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138![[September 2026] Calculating FTMO Futures Challenge Expected Value: Pro $50K Maxing Out the Daily Limit Is Best, and Skill Only Changes How You Withdraw](/og/en/ftmo-futures-expected-value-2026-09.png)
[September 2026] Calculating FTMO Futures Challenge Expected Value: Pro $50K Maxing Out the Daily Limit Is Best, and Skill Only Changes How You Withdraw
For all 6 FTMO Futures plans (Growth and Pro ร $50K, $100K, $150K), I ran a 1-year Monte Carlo covering evaluation, resets, Sim-Funded, and payouts to calculate expected value. Prices, reset fees, and payout conditions for every plan were re-verified against the official rules page on September 23, 2026. Covers why Pro $50K comes out at +$4,836/year even at zero edge, why it stays positive even with a negative edge, the mechanism by which Pro can kill your account if you withdraw too aggressively, and why changing lot size between evaluation and funded is a rule violation.
How to Automate Trading at a Futures Prop Firm: 3 Routes โ NinjaTrader, TradingView, and APIs โ and the Steps to Get a Bot Running on FTMO Futures (September 2026)
To automate trading at a futures prop firm, you can't use an MT5 EA โ you need NinjaTrader's NinjaScript, a TradingView alert plus a relay service, or a given firm's API. This article covers the differences between the three approaches, which firms support which one, the exact steps the site owner took to get a NinjaTrader bot running on an FTMO Futures evaluation account, the coding pitfalls that trip people up (bar timing, time zones, forced liquidation, contract months), and the terms-of-service traps to watch for.
![[September 2026] Expected Value Summary: 5 Futures Prop Firms Where Self-Built Bots Are Allowed โ TradeDay and Topstep Win at Zero Edge, Bulenox/Topstep/Tradeify Win With Edge](/og/en/futures-prop-automation-b-expected-value-summary-2026-09.png)
[September 2026] Expected Value Summary: 5 Futures Prop Firms Where Self-Built Bots Are Allowed โ TradeDay and Topstep Win at Zero Edge, Bulenox/Topstep/Tradeify Win With Edge
A summary comparing $50K accounts at 5 futures prop firms where automated trading is allowed 'self-built only, with conditions' (Bulenox, Tradeify, TradeDay, The Trading Pit, Topstep), run through identical Monte Carlo simulations. At 0.30 lots, one micro gold trade per day, over 1 year: at zero edge, TradeDay Quick Pay Intraday (+$2,522) and Topstep (+$2,519) are tied for the top. At 'medium' edge, Bulenox Qualification (+$25,529), Topstep (+$24,982), and Tradeify Select Daily (+$24,218) lead. None of them reach Category A's (fully automated OK) leader, FTMO Futures Pro (+$4,836 at zero edge). The Trading Pit is the only one that explicitly allows VPS; TradeDay and Topstep ban it.
![[September 2026] Expected Value Roundup: 6 Futures Prop Firms That Allow Automated Trading | FTMO Futures Pro Wins at Zero Edge and With an Edge](/og/en/futures-prop-automation-ok-expected-value-summary-2026-09.png)
[September 2026] Expected Value Roundup: 6 Futures Prop Firms That Allow Automated Trading | FTMO Futures Pro Wins at Zero Edge and With an Edge
A roundup comparing every plan at 6 futures prop firms that officially allow automated trading (FTMO Futures, FundedNext Futures, MyFundedFutures, Lucid Trading, BluSky, FFN) under the same Monte Carlo conditions. At $50K, 0.30 lots, 1 micro gold trade a day, over 1 year: at zero edge, FTMO Futures Pro wins with +$4,836 a year, followed by BluSky Propel at +$2,988. At 'medium' edge, FTMO Pro still wins at +$26,306, but FFN STEADY, MFFU Rapid EOD, and Lucid Daily all cluster around $24,000. Only FTMO and FundedNext explicitly allow VPS.
![[September 2026 Edition] A Full Review of Automated-Trading Rules Across 28 Futures Prop Firms - Where Can You Actually Run a Bot, EA, or Copy Trade?](/og/en/futures-prop-firms-automation-2026-09.png)
[September 2026 Edition] A Full Review of Automated-Trading Rules Across 28 Futures Prop Firms - Where Can You Actually Run a Bot, EA, or Copy Trade?
We reread the official help centers and terms of 28 US futures prop firms on September 21-22, 2026, and sorted their automated-trading policies into five tiers: fully automated OK / self-built only with conditions / semi-automated only / banned / not addressed. Bulenox has switched to banning commercial and shared bots, Lucid allows them, Apex now explicitly bans automated trading on all accounts, and Tradeify requires a live video of you activating the code yourself. Covers firms that ban VPS, how each firm defines HFT (100-300 trades/day, 10-second holds), and firms that have shut down or stopped selling accounts. We've also added the two big FX firms that entered futures - FTMO Futures (allows algos) and The5ers Futures (bans algos).
![[September 2026] I Calculated The Trading Pit Futures's (Futures Prime) Expected Value | A $99 One-Time Fee Nets +$1,345/Year at Zero Edge, and Own EAs + VPS Are Explicitly Allowed](/og/en/the-trading-pit-futures-expected-value-2026-09.png)
[September 2026] I Calculated The Trading Pit Futures's (Futures Prime) Expected Value | A $99 One-Time Fee Nets +$1,345/Year at Zero Edge, and Own EAs + VPS Are Explicitly Allowed
I calculated the expected value of The Trading Pit's futures challenge, Futures Prime $50K, with a year-long Monte Carlo simulation from evaluation through payouts. Confirmed on the official futures page and help center on September 25, 2026. $99 one-time fee, $79 reset, 30-day evaluation. At 0.30 lots: +$1,345/year at zero edge, +$21,491/year at 'medium' edge. It's one of the few futures prop firms that explicitly allows both your own EA and a VPS, but its Trustpilot rating is suspended for violating guidelines.
![The5ers Payout Report: $1,230.86 the Day After Requesting (1st), $3,545.67 (2nd) โ Yellow Card Lifted, No Interview Either Time [September 2026]](/og/en/the5ers-first-payout-report-2026-09.png)
The5ers Payout Report: $1,230.86 the Day After Requesting (1st), $3,545.67 (2nd) โ Yellow Card Lifted, No Interview Either Time [September 2026]
A record of two payouts the site owner received from The5ers on a $100K High Stakes funded account. The 1st was requested September 8, 2026, completed September 9, requesting $1,499 and receiving $1,230.86 via USDT; the 2nd payment of $3,545.67 completed on September 24, received in full via Rise. Neither required an interview or extra documents. Based on this, we lifted The5ers's yellow card. Covers fees by withdrawal method (Rise 3.5%, crypto 3.5% capped at $1,500/request, Hub credit 0%), the 14-day cycle, how to prepare for the interview clause, and the bulk-trading and copy-trading pitfalls most likely to get you banned.
The5ers High Stakes: 8% Target vs. 10% Target โ Which Should You Choose?
The5ers' High Stakes challenge comes in two variants: Classic (Phase 1 target 8%) and New (10%). Using prices and rules after the September 14, 2026 revision ($100K is $455 for Classic and $405 for New, max loss 8%, daily 4%), we compare cost per 1% of target, the ratio of max loss to target, and the break-even pass rate. The conclusion that Classic is the better pick for a first attempt has only gotten clearer after the revision.
![The5ers High Stakes Gets Cheaper, But the $50K/$100K Buckets Shrank | The Refund Is Now "70% Cash + 30% Non-Withdrawable Credit" [September 2026]](/og/en/the5ers-high-stakes-price-and-rules-change-2026-09.png)
The5ers High Stakes Gets Cheaper, But the $50K/$100K Buckets Shrank | The Refund Is Now "70% Cash + 30% Non-Withdrawable Credit" [September 2026]
The5ers High Stakes revised its pricing and terms on September 14, 2026. $100K Classic went from $545 to $455, and New from $491 to $405. But only the $50K and $100K sizes saw max loss cut from 10% to 8% and daily loss from 5% to 4%, plus newly introduced withdrawal caps ($3,000/$4,000) and minimum profit requirements ($300/$500). What used to be a full fee refund is now split into 70% cash plus 30% non-withdrawable Hub credit. Measured against the loss allowance per dollar, this is effectively a price increase. On top of that, the official site shows conflicting numbers in four different places, so you need to check the actual figures at checkout before buying.
![The5ers Japan-Only "Short-Term Trading Contest" Starts Sept. 14, 22:00, Runs 1 Hour | Free to Enter, Prizes Are New High Stakes $25K/$10K/$5K Accounts [September 2026]](/og/en/the5ers-japan-only-trading-contest-2026-09.png)
The5ers Japan-Only "Short-Term Trading Contest" Starts Sept. 14, 22:00, Runs 1 Hour | Free to Enter, Prizes Are New High Stakes $25K/$10K/$5K Accounts [September 2026]
Key points of the Japan-only contest announced by The5ers' Japan team in an email on September 9, 2026. Held September 14 (Monday) 22:00โ22:58 JST, a 58-minute window, free to enter, limited to users registered with a Japanese address. 1st place $25K, 2nd $10K, 3rd $5K in new High Stakes accounts (10%โ5% profit target), 4thโ10th get a $20 hub credit (usable only toward a challenge purchase, through 10/14). The contest account is $10K, 1:30 leverage, 3% max DD, no EAs, no trading within 2 minutes of an economic indicator. The same week, Moneta Funded is also running a Japan-only contest โ the fight for the Japanese market among overseas prop firms has begun.
I Got a 'One-Sided Bets' Warning From The5ers: The Rules Say Permanent Ban, What Actually Happened Was 'Activated After Acknowledgment'
The full text of the risk-management warning email that arrived right before my The5ers funded account was due to activate. The original list of all 22 prohibited practices, how one-sided bets is judged, the exact reply I sent, and what EA traders should do to avoid a repeat.
Which Payment Method Is Best for The5ers? A Complete Guide for Traders in Japan
The5ers offers several payment methods โ credit card, PayPal, crypto, and Checkout (with Apple Pay support). A thorough comparison of fees, FX cost, and convenience from the perspective of traders in Japan.