

Yes, through their futures equivalents. SPX → ES or MES. NDX → NQ or MNQ. Gold → GC or MGC. Oil → CL or MCL. US30/Dow → YM or MYM. All available within your account's contract limits.

Use your Volumetrica credentials to connect Quantower to your Traders Launch account. No separate Quantower subscription is needed - access is included. Full setup instructions are sent in your account setup email. If you run into issues, reach out in Discord.

Up to 5 evaluation accounts and up to 5 Simfunded accounts active at the same time. All funded traders move into a Simfunded account once they clear the buffer stage.