A study of
nearly 10,000 traders conducted by Swiset, a technology provider for retail trading companies including brokers and prop firms, highlights the steep
odds faced by individuals seeking prop trading funding, with just 20%
completing the popular one-phase challenges, and even fewer succeeding in
two-phase formats.
South America leads the latest statistics, both in terms of the number of active traders and the share of those proving that success in prop trading isn’t limited to a small minority.
Colombia, U.S. And Brazil
Lead in Volume
Colombia
leads all countries in participation, with almost 15% of prop firms’ clients,
followed by the United States and Brazil. The study reviewed activity from
August 2024 to April 2025, covering 11 regions including Europe, Asia, Africa,
and North America. Challenge sizes ranged from $3,000 up to $200,000 in
simulated account value.
Traders
flocked to the $10,000 challenge, with nearly 30% of users choosing this category, making it the most popular option among traders. The $100,000 and $25,000 challenges
followed. Preferences varied by region: South Americans favored the $10,000 and
$25,000 levels, while North Americans leaned toward larger $100,000 and
$200,000 accounts.
80% Fail in One-Phase, Almost
90% in Two-Phase
The data
paints a sobering picture for aspiring funded traders. In one-phase tests,
79.7% of users failed, while only 20.3% reached funded status. The odds were
even slimmer for two-phase challenges, with 88.2% failing and just 11.8%
obtaining funding.
On average,
it takes about six days for a successful trader to become funded, though
timelines varied widely. Caribbean participants averaged nearly fourteen days,
while those in Africa and Central America moved through the process in under
three days. Direct
phase challenges, which enable immediate access without multiple evaluation
stages, accounted for the bulk of activity.
How do these figures compare to the data previously presented by Finance Magnates? According to data provided last year by FPFX Tech, a technology vendor for the prop trading sector. Out of 300,000 evaluated accounts, just 7% secured a payout, with average returns amounting to roughly 4% of the allocated funding. For example, a trader given access to a $10,000 account typically earned $400, despite paying around $100 to participate in the challenge.
In contrast, a separate internal survey conducted by PipFarm, another proprietary trading firm, indicated significantly higher success rates. The company reported that 41% of its clients achieved payout status.
1.6 Challenges Per User on Average
Despite
high rates of failure, participation remains robust, with the average user
purchasing 1.6 challenges. Some reportedly attempted as many as 18. Only a
small percentage of users (less than 1%) made withdrawals from accounts greater
than $300,000, compared to roughly 24% for $100,000 accounts.
Losses
tended to be smaller relative to account size in larger challenges. For
example, users on $100,000 accounts had relative losses of just 0.3%, while
smaller accounts like $15,000 saw losses above 6%.
You may also like: Only 1 in 20 Traders Pass Prop Firm Challenges, Reports The Funded Trader
Most Fail Within a Week,
but Persistence Pays for Some
Notably,
users who failed often did so quickly, typically within a week, while those who
achieved funding, especially in larger challenges, sometimes spent over a month
in pursuit of success.
The
findings underscore the competitive nature of prop trading funding challenges.
Despite low overall success rates, the continual influx of new participants and
frequent repeat purchases suggest an ongoing appetite for remote trading
opportunities, especially as prop firms attract a global user base with varying
preferences by region and challenge size.
Swiset recently partnered with AFTX, which implemented the company’s Trading Tournament Tech to boost user activity and retention.
A study of
nearly 10,000 traders conducted by Swiset, a technology provider for retail trading companies including brokers and prop firms, highlights the steep
odds faced by individuals seeking prop trading funding, with just 20%
completing the popular one-phase challenges, and even fewer succeeding in
two-phase formats.
South America leads the latest statistics, both in terms of the number of active traders and the share of those proving that success in prop trading isn’t limited to a small minority.
Colombia, U.S. And Brazil
Lead in Volume
Colombia
leads all countries in participation, with almost 15% of prop firms’ clients,
followed by the United States and Brazil. The study reviewed activity from
August 2024 to April 2025, covering 11 regions including Europe, Asia, Africa,
and North America. Challenge sizes ranged from $3,000 up to $200,000 in
simulated account value.
Traders
flocked to the $10,000 challenge, with nearly 30% of users choosing this category, making it the most popular option among traders. The $100,000 and $25,000 challenges
followed. Preferences varied by region: South Americans favored the $10,000 and
$25,000 levels, while North Americans leaned toward larger $100,000 and
$200,000 accounts.
80% Fail in One-Phase, Almost
90% in Two-Phase
The data
paints a sobering picture for aspiring funded traders. In one-phase tests,
79.7% of users failed, while only 20.3% reached funded status. The odds were
even slimmer for two-phase challenges, with 88.2% failing and just 11.8%
obtaining funding.
On average,
it takes about six days for a successful trader to become funded, though
timelines varied widely. Caribbean participants averaged nearly fourteen days,
while those in Africa and Central America moved through the process in under
three days. Direct
phase challenges, which enable immediate access without multiple evaluation
stages, accounted for the bulk of activity.
How do these figures compare to the data previously presented by Finance Magnates? According to data provided last year by FPFX Tech, a technology vendor for the prop trading sector. Out of 300,000 evaluated accounts, just 7% secured a payout, with average returns amounting to roughly 4% of the allocated funding. For example, a trader given access to a $10,000 account typically earned $400, despite paying around $100 to participate in the challenge.
In contrast, a separate internal survey conducted by PipFarm, another proprietary trading firm, indicated significantly higher success rates. The company reported that 41% of its clients achieved payout status.
1.6 Challenges Per User on Average
Despite
high rates of failure, participation remains robust, with the average user
purchasing 1.6 challenges. Some reportedly attempted as many as 18. Only a
small percentage of users (less than 1%) made withdrawals from accounts greater
than $300,000, compared to roughly 24% for $100,000 accounts.
Losses
tended to be smaller relative to account size in larger challenges. For
example, users on $100,000 accounts had relative losses of just 0.3%, while
smaller accounts like $15,000 saw losses above 6%.
You may also like: Only 1 in 20 Traders Pass Prop Firm Challenges, Reports The Funded Trader
Most Fail Within a Week,
but Persistence Pays for Some
Notably,
users who failed often did so quickly, typically within a week, while those who
achieved funding, especially in larger challenges, sometimes spent over a month
in pursuit of success.
The
findings underscore the competitive nature of prop trading funding challenges.
Despite low overall success rates, the continual influx of new participants and
frequent repeat purchases suggest an ongoing appetite for remote trading
opportunities, especially as prop firms attract a global user base with varying
preferences by region and challenge size.
Swiset recently partnered with AFTX, which implemented the company’s Trading Tournament Tech to boost user activity and retention.
This post is originally published on FINANCEMAGNATES.
