Prop Firms for US Traders: Simulated Challenges, Rules and Payment Options
How US traders can weigh a prop firm challenge on simulated capital: the rules by program, Eastern to Pacific session timing, crypto payment options and stablecoin payouts.
OctoFunded Trading DeskUpdated ยท 9 min read
A US trader looking at prop firms usually has three questions. Is this real money? Which program fits how I trade? And how do I pay and get paid? This guide answers each one with the rules in writing and the arithmetic shown, so you can compare any firm, including ours, on the same lines.
Key takeaways
- Terms first: check the OctoFunded Terms and the rules where you live. This article does not describe US law, regulation or tax.
- Simulated capital: challenges and funded accounts are simulated, and payouts are rewards under the program rules.
- Program fit: the 2-Step has the widest limits, the 1-Step the fastest route, Instant Funded the tightest daily limit with no evaluation phase.
- Crypto rails: pay in USDT, USDC, BTC, ETH or SOL; payouts in USDT or USDC with a public hash.
Is a prop firm challenge real money?
No. A prop firm challenge, and the funded account that may follow, runs on simulated capital. Your orders are not placed with real money on your behalf, and you are not opening a brokerage account.
What you pay is a one-time fee for access to the program. That fee is the most you can lose on the challenge itself. If you meet the rules, a payout is a reward the firm pays under its program rules. Start with what a prop firm is and how a funded trading account works if the model is new to you.
How do you check whether a prop firm accepts US traders?
You check the firm's terms and its signup flow, then the rules that apply where you live. At OctoFunded, availability is shown at signup and in the OctoFunded Terms, which list restricted countries and can change.
Rules on trading products, crypto and tax can differ between countries and, inside the US, between states, and they change over time. This article does not describe them, does not say whether prop trading is permitted where you are, and is not legal or tax advice. If you are unsure, ask a qualified professional before you pay.
Which OctoFunded program fits which trader?
Each program trades off room against speed. Read the table as a set of limits, not as a menu of outcomes.
| Rule | 1-Step | 2-Step | Instant Funded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Profit target | 10% | 10% then 5% | No evaluation phase |
| Daily loss limit | 4% | 5% | 3% |
| Maximum loss | 8% | 10% | 6% |
| Drawdown type | Trailing | Static | Trailing |
| Best day cap | 50% of total profit | See the program rules | See the program rules |
| Fee refund | With the first payout | With the first payout | None |
A rough guide:
- 2-Step suits a trader who wants the most room. A static floor does not move up as you make money. See our 2-Step challenge guide.
- 1-Step suits a trader with steady results who wants one phase. The floor trails, so a run-up followed by a pullback matters. Read static vs trailing drawdown.
- Instant Funded suits a disciplined trader who accepts tighter limits and no fee refund to skip the evaluation. Read about instant funding.
Every program has no time limit, sizes from $10K to $400K on the 1-Step and 2-Step and $10K to $100K on Instant Funded, and allows EAs. OctoFunded also offers Perpetuals, which trade 24/7, and Futures, each with its own rules. If you automate, our guide to trading with an EA shows how to code the limits in. Accounts trade in OctoFunded Web, with TradingView charts. Full wording is in the program rules.
How do US time zones change your trading day?
US time zones change which part of the global session falls inside your working hours, and that changes when your daily loss limit is under pressure.
| Session | Eastern Time (rough) | Pacific Time (rough) |
|---|---|---|
| Asia | Evening to early morning | Afternoon to late evening |
| London | From about 03:00 | From about midnight |
| London and New York overlap | About 08:00 to noon | About 05:00 to 09:00 |
| New York afternoon | Noon to about 17:00 | 09:00 to about 14:00 |
These times are approximate and shift for a few weeks a year, because the US and Europe change their clocks on different dates. Check your platform clock.
What this means in practice:
- East Coast traders meet the overlap and US data releases at the start of the day. A bad first hour can use most of a daily limit before lunch.
- West Coast traders often wake into the overlap already under way. Waiting for a setup is cheaper than chasing a move that started at 05:00.
- Know the reset. The daily loss limit is measured per trading day. Check the program rules for when that day starts rather than assuming midnight where you live.
What do the limits mean on a $100K 2-Step account?
Percentages are abstract until you put them in dollars. Here is a $100K 2-Step account on simulated capital. The rule lines are arithmetic. The payout lines use an illustrative simulated profit: not a projection and not an OctoFunded price.
| Line | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 target | 100,000 x 10% | $10,000 |
| Phase 2 target | 100,000 x 5% | $5,000 |
| Daily loss limit | 100,000 x 5% | $5,000 |
| Static floor | 100,000 minus 10% | $90,000 |
| Illustrative funded cycle profit | Given | $4,000 |
| Your 80% split | 4,000 x 0.80 | $3,200 |
Two readings matter. First, the floor stays at $90,000 however much the account makes, so profit adds room. Second, a $5,000 daily limit means a plan risking $1,000 a trade has five full losses of room in one day, and fewer if open trades are moving against you. If a funded cycle closes $4,000 in simulated profit inside every rule, your share is $3,200, and the 2-Step fee is refunded with the first payout.
How do you pay for a challenge?
You pay with crypto. Pick a coin and network at checkout, then send the exact amount shown, to the address shown, on that same network.
| Option | Network | Fee paid in |
|---|---|---|
| USDT (TRC20) | TRON | TRX |
| USDT (ERC20) | Ethereum | ETH |
| USDC (ERC20) | Ethereum | ETH |
| BTC | Bitcoin | BTC |
| ETH | Ethereum | ETH |
| SOL | Solana | SOL |
Tether issues USDT on several blockchains, and a transfer on one chain does not arrive on another. If you send from an exchange, check that the amount arriving after its withdrawal fee matches the payment page. For BTC, ETH and SOL, the amount follows the coin price, so send it soon after the page loads. Our guide to paying for a challenge with crypto walks through each step.
We do not name or recommend exchanges or wallets. Use one you trust and that is permitted where you live.
How do payouts work?
Subject to the program rules, OctoFunded sends payouts on the 1-Step and 2-Step every 14 days in USDT or USDC at an 80% profit split from the first payout. Instant Funded pays a 100% split, first after 7 days and then weekly, with payouts 1 and 2 capped at 3% of the initial balance. Each one is an on-chain transfer with a public transaction hash.
The hash is the proof. You can look it up on a block explorer and see the amount, the receiving address and the time yourself. Here is how to verify a transaction hash, and how to weigh USDC vs USDT for payouts.
Keep your own records of payment and payout hashes and dates. A hash and a date are easier to keep, and to check later, than a screenshot.
Where can you get help, and in which language?
Support is by e-mail at [email protected], and the brand is on Instagram at @octofunded. The site is available in 14 languages, including Spanish, which helps if you prefer to read the rules in a language other than English. Send one question before you buy and judge the answer.
How does OctoFunded fit a US trader?
Judge it on what you can check now: the written rules, the crypto checkout, and a public hash on every payout.
It fits if you want three programs with written limits on simulated capital, no time limit, EAs allowed, and you are comfortable paying and being paid in crypto.
It does not fit if you need to pay by card or bank transfer, need a platform other than OctoFunded Web, or want Classic sizes above $400K. Compare it on the same rule lines you would use for any other firm, and read the Terms before you buy.
FAQ
Can US traders buy an OctoFunded challenge?
Availability is shown at signup and in the OctoFunded Terms, which list restricted countries and can change. Check the Terms and the rules that apply where you live before you pay.
Is an OctoFunded funded account real money?
No. OctoFunded challenges and funded accounts use simulated capital. Payouts are rewards paid under the program rules, not profits withdrawn from a live trading account.
How can US traders pay for an OctoFunded challenge?
The checkout takes crypto: USDT on TRON (TRC20) and on Ethereum (ERC20), USDC on Ethereum (ERC20), BTC, ETH and SOL. Choose the coin and network at checkout and send the exact amount on that network.
How often are OctoFunded payouts sent?
Subject to the program rules, payouts on the 1-Step and 2-Step are sent every 14 days in USDT or USDC at an 80% profit split from the first payout, each with a public transaction hash. Instant Funded pays a 100% split, first after 7 days and then weekly, with payouts 1 and 2 capped at 3% of the initial balance.
Which OctoFunded program suits a US day trader?
It depends on your worst day and how your profit is spread. The 2-Step has the widest limits and a static floor, the 1-Step has one target and a trailing floor, and Instant Funded skips the evaluation phase with the tightest daily limit.
Compare the programs before you pay
OctoFunded offers 1-Step, 2-Step and Instant Funded accounts on simulated capital from $10K to $400K on the 1-Step and 2-Step and $10K to $100K on Instant Funded, for a one-time fee with no time limit. OctoFunded also offers Perpetuals, which trade 24/7, and Futures, each with its own rules. You pay in crypto, and payouts come in USDT or USDC every 14 days at an 80% split on the 1-Step and 2-Step, each with a public transaction hash, subject to the program rules. Instant Funded pays a 100% split, first after 7 days and then weekly, with payouts 1 and 2 capped at 3% of the initial balance. Read the Terms first.
