Earn2trade

What is Earn2Trade?

General Company Information

Earn2Trade presents itself in the trading ecosystem as an education and evaluation company specializing in futures. Its core business model is not that of a broker, but of an entity that identifies and cultivates trading talent. Through its evaluation programs, it seeks traders capable of managing risk and consistently generating profits to later connect them with proprietary trading firms that will provide them with capital to operate.

Founded in 2016 in the United States, Earn2Trade has established itself as one of the most experienced companies in the sector, with over eight years of experience. This longevity is a notable factor in a relatively young and constantly changing industry. The firm’s stated mission is to offer a clear and structured path for traders of all levels to access the world of professional futures trading. This is achieved through single-step evaluations on simulated accounts, designed to measure the candidate’s skill, discipline, and, above all, risk management.

The corporate structure of Earn2Trade LLC, with its registered headquarters in Sheridan, Wyoming, reflects a mature organization with a management team that includes key roles such as COO, CTO, CFO, and directors of Compliance and Customer Support. This organizational chart suggests a professional and segmented approach to managing its operations, targeting a clear audience: aspiring futures traders looking for an opportunity to prove their worth and access trading capital.

The Earn2Trade Pledge: A Commitment to Transparency

An element that distinguishes Earn2Trade from many of its competitors is its “Pledge,” a public document that articulates its core values and commitments to the trading community. In a sector where transparency can be a concern, this manifesto is a statement of intent and a pillar of its brand strategy. The key principles of this pledge are:

• Preparation and Education: The firm places a strong emphasis on preparing traders for real markets, using simulated trading as an experiential learning tool to develop risk management skills.
• Equal Opportunity: It commits to offering an objective and accessible evaluation process for all traders, regardless of their background, professional experience, race, or geographical location, democratizing access to capital.
• Fair and Objective Environment: It guarantees the objectivity of its evaluations, the use of third-party data providers (like Rithmic), non-manipulation of trades, and a streamlined onboarding process for traders who pass the test.
• Business Transparency: It commits to clearly disclosing all evaluation rules, success rates, commissions, withdrawal conditions, and the identity of its funding partners and brokers.
• Ethical Marketing: It explicitly rejects deceptive marketing practices that portray trading as an easy path to a lavish lifestyle. Instead, it emphasizes the difficulty and discipline required for long-term success.
• Risk Education: It assumes the responsibility of educating traders about the inherent risks of futures trading, with a central focus on capital management.

Reputation and Trust in the Industry

Earn2Trade’s longevity in the market is supported by a solid online reputation. The company boasts a 4.7-star rating on Trustpilot, based on over 1,000 reviews, and other sources mention a 4.6 score with more than 2,000 opinions. User testimonials often highlight the quality and speed of customer service and the logical and fair structure of their challenges.

As an evaluation company, Earn2Trade does not require the same regulation as a financial institution. However, the legitimacy of its model is supported by its strategic partners. Its associated brokers, such as Edge Clear, are entities registered with the CFTC and NFA, the main futures regulatory bodies in the United States. This structure, where the evaluation is managed by one entity and the real capital by another regulated one, is a standard in the industry and provides an additional layer of security and trust for the trader.

The firm’s positioning as an “educator first” entity is not coincidental. By offering a Beginner Crash Course and partnering with academic institutions like the Universiapolis International University, the company not only sells a product but also builds a relationship of trust with its customer base, mainly developing traders. This strategy has a dual effect: it attracts traders seeking serious training and, at the same time, filters and prepares candidates, increasing the likelihood that they will manage risk effectively once funded. The “Pledge” reinforces this image, proactively addressing common concerns about fairness and transparency, which directly translates into a stronger public reputation.

Trader Career Path® (TCP): The Scalable Professional Journey

The Trader Career Path® (TCP) program is designed as a long-term professional career for futures traders. Its main feature is a structured scaling plan that allows traders to progressively increase the size of their trading account as they meet profit targets and make withdrawals.

The program begins with an evaluation in a virtual account. Upon passing it, the trader receives a funded account of the same initial size. From there, they can progress through different levels to reach a $400,000 account, which has the advantage of a fixed drawdown, a feature highly valued by experienced traders.

The evaluation phase consists of a single step and has no time limit for completion, as it operates under a monthly subscription model. A significant change, implemented on April 1, 2024, reduced the minimum trading days requirement from 15 to 10 for all new subscriptions, speeding up the process. One of the most notable advantages of the TCP is that it includes a free reset with each monthly subscription renewal, offering a valuable safety net during the learning and evaluation phase.

Table: Trader Career Path® Parameters

The following table details the key parameters for each account size within the TCP program, using the provided data as the primary source.

Parameter	TCP $25,000	TCP $50,000	TCP $100,000
Monthly Price	$150	$190	$350
Account Size	$25,000	$50,000	$100,000
Profit Target	$1,750 (7%)	$3,000 (6%)	$6,000 (6%)
Maximum Drawdown (EOD)	$1,500 (6%)	$2,000 (4%)	$3,500 (3.5%)
Daily Loss Limit	$550 (2.2%)	$1,100 (2.2%)	$2,200 (2.2%)

The Gauntlet Mini™: The Fast Track to Funding

The Gauntlet Mini™ is promoted as “the shortest path to becoming a funded trader.” It is a more direct evaluation program without the inherent scaling plan of the TCP. Its approach is simple: pass a single-step evaluation to get a funded account of a specific size.

Like the TCP, it operates on a monthly subscription with no maximum deadline to reach the target, and the minimum trading requirement is also 10 days. The main difference lies in its structure. The Gauntlet Mini™ does not offer the scalable career plan and, crucially, does not include a free reset with the monthly renewal. If a trader needs to reset their account, they must purchase the reset separately.

This split in the product offering is a strategic decision to segment the market. The TCP, with its scaling plan and free reset, is aimed at the developing trader who values security and a long-term growth trajectory. On the other hand, The Gauntlet Mini™, with a sometimes slightly lower cost for comparable accounts and without the bonus of a free reset, appeals to the experienced and confident trader who believes they can pass the evaluation quickly and does not want to pay for features they will not use.

Table: The Gauntlet Mini™ Parameters

Below are the details of the accounts available in The Gauntlet Mini™ program.

Parameter	GM $50,000	GM $100,000	GM $150,000	GM $200,000
Monthly Price	$170	$315	$375	$550
Account Size	$50,000	$100,000	$150,000	$200,000
Profit Target	$3,000 (6%)	$6,000 (6%)	$9,000 (6%)	$11,000 (5.5%)
Maximum Drawdown (EOD)	$2,000 (4%)	$3,500 (3.5%)	$4,500 (3%)	$6,000 (3%)
Daily Loss Limit	$1,100 (2.2%)	$2,200 (2.2%)	$3,300 (2.2%)	$4,400 (2.2%)

An analysis of the parameters of both programs reveals an important trend: as the account size increases, the allowed maximum drawdown, as a percentage of the capital, decreases. In the TCP, it goes from 6% on the $25,000 account to 3.5% on the $100,000 account. In The Gauntlet Mini™, it drops from 4% on the $50,000 account to 3% on the $200,000 account. This means that larger accounts, while offering more nominal capital, demand proportionally stricter risk management. The funding firm thus reduces its percentage risk exposure on its larger accounts, encouraging greater discipline in traders who manage more capital.

Trading Rules and Evaluation Objectives

Summary of General Rules

To successfully pass any of Earn2Trade’s evaluation programs, traders must reach the profit target without violating any of the fundamental established rules. Both programs share a core set of rules designed to foster discipline and professional risk management. The main objectives are:

• Minimum Trading Days: It is necessary to trade for a minimum of 10 active market days. This requirement was updated from the previous 15 days on April 1, 2024, for new subscriptions, making the process more agile.
• Single-Step Evaluation: Unlike many other firms that require two or more phases, both the TCP and The Gauntlet Mini™ are single-stage evaluations, which simplifies the path to funding.
• Copy Trading Prohibition: The use of copy trading systems to pass the evaluation is explicitly prohibited.

Analysis of the Consistency Rule (30%)

The “Maintain Consistency” rule is one of the most important and often one of the least understood. It states that the profit made in a single trading day cannot account for 30% or more of the total accumulated profit (PnL) during the evaluation. The calculation is simple: Best Day’s Profit/Total Profit≤0.30.

If a trader exceeds this threshold, they do not fail the evaluation. Instead, they must continue trading and accumulating more profits until the percentage weight of their best day is reduced to below 30%. For example, if a trader on an account with a $6,000 target makes a profit of $3,000 in a single day, that day represents 50% of their target. To comply with the rule, they would need to increase their total profit to over $10,000, since $3,000 is 30% of $10,000.

The purpose of this rule is to reward discipline and sustained profitability, rather than reliance on a few large trades that could be the result of luck. It is important to note that this rule only applies during the evaluation phase; it is not a requirement in the LiveSim® or Live funded accounts.

Trading Hours and Restrictions

Earn2Trade establishes a strict time frame for trading, which in practice prohibits holding positions open overnight.

• General Hours: Trading can begin with the market opening for the respective asset, which is generally at 5:00 PM CT.
• Mandatory Close: All positions and pending orders must be closed before 3:50 PM CT. Trading is prohibited in the interval from 3:50 PM CT to 5:00 PM CT.
• Asset-Specific Restrictions: Some agricultural and livestock commodity futures have even more restrictive closing times:
  • GF, HE, LE (Livestock): Must be closed by 1:05 PM CT.
  • XC, XK, ZC, ZL, ZM, ZS, ZW (Grains and Corn): Must be closed during the break from 7:45 AM to 8:30 AM CT and, again, from 1:20 PM CT onwards.
• News Trading: There are no rules that explicitly prohibit trading during high-impact news events. However, the high volatility associated with these events significantly increases the risk of violating the daily loss or drawdown rules.

Risk Management: Drawdown and Daily Loss Limit

Risk management is the central pillar of Earn2Trade’s evaluation system.

• Daily Loss Limit: This is the maximum loss allowed in a single trading day (according to the CME calendar). It is calculated in real-time on open and closed PnL (equity). Reaching this limit constitutes a rule violation.
• Maximum Drawdown (Evaluation): During the evaluation, in both the TCP and The Gauntlet Mini™, an End-of-Day Drawdown (EOD) is used. This means that the minimum allowed account balance is only recalculated at the end of the day based on the closing balance. This type of drawdown is considerably more flexible than a trailing drawdown, as it allows for intraday fluctuations without penalty, as long as the account closes above the limit.
• Maximum Drawdown (Funding): Here lies a crucial distinction. When funded, the type of drawdown depends on the chosen account:
  • LiveSim® Account: Maintains the more permissive EOD drawdown.
  • Real (Live) Account: Switches to a Trailing Drawdown, which follows the highest point of the account’s equity in real-time (intraday). This is a much stricter and more demanding rule.
  • TCP Exception: The final $400,000 account of the TCP scaling plan has a fixed drawdown at $388,000, which does not move, offering a fixed cushion of $12,000.

Progression Ladder

This rule limits the maximum number of contracts a trader can have open simultaneously. This limit is not static; it increases as the trader’s account balance grows. Its objective is to instill disciplined risk scaling, preventing traders from taking on excessive leverage from the start.

An important feature of this rule is that breaching it does not result in an immediate failure of the evaluation. Instead, the account is locked for the remainder of the trading day, allowing the trader to resume trading the next day. It is a “soft violation” that serves as a warning rather than a definitive penalty.

Earn2Trade’s set of rules is designed not only to test a strategy but to shape professional habits. The combination of the consistency rule, the progression ladder, and the mandatory daily closing forces traders to operate as a professional in an institutional firm would: managing risk in a disciplined manner, scaling in a controlled way, and eliminating the risk of overnight gaps. The change in the drawdown type from EOD to Trailing when moving to a real account acts as an implicit second filter. A trader might pass the evaluation with the more flexible EOD drawdown, but only those who can manage their intraday risk under the pressure of a trailing drawdown will survive and thrive with real capital.

The Funding Stage: What Happens After Passing?

Funding Process and Strategic Partners

Once a trader successfully passes the evaluation phase, they receive a guaranteed funding offer from one of the proprietary trading firms associated with Earn2Trade. This step formalizes the transition from candidate to funded trader. The firms that provide the capital are primarily Appius Trading Limited and Kronos Proprietary Trading. The existence of these external partners is fundamental to the business model.

Furthermore, the real trading accounts (Live) are opened at recognized and regulated brokers and FCMs (Futures Commission Merchants) in the futures industry, such as Dorman Trading and Edge Clear. This partnership with established and regulated entities adds a significant layer of legitimacy and security to the process.

Funded Accounts: LiveSim® vs. Real Account (Live)

After passing, the trader faces an important decision: choosing between a LiveSim® account or a Real (Live) account. Each option has significant implications in terms of costs, rules, and trading environment.

• LiveSim® Account:
  • It is a simulated trading account that, however, allows for the withdrawal of real profits.
  • Activation Cost: For non-professional traders, there is a one-time activation fee of $139. This amount is not paid upfront but is deducted from the first profit withdrawal. If the trader does not generate profits, they pay nothing.
  • Data Costs: The activation fee covers the data fees for all CME group exchanges, so there are no recurring monthly costs for this for non-professionals.
  • Drawdown Type: It uses the more flexible End-of-Day (EOD) drawdown.
  • Activation Time: The process is fast, generally completed within two business days.
• Real (Live) Account:
  • It is a real trading account opened directly with a partner broker like Dorman Trading.
  • Activation Cost: There is no activation cost.
  • Data Costs: The trader is responsible for paying the monthly data fees, which amount to $135 per exchange. Trading on CME, CBOT, NYMEX, and COMEX could result in a monthly cost of over $500.
  • Drawdown Type: It uses the much stricter intraday Trailing Drawdown.
  • Activation Time: It is a slower process due to the need to complete legal and compliance documentation with the broker.

The LiveSim® model is an ingenious solution that benefits the firm by mitigating initial risk (no real capital is risked immediately) and shifting data costs to a one-time payment model conditioned on the trader’s success. For the trader, it represents a much lower economic barrier to entry and a more flexible rule environment to start generating profits.

Table: Comparison of Funded Accounts: LiveSim® vs. Live

This table summarizes the key differences to help traders make the most appropriate decision for their situation.

Feature	LiveSim® Account	Real (Live) Account
Account Type	Simulation with real payouts	Real trading account at a broker
Activation Cost	$139 (deducted from 1st withdrawal)	$0
Data Costs (Non-Pro)	Included in the activation cost	$135/month per exchange
Drawdown Type	End-of-Day (EOD)	Intraday Trailing
Activation Time	Fast (approx. 2 business days)	Slow (requires paperwork)
Ideal For	Traders who prefer a lower initial cost and a more flexible drawdown.	Traders who demand a 100% real market environment and assume the costs.

Withdrawal Policy and Profit Split

The profit-sharing and withdrawal structure is clear and competitive.

• Profit Split: The trader receives 80% of the profits generated, while the firm retains 20%.
• Withdrawal Frequency: Withdrawals can be requested once a week. Requests must be submitted before 2 PM CT on Friday to be processed the following Wednesday.
• Minimum Withdrawal: The minimum amount for a withdrawal is $100.
• First Withdrawal Condition: For the first withdrawal from a LiveSim® account, the trader must have accumulated a minimum profit of $239. This covers the minimum withdrawal of $100 plus the activation fee of $139.
• Withdrawal Methods: Payments are processed via bank transfer or cryptocurrencies through their payment partner, the Rise platform.
• Withdrawal Fees: A fee of $10 is applied to each withdrawal. However, this fee is waived for withdrawals over $500.

This structure incentivizes traders to make less frequent but larger withdrawals, which reduces the administrative burden for the firm and encourages the accumulation of a profit cushion in the trader’s account.

Technical Aspects and Trading Conditions

Trading Platforms, Brokers, and Data Providers

Earn2Trade’s technological ecosystem is clearly geared towards professional futures traders.

• Supported Platforms: The connection is made through the Rithmic data provider, which allows compatibility with a wide range of high-performance trading platforms.
• Featured Platforms:
  • NinjaTrader®: It is one of the most popular and recommended platforms. A free license is provided during the evaluation and on LiveSim® accounts. For Live accounts, the trader must have their own paid license.
  • Finamark Systems: A web-based platform, making it accessible from any operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux).
  • Others: The list of compatible platforms is extensive and includes professional software such as ATAS, Bookmap, Jigsaw Daytradr, Quantower, and Sierra Chart, among others.
• Unsupported Platforms: It is important to note that MetaTrader 4 and 5 (MT4/MT5), very popular in Forex and CFD trading, are not compatible.
• Data Provider: The official data feed is Rithmic™, recognized in the industry for its speed and reliability in order execution.

The choice of Rithmic and compatibility with platforms like NinjaTrader and Sierra Chart, to the detriment of MT4/5, is a strategic decision that defines its target audience: serious futures traders who require institutional-grade tools, rather than retail traders from the Forex ecosystem.

Available Financial Instruments

Earn2Trade’s offering is very specific and focuses exclusively on one type of asset.

• Asset Class: Only trading with Futures is allowed.
• Exchanges: The available products are those listed on the CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) group markets: CME, CBOT, NYMEX, and COMEX.
• Prohibited Instruments: It is not possible to trade stocks, Forex, CFDs, stock options, or cryptocurrencies.

Commission Structure and Operating Costs

To simulate a realistic trading environment, Earn2Trade applies real-time market commissions during the evaluation phase.

• Commission Rates: The costs vary depending on the contract traded.
• Micro Contracts (e.g., MES, MNQ): Commissions are around $0.82 to $1.08 per side (per buy or sell).
• E-mini Contracts (e.g., ES): Commissions are composed of several elements: the FCM commission (maximum $0.54 per side), the Rithmic platform fee ($0.10 per side), and the NFA fee ($0.02 per side), totaling approximately $0.66 per side, although it can vary.

Leverage, Spread, and Slippage

• Leverage: Earn2Trade does not define a fixed leverage ratio (like 1:100). Leverage is an intrinsic feature of futures trading, managed through the margins required by the exchange. In practice, the control of the effective leverage a trader can use is managed through the “Progression Ladder,” which limits the number of open contracts based on capital. This is a more dynamic and sophisticated risk management method than static leverage.
• Spread and Slippage: By using a real market data feed like Rithmic, Earn2Trade does not control the spreads. Traders operate with the real market spread (the difference between the bid and ask price) for each futures contract. Similarly, slippage (the difference between the expected price of an order and the price at which it is executed) is a natural market phenomenon, especially during times of high volatility or low liquidity, and will occur on the platform just as in any real trading account.

Additional Resources and Support

Educational Offerings and Support Material

True to its identity as an educational company, Earn2Trade offers a robust set of learning resources.

• Beginner Crash Course: This is its flagship educational product. It consists of a package of 60 short videos, quizzes, and a certificate of completion. It is designed to take a novice trader from the basic concepts to understanding risk management and technical analysis.
• Included Resources: During an evaluation subscription, traders have access to the firm’s entire educational catalog, a trading simulator for practice, and a free license for Journalytix™, an advanced tool for trade analysis and logging.
• Free Content: The company also maintains an active blog, a YouTube channel with informative videos, and a presence on social media, offering educational content for free.

Customer Support Channels

Customer service is one of the most praised aspects by Earn2Trade users.

• Availability: The firm offers a wide range of modern communication channels, making it easy to get in touch and resolve issues.
• Channels:
  • Live chat on their website.
  • Email.
  • WhatsApp.
  • Telegram.
• Community: Earn2Trade manages an active Discord community where traders can interact with each other and with the company’s staff, creating a mutually supportive environment.
• Support Hours: Although specific support hours are not published, the variety of channels and the quick responses mentioned in reviews suggest high availability, likely aligned with U.S. market hours.

Administrative Information

Restricted Countries and Regions

For regulatory and compliance reasons, Earn2Trade cannot offer its services to citizens of certain countries.

• List of Restricted Countries: The list includes, among others: Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, Burma (Myanmar), Central African Republic, Cuba, Gibraltar, Iran, Iraq, Kenya, Libya, Mali, Nauru, Nigeria, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Venezuela, and Yemen.
• Restrictions in the U.S.: Due to the regulations of its payment provider (Rise), there may be restrictions on processing payments to traders residing in the states of Iowa, Minnesota, and South Carolina, as well as in the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. However, the firm states that it will seek alternative payment solutions for affected traders in these regions.

Final Verdict: Strengths and Points to Consider

Strengths of Earn2Trade

• Reputation and Track Record: With over eight years in the industry, it is one of the most established firms and has an excellent reputation backed by thousands of positive user reviews.
• Trader-Centric Model: The 80/20 profit split is competitive. The policy of deducting the LiveSim® account activation cost from the trader’s profits aligns the firm’s interests with the user’s.
• Flexible and Clear Evaluation Rules: The single-step evaluations, with no maximum time limit, a more permissive EOD drawdown during the test, and “soft violations” for the progression rule, create a fair and achievable evaluation environment.
• Professional Technical Infrastructure: The use of the Rithmic data feed and compatibility with a wide range of professional-grade futures platforms ensure a robust and reliable trading environment.
• Structured Career Plan: The Trader Career Path® program offers a unique and well-defined scaling plan, ideal for traders seeking long-term growth.
• Quality Support and Education: Multiple modern and effective support channels, along with a wealth of educational resources, both paid and free.

Areas for Improvement or Key Considerations

• Costs of the Real (Live) Account: The monthly data fees of $135 per exchange for a Live account can be a very high cost, especially for traders operating in multiple markets.
• LiveSim® vs. Live Distinction: Although the LiveSim® model is an excellent low-cost option, traders must be aware that they are not trading with real capital immediately. The switch from an EOD drawdown to a trailing drawdown when moving to a Live account represents a significant increase in difficulty that must be anticipated.
• Futures Exclusivity: The firm is 100% focused on futures. Traders interested in other markets like Forex, stocks, or CFDs will need to look for other alternatives.
• No Support for MT4/MT5: The lack of compatibility with the MetaTrader platforms can be an obstacle for traders coming from the Forex ecosystem who are accustomed to these tools.