TradeDay

What TradeDay is

TradeDay is a US futures-only proprietary trading firm founded in 2020. Its headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois (2nd Floor, 412 S. Wells, Chicago, Illinois). “Futures-only” means the firm trades primarily CME-listed futures products rather than FX or equities. With roughly six years of operation (as of June 2026), it sits in the mid-tier of the futures-focused prop segment.

The co-founders are said to be CEO James Thorpe (15-plus years in futures trading, former CEO of Mercury Derivatives and Futures First) and technical analyst Steve Miley (with a background at Merrill Lynch from 1994 to 2009 and Credit Suisse from 2009 to 2012). Having a founding team with hands-on financial-industry experience is one indicator of credibility.

The account sizes on offer are $50,000, $100,000, and $150,000. TradeDay positions itself as one of the futures-only options alongside Topstep and Apex Trader Funding.

TradeDay’s evaluation model

Under the current “TradeDay 2.0,” two tracks with different evaluation lengths are reportedly available. The evaluation is a single phase with no time limit.

The consistency rule is a standard requiring that profit not be too concentrated on any single day. The evaluation profit target is given as $3,000 on a $50,000 account, $6,000 on a $100,000 account, and $9,000 on a $150,000 account.

On the Quick Pay track the activation fee is said to be free, and frequent discount promotions are run (for example, 50% off brings the 50K Intraday Quick Pay to about $62.5 per month). Check the official site for the latest exact pricing.

Advantages

1. Day-one withdrawals supported

TradeDay is said to support withdrawals from day one, with a minimum withdrawal of $250. Withdrawal requests are described as processed in about 24 hours (before 5:30 p.m. CT the next business day). Withdrawal methods reportedly include US domestic bank transfer (free), international transfer (about a $15 fee), and crypto — a design suited to traders who want to secure cash flow early.

2. One-phase, no-time-limit evaluation

The evaluation is a single phase with no time limit, and the minimum trading period is said to be 5 days (3 days on the Fast Pass track). Because it is not built around multiple phases or a looming deadline, it is easy to work through the evaluation at your own pace.

3. Solid external reviews

On the third-party review site Trustpilot it holds an “Excellent” rating, with a TrustScore of 4.6/5 (based on about 1,348 reviews). The official site claims a cumulative total of over $10M in verified payouts, several thousand funded traders, and a community on the order of 15,000 people. These are figures published by the firm and aggregator sites, so they are best treated as reference indicators.

4. Choice of drawdown method

TradeDay’s official support articles confirm multiple trailing methods. The Intraday Trailing Max Drawdown is calculated against the real-time intraday peak balance including unrealized gains, while the End-of-Day Trailing Max Drawdown is calculated against realized gains (end-of-day balance) at the 16:00 CT futures market close. In addition, a static drawdown with a fixed floor that does not move regardless of profit is available; the reported dollar floors are $500 on $50,000, $1,000 on $100,000, and $1,500 on $150,000.

Drawbacks and cautions

1. Futures-only, no FX/CFD

Because TradeDay is futures-only, it does not support FX or CFDs. It does not suit FX-focused traders; in that case, considering FTMO is the realistic move.

2. Centered on US market hours

Because CME’s main session is concentrated in US hours, trading from Asia means the overnight window becomes the primary battleground. The End-of-Day trailing benchmark is also 16:00 CT (US Central Time), so it requires reconciling with your daily rhythm.

3. Rules and splits during evaluation and the buffer zone

During the evaluation stage a consistency rule applies (Quick Pay 30%, Fast Pass up to 45%). The profit split is also tiered: 50/50 in the buffer zone, 80/20 once you exceed $4,000 (net), and 90/10 once funded live. Aggregator-site reports also describe a tiered split of 80% on the first $50,000 of cumulative withdrawals and 90% from $50,000 to $100,000, and describe buffer-zone withdrawals as a 50% split. You need to understand that the split is lower until you clear the buffer.

4. Position limits on static drawdown accounts

The static drawdown account limits position size in exchange for the drawdown not moving. In one reported example, a $50,000 static account is mini 1 / micro 10, whereas an EOD account is mini 5 / micro 50. This is a design trade-off rather than anything improper, so you need to choose the account type according to your strategy.

Who it suits

• Futures traders (E-mini, crude oil, gold, etc.)
• Those who can accommodate US market hours
• Those who prioritize fast, day-one withdrawals
• Those who want to keep their own pace with a one-phase, no-time-limit model
• Those who want to choose the drawdown method or static account to match their strategy

Who it does not suit

• Traders centered on FX/CFD
• Those for whom trading US hours is difficult (balancing with a day job)
• Those who want to avoid the low split in the buffer zone
• Those who require Japanese-language support

Related information

• Best futures prop firms compared
• Topstep review
• Apex Trader Funding review