Is The Funded Trader Still Worth It in 2026?
The Funded Trader is still operating in 2026, more than two years after a payout crisis forced it to pause. Independent trackers still call the recovery partial, and the firm's own disclosed figures show most reactivated traders still haven't been paid. Here's what's verified, and four alternatives with cleaner track records.
By John McLaren
The Funded Trader's March 2024 collapse, and why the recovery is still incomplete
In early 2024, The Funded Trader -- then one of the largest forex prop firms in the world, with a reported 80,000+ funded accounts -- saw its primary broker, Eightcap, withdraw prop-firm services under pressure from MetaQuotes. Days later, on March 28, 2024, CEO Angelo Ciaramello announced the firm was pausing all operations, after weeks of mounting complaints about denied withdrawals. In a livestreamed Q&A, Ciaramello disclosed that TFT had paid out $17M to traders in January-February 2024 while denying more than $2M in withdrawal requests -- roughly a 10% denial rate -- citing KYC checks, fraud, and prohibited trading strategies.
The firm resumed selling challenges within months, and thefundedtrader.com remains live and active today. But the backlog from the pause never fully cleared: by TFT's own disclosed figures, it reactivated 25,513 accounts after the March 2024 pause but had processed only 459 payouts totaling $378,604 -- a payout rate under 2%. Trade-press reporting into 2025 described roughly 1,272 clients still waiting close to a year for payment. Independent industry trackers still classify The Funded Trader's status as a partial recovery, not a full return to its prior scale.
This isn't a 'the firm is gone' story -- The Funded Trader is still taking new customers. It's a 'know what you're signing up for' story: the figures above come from the firm's own public disclosures and trade-press reporting, not rumor, and ongoing Trustpilot activity suggests the underlying trust problem hasn't fully gone away.
Quick answer
The Funded Trader is active and selling challenges again in 2026, but its recovery from the March 2024 payout crisis is incomplete -- by its own disclosed figures, fewer than 2% of reactivated accounts have been paid. FundedFast, FTMO, FundedNext, and Alpha Capital Group all have cleaner, better-documented payout records.
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See the FundedFast OpenHow we ranked these alternatives
We're FundedFast, so the disclosure up front: yes, we put ourselves first. We believe we're a genuinely strong option for traders weighing The Funded Trader, especially anyone who values a clean payout record over brand recognition. The other four firms are real, independently-viable alternatives we'd recommend even if your priorities don't match ours. We ranked five firms on the criteria that matter most given the topic: payout track record and transparency (weighted heaviest here), operating jurisdiction and corporate transparency, true total cost, profit split, and asset coverage. Figures were checked against each firm's public pricing pages and Trustpilot profiles as of July 2026.
Ownership disclosure: FundedFast operates this website, and FundedFast challenges appear in the comparisons below. Every firm — including ours — is scored with the same methodology, and we link to each competitor so you can verify our numbers yourself. How we rank and earn is documented in our editorial policy. Read our editorial policy
Top 5 alternatives compared
- 1Transparent disclosureBest for multi-asset traders
Us -- FundedFast
Why we put ourselves first
Six asset classes in one challenge, no time limit on either evaluation phase, and a transparent Malta-registered corporate structure -- the kind of jurisdictional clarity that matters after a scandal like TFT's.
From $49Split Up to 90%Time NoneBest for
Traders who want forex, crypto, indices, stocks, metals, or oil at a low, transparent entry cost with no time pressure.
Tradeoffs to know
No CME futuresMatchTrader only -- no MT4/MT5 - 2Rank 2
FTMO
Why it makes the list
A decade of continuous operation and the industry's most-reviewed payout history make FTMO the lowest-risk choice for traders who got burned by instability elsewhere.
From $155Split 80%Time 30 / 60 daysBest for
Traders who prioritize a long operating history and brand trust over price.
Tradeoffs to know
$155 minimum entry -- highest on this listFixed 80% profit split2-phase evaluation only - 3Rank 3
FundedNext
Why it makes the list
The highest funding ceiling on this list plus a guaranteed 24-hour payout window -- a direct answer to the 'waited months for a payout' complaint that follows The Funded Trader.
From $32Split 80-95%Time Varies by programBest for
Traders who want the largest available account sizes and the fastest payout turnaround.
Tradeoffs to know
Comoros-registered -- less jurisdictional clarity than FTMO or FundedFastRules vary by program tier - 4Rank 4
FundingPips
Why it makes the list
For traders who came to The Funded Trader for low-cost entry, FundingPips matches that positioning with a more transparent, currently-stable operating history.
From $32Split 80-100%Time VariesBest for
Budget-conscious forex traders comfortable trading entirely on MatchTrader or cTrader.
Tradeoffs to know
80% default split (100% requires consistent scaling)No stocks - 5Rank 5
Alpha Capital Group
Why it makes the list
Alpha Capital's UK registration and consistent public reviews offer a different kind of reassurance than price alone: a firm operating under a well-understood legal jurisdiction.
From $97Split 80%Time VariesBest for
Traders for whom operating jurisdiction and corporate transparency are the deciding factor.
Tradeoffs to know
$97 minimum entryFixed 5% daily / 10% max drawdown -- less flexible than trailing-drawdown firms
How FundedFast handles this
FundedFast is a prop trading firm registered as Memento Enterprises Limited in Malta (EU), offering simulated trading challenges rather than real brokerage accounts -- standard for the industry, and true of every firm on this page including The Funded Trader. Challenges start at $49 for a $5,000 account, scaling up to $400,000, with no time limit on either evaluation phase. The default profit split is 80%, upgradable to 90% for free at checkout. Payouts are weekly, typically processed in 24-48 hours, with a $50 minimum and the entry fee refunded on your first payout -- a direct cash-flow commitment that costs us money if we don't actually pay. A single account covers forex, indices, crypto, stocks (CFDs), metals, and oil, with no restriction on holding positions over the weekend. Maximum per-trade risk is 3%, and a 50% consistency rule applies. The platform is MatchTrader exclusively. Honest weaknesses: FundedFast is a newer firm than FTMO, our $400,000 funding ceiling is below FundedNext's $4M, and we don't offer CME futures -- everything is simulated CFD trading. Traders who specifically need futures contracts or a longer public track record than ours should weigh that against the jurisdictional and payout-transparency advantages above.
When this is not the right fit
FundedFast isn't the right call in every case. If you specifically need CME futures contracts (ES, NQ, CL, GC), none of the firms ranked above specialize in that market -- Tradeify or Topstep are better starting points. If your only priority is the single lowest entry price, FundingPips at $32 beats our $49. And if the length of a firm's public track record is your primary trust signal, FTMO's decade-plus history outweighs ours or any other firm founded more recently. Outside those cases -- and especially if you want low cost, broad asset coverage, and clear EU jurisdiction after evaluating a firm with The Funded Trader's history -- FundedFast is a strong fit.
Which alternative fits your style?
The fastest way to pick. Each row maps a typical trader profile to the recommended replacement firm.
Frequently asked
Is The Funded Trader still operating in 2026?
Yes. thefundedtrader.com is live and actively selling challenges as of mid-2026, more than two years after the firm paused operations in March 2024. That said, independent industry trackers still describe its recovery as partial rather than a full return to its prior scale, and by the firm's own disclosed figures, only a small fraction of the accounts it reactivated after the pause have actually been paid out.
What happened to The Funded Trader in 2024?
In February 2024, The Funded Trader's primary broker, Eightcap, withdrew prop-firm trading services under pressure from MetaQuotes. On March 28, 2024, CEO Angelo Ciaramello announced the firm was pausing all operations, following weeks of mounting complaints about denied withdrawals. In a livestreamed Q&A, Ciaramello disclosed that TFT had paid $17M to traders in January-February 2024 while denying more than $2M in withdrawal requests, citing KYC checks, fraud, and prohibited trading strategies.
Has The Funded Trader paid back traders since the 2024 crisis?
Partially. By the firm's own disclosed figures, it reactivated 25,513 accounts after the March 2024 pause but had processed only 459 payouts totaling $378,604 -- a rate under 2%. Trade-press reporting into 2025 described roughly 1,272 clients still waiting close to a year for payment via a crypto payment processor. We couldn't confirm how much of that backlog has cleared since; treat any current payout claims from the firm with the same scrutiny you'd apply to any prop firm's marketing.
Is FundedFast safe? Could it shut down or freeze payouts too?
No prop firm is risk-free -- that's the honest answer. FundedFast operates as Memento Enterprises Limited, registered in Malta (EU), and we refund the challenge fee on your first payout, which is a real cash-flow commitment on our end, not just a marketing line. We publish weekly payouts with a low $50 minimum. Before funding any prop firm, including us, check for a public payout history, a clear operating jurisdiction, and transparent rules -- not just the lowest sticker price.
What should I check before joining any prop firm after a story like this?
Five signals worth checking: (1) a public, verifiable payout history rather than just marketing claims, (2) a clear operating jurisdiction with real corporate registration, (3) transparent fee structures with no hidden activation costs, (4) a Trustpilot or review base large enough to see patterns rather than a handful of curated reviews, and (5) how the firm has handled past disruptions, if any. The Funded Trader's 2024 crisis is a useful case study precisely because so much of it happened in public.
How is FundedFast different from The Funded Trader?
The clearest difference is jurisdiction and payout transparency: FundedFast is registered in Malta (EU) as Memento Enterprises Limited, while The Funded Trader has reportedly restructured toward an offshore corporate structure since 2024. FundedFast refunds your challenge fee on first payout and pays weekly with a $50 minimum; The Funded Trader's own disclosed 2024-2025 figures show a payout completion rate under 2% on reactivated accounts. Both are simulated-account prop firms, not brokers -- neither is regulated by a financial authority, which is standard for this industry.
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