The prop
trading firm The Funded Trader (TFT), whose clients have been waiting for
payouts for a year, is now focusing on transparency. As part of this new
strategy, its CEO and founder, Angelo Ciaramello, shared trader payout
statistics, which reached $386 thousand in March.
Given that
on average only 1 in 20 traders pass a prop firm’s challenge, estimates allege
that revenues during this period could have been at least three times higher.
The Funded Trader with
Largest Payout in Over Six Months
Ciaramello
announced on Discord that by March 25, TFT had paid out $386,000 to clients who
successfully passed the challenge and earned on their funded account since the
beginning of the month.
“We’re
only 25 days into March and we’ve already sent out a MASSIVE $386,000+ in
payouts,” Ciaramello commented. “And guess what? That doesn’t even
include the backlogged payouts still being processed.”
He was
referring to over 1,000 traders who have been waiting for their funds since
March 2024, when the company faced issues and temporarily suspended operations.
TFT got
back on its feet in August, and as the CEO admits, March payouts are the
highest since returning to normal operations, which is seven months ago.
The prop
firm also ensures that each payout can be verified on the blockchain, as TFT’s payments
operator, Rise, processes all transactions using crypto infrastructure. The
list of March payouts, including the largest one exceeding $17 thousand,
matches the public ledger records.
You may also like: Inside the 800-Member Trading Cartel Bleeding Prop Firms Dry
Only 1% of Clients Make
Money
As
mentioned earlier, TFT has focused on transparency in the face of recent
criticism for issues with settling dues to its clients. In early March, the
prop firm reported that the challenge pass rate ranges from 5-10%, of which
only 20% reach payouts.
“Trading
is difficult,” Ciaramello explained on Discord. “The available margin
from these numbers allows us to clear our debts. This is not a Ponzi scheme or
a fundraising operation; it is a structured approach to rebuild, generate
profit, and settle past obligations .”
As a
result, only 1-2% of all TFT clients actually make money. Knowing these
statistics, we can try to estimate how much the prop firm potentially earns in
a month. The cheapest challenges start at $50, in which case the prop firm
could have generated alleged revenues of around $965,000 in March. The most
expensive challenges, costing over $1,000, would generate revenue in the tens
of millions of dollars.
Without
knowing the exact sales statistics for specific challenges, it’s difficult to
pinpoint where the final number lies within this range. However, even assuming
the most modest scenario, this calculation demonstrates why prop trading firms
can be highly profitable despite paying out significant sums to successful
traders.
The vast
majority of participants (98-99%) do not reach the payout stage, either failing
the initial challenge (90-95%) or not qualifying for payouts after being funded
(an additional 80% of the remaining group).
Nearly 1,300 Traders
Waiting a Year for Their Money
Earlier in
March, Finance Magnates reported that 1,272 people have been waiting for
due funds from TFT since March 2024. This number seems to be growing rather
than decreasing, as in November, the same company reported 900 people in the
queue.
The prop
firm presents new plans to solve the problem, and some users have received
payouts, but the issue hasn’t been fully resolved. However, Ciaramello assures
that the company’s growing payouts and higher revenues are increasing the pace
of settling arrears.
According
to Ciaramello’s latest update, they managed to reach agreements with some
traders for a total amount of $250,000: these traders reportedly accepted 10%,
20%, or 30% of their original owed amounts.
“Here’s
how we see it: More revenue → More payouts → More testimonials → More profit
for TFT → More funds to pay back owed payouts & accounts → Reputation
restored,” added Ciaramello. “We’re dead serious about restoring
trust and delivering on our promises. That starts with fast payouts and
honoring every agreement we’ve made.”
Although
TFT’s activities certainly raise controversies, it must be honestly admitted
that many other companies with payout problems have disappeared from the market
over the past year (there could have been as many as 100). The Funded Trader,
however, remains afloat and is trying to settle its dues.
The prop
trading firm The Funded Trader (TFT), whose clients have been waiting for
payouts for a year, is now focusing on transparency. As part of this new
strategy, its CEO and founder, Angelo Ciaramello, shared trader payout
statistics, which reached $386 thousand in March.
Given that
on average only 1 in 20 traders pass a prop firm’s challenge, estimates allege
that revenues during this period could have been at least three times higher.
The Funded Trader with
Largest Payout in Over Six Months
Ciaramello
announced on Discord that by March 25, TFT had paid out $386,000 to clients who
successfully passed the challenge and earned on their funded account since the
beginning of the month.
“We’re
only 25 days into March and we’ve already sent out a MASSIVE $386,000+ in
payouts,” Ciaramello commented. “And guess what? That doesn’t even
include the backlogged payouts still being processed.”
He was
referring to over 1,000 traders who have been waiting for their funds since
March 2024, when the company faced issues and temporarily suspended operations.
TFT got
back on its feet in August, and as the CEO admits, March payouts are the
highest since returning to normal operations, which is seven months ago.
The prop
firm also ensures that each payout can be verified on the blockchain, as TFT’s payments
operator, Rise, processes all transactions using crypto infrastructure. The
list of March payouts, including the largest one exceeding $17 thousand,
matches the public ledger records.
You may also like: Inside the 800-Member Trading Cartel Bleeding Prop Firms Dry
Only 1% of Clients Make
Money
As
mentioned earlier, TFT has focused on transparency in the face of recent
criticism for issues with settling dues to its clients. In early March, the
prop firm reported that the challenge pass rate ranges from 5-10%, of which
only 20% reach payouts.
“Trading
is difficult,” Ciaramello explained on Discord. “The available margin
from these numbers allows us to clear our debts. This is not a Ponzi scheme or
a fundraising operation; it is a structured approach to rebuild, generate
profit, and settle past obligations .”
As a
result, only 1-2% of all TFT clients actually make money. Knowing these
statistics, we can try to estimate how much the prop firm potentially earns in
a month. The cheapest challenges start at $50, in which case the prop firm
could have generated alleged revenues of around $965,000 in March. The most
expensive challenges, costing over $1,000, would generate revenue in the tens
of millions of dollars.
Without
knowing the exact sales statistics for specific challenges, it’s difficult to
pinpoint where the final number lies within this range. However, even assuming
the most modest scenario, this calculation demonstrates why prop trading firms
can be highly profitable despite paying out significant sums to successful
traders.
The vast
majority of participants (98-99%) do not reach the payout stage, either failing
the initial challenge (90-95%) or not qualifying for payouts after being funded
(an additional 80% of the remaining group).
Nearly 1,300 Traders
Waiting a Year for Their Money
Earlier in
March, Finance Magnates reported that 1,272 people have been waiting for
due funds from TFT since March 2024. This number seems to be growing rather
than decreasing, as in November, the same company reported 900 people in the
queue.
The prop
firm presents new plans to solve the problem, and some users have received
payouts, but the issue hasn’t been fully resolved. However, Ciaramello assures
that the company’s growing payouts and higher revenues are increasing the pace
of settling arrears.
According
to Ciaramello’s latest update, they managed to reach agreements with some
traders for a total amount of $250,000: these traders reportedly accepted 10%,
20%, or 30% of their original owed amounts.
“Here’s
how we see it: More revenue → More payouts → More testimonials → More profit
for TFT → More funds to pay back owed payouts & accounts → Reputation
restored,” added Ciaramello. “We’re dead serious about restoring
trust and delivering on our promises. That starts with fast payouts and
honoring every agreement we’ve made.”
Although
TFT’s activities certainly raise controversies, it must be honestly admitted
that many other companies with payout problems have disappeared from the market
over the past year (there could have been as many as 100). The Funded Trader,
however, remains afloat and is trying to settle its dues.
This post is originally published on FINANCEMAGNATES.
