How to Pay for a Prop Firm Challenge With Bitcoin (and ETH or SOL)

To pay a prop firm with Bitcoin, select BTC at checkout, send the exact BTC amount displayed to the displayed address on the Bitcoin network, and wait for the transaction to confirm in a block. ETH and SOL work the same way on their own networks. The difference from paying with a stablecoin is that the coin amount comes from a market price, so timing, fees and confirmations deserve more attention.

If you have never paid with crypto before, start with our general guide to paying with crypto, which covers networks and stablecoins. This article goes deeper on the three native coins.

Key takeaways

• Match the coin amount, not a dollar figure: the payment page sets a BTC, ETH or SOL amount. That number has to arrive in full.
• Fees come out of the same coin: a BTC payment pays its fee in BTC, ETH in ETH, SOL in SOL. Hold a little more than the amount.
• Confirmations take different times: about 10 minutes per Bitcoin block on average, around 12 seconds per Ethereum block, under a second per Solana slot.
• Send on the main network: BTC on Bitcoin, ETH on Ethereum mainnet, SOL on Solana. Wrapped or bridged versions on other chains will not reach the order.

How do BTC, ETH and SOL payments differ?

Each coin runs on its own network with its own block speed, fee model and address format. The table sums up what changes for you as the sender.

These are general network facts from the Bitcoin developer documentation, ethereum.org on gas and Solana's fee documentation. Fee amounts are not quoted here because they move with network demand.

How do you pay with Bitcoin, step by step?

You pay in six steps. The same order works for ETH and SOL.

1. Pick your program and account size, then choose BTC as the payment coin at checkout.
2. Read the payment page carefully. It shows the address for this order and the exact BTC amount. If it shows a timer or an expiry, plan to send before it ends.
3. Check your balance first. You need the amount on the page plus the network fee. If the coin sits on an exchange, check the withdrawal fee and the minimum withdrawal too.
4. Paste the address and compare all of it. A valid format does not prove it is the right address.
5. Enter the amount so the exact figure arrives, choose a fee rate your wallet marks as normal or fast, and send.
6. Save the transaction ID. You can check a transaction hash on an explorer and watch the confirmations come in.

When the network confirms the payment, the order completes and your challenge account on simulated capital is set up. Use the address for this order only, and do not reuse it for a later purchase.

Why do Bitcoin confirmations take longer?

Bitcoin confirmations take longer because the network adds a block about every 10 minutes on average, and each block holds a limited amount of data. A transaction sitting in the queue (the mempool) is unconfirmed. It gets its first confirmation when a miner puts it into a block, and each later block adds one more.

Two things decide how long you wait:

• Block timing is random. "Every 10 minutes on average" means some blocks arrive in two minutes and some take thirty.
• Your fee rate sets your place in the queue. Miners usually pick the transactions that pay the most per unit of size, in satoshis per virtual byte (sat/vB). A low fee rate on a busy day can leave a payment unconfirmed for hours.

If your wallet supports Replace by Fee (RBF), bump the fee on a stuck transaction. Never send the amount twice: check the explorer first.

What changes when you pay with ETH or SOL?

ETH and SOL confirm much faster than BTC, but each has its own trap.

ETH on Ethereum. Every transfer costs gas, paid in ETH. Since the London upgrade, the price per unit of gas is a base fee set by the network plus a tip you choose, and wallets estimate both for you. The bigger risk is the network itself. Arbitrum, Base, Optimism, Polygon and BNB Smart Chain all use the same 0x address format, and many wallets show "ETH" on several of them. If the checkout says Ethereum, the transfer must go out on Ethereum mainnet. A wallet set to a layer 2 will happily send, and the payment will not reach the order.

SOL on Solana. Solana fees are small and paid in SOL: a base fee per signature, plus an optional priority fee when the network is busy. Payments usually show up almost at once. The trap is the balance. If you try to send your entire SOL balance, the wallet may refuse because nothing is left for the fee, or because Solana requires a minimum balance on some accounts. Keep a small amount of SOL aside and send the exact amount from the payment page.

Wrapped coins are not the same coin. WBTC on Ethereum or wrapped SOL are tokens, not the native coin. Send native BTC, ETH or SOL.

How does price volatility affect a crypto payment?

Price volatility affects what the payment costs you in dollars, not the coin amount the order needs. The checkout converts the order into a BTC, ETH or SOL amount from a market price at that moment. From then on, the number that has to arrive is that coin amount.

That creates two situations:

• You already hold the coin. Sending the exact coin amount is all that matters, even if the price moves before you send.
• You buy the coin to pay. Now the price matters: a move between seeing the amount and buying changes how many dollars that coin amount costs. Buy and send in one sitting.

To avoid this, use a stablecoin. See USDC vs USDT.

What does a $100K challenge payment in BTC look like?

Here is a worked example with illustrative figures. The coin amounts are round numbers for the arithmetic only. They are not OctoFunded prices, real exchange fees or real network fees.

You choose a $100K 2-Step challenge on simulated capital and pay with BTC. The payment page asks for 0.00500000 BTC (illustrative). You send from an exchange that charges a withdrawal fee of 0.00010000 BTC (illustrative) and takes it out of the amount you enter.

The arithmetic: 0.00500000 minus 0.00010000 = 0.00490000 in attempt A, and 0.00510000 minus 0.00010000 = 0.00500000 in attempt B. Your exchange balance must hold at least 0.00510000 BTC for attempt B.

Now add price movement. If you buy the BTC after seeing the quote and the price rises 2% first, the order still needs 0.00500000 BTC, but buying it costs you 2% more in dollars.

The account you are paying for is the same in every case: on the $100K 2-Step, a 10% phase 1 target ($10,000), a 5% phase 2 target ($5,000), a 5% daily loss limit ($5,000) and a 10% static maximum loss ($10,000). See the full program rules.

Which coin should you use?

Use the coin you already hold on its own network, because each conversion or bridge adds a fee and a chance for error. BTC suits you if you are not in a hurry, ETH if your wallet is on Ethereum mainnet with gas to spare, and SOL if you keep a small balance aside for the fee. If you have to buy crypto just to pay, a stablecoin removes the price movement.

The coin does not change the challenge. Rules, simulated capital and the one-time fee model are the same whichever coin you choose. For the bigger picture, read our crypto prop firm guide or what a prop firm challenge is.

FAQ

Can I pay for an OctoFunded challenge with Bitcoin?

Yes. The checkout accepts BTC, ETH and SOL, as well as USDT on TRC20 and ERC20 and USDC on ERC20. Choose BTC at checkout and send the exact BTC amount shown to the address shown, on the Bitcoin network.

Why does my Bitcoin payment take longer than USDT on TRON?

Bitcoin adds a new block about every 10 minutes on average, and a payment is usually treated as settled only after one or more blocks. If you set a low fee rate, miners may leave your transaction waiting in the queue even longer.

What if the BTC, ETH or SOL price moves while I am paying?

What counts is the coin amount on the payment page, not its dollar value. If you still need to buy the coin, a price move changes what it costs you in dollars, so buy and send promptly after you see the amount.

Do I need extra coin to pay the network fee?

Yes. The fee is paid in the same coin you send, so your balance must cover the payment amount plus the fee. If an exchange takes its withdrawal fee out of the amount, add it so the exact amount still arrives.

Can I send ETH from Arbitrum, Base or another layer 2?

Only send on the network the checkout names. ETH on a layer 2 or another Ethereum-compatible chain uses the same address format, but it is a different network, so the payment will not reach the order.

Pay in the coin you already hold

OctoFunded's checkout runs on crypto, with BTC, ETH, SOL, USDT and USDC accepted, and every account trades on simulated capital for a one-time fee with no time limit. Payouts come back in USDT or USDC every 14 days at an 80% split, each with a public transaction hash, subject to the program rules.

Choose your program and size