The short version

Three stories defined the first half of July: a platform-dependency risk turning real (NinjaTrader cutting off Alpha Futures), confirmation of a trend we flagged in June (cTrader pulling back from US prop trading), and a new product category gathering speed (prediction markets). Each one changes something about how you should vet a firm.

NinjaTrader drops Alpha Futures

Finance Magnates reported on July 13 that NinjaTrader ended its partnership with UK-based futures prop firm Alpha Futures after roughly three months of failed negotiations. The dispute reportedly centred on Alpha’s launch of its own platform, AlphaTrader.

The trader impact was immediate. Alpha’s Premium Plan depended on NinjaTrader’s API infrastructure, and with no compatible alternative the firm reportedly closed all premium accounts and issued refunds. Rivals moved fast — MyFunded Futures committed $300,000 to support affected traders, and others offered free or discounted accounts — but as the report notes, these rescue campaigns function as customer-acquisition marketing as much as goodwill.

The lesson: a firm that depends heavily on a single platform can lose a product line overnight. As our shortlist guide covers, multi-platform support belongs on your checklist.

cTrader’s US prop restrictions are now confirmed

In June we noted that new US cTrader purchases had closed at the end of March. On July 1, Finance Magnates reported that Spotware has formally confirmed the policy, saying that “following an internal regulatory assessment during the first quarter of 2026” it made “the strategic decision to restrict the onboarding of US-based traders on the platform.”

The firm-level picture has also filled in:

  • The5ers updated its guidelines in June, classing cTrader as non-US only.
  • FundedNext stopped new US cTrader accounts as of March 31 and points American clients to Match-Trader.
  • Goat Funded Trader amended its terms in April, listing Match-Trader, TradeLocker, and Volumetrica for the US market.

After MetaQuotes’ 2024 withdrawal of MT4/MT5, cTrader is now effectively the second major platform to exit US prop trading. If you trade from the US, your realistic options are narrowing to newer platforms like Match-Trader or futures-native environments.

The prediction-market push

Prediction-market trading volumes grew from roughly $9 billion in 2024 to around $40 billion in 2025, according to figures cited by Finance Magnates — and prop firms are following the volume.

  • On July 6, Finance Magnates reported that prop-infrastructure provider PropAccount.com launched an integration letting firms offer branded prediction-market challenges. Survey data in the same report suggests 13% of prop firms already trade prediction markets and 31% are considering it.
  • On July 15, OddsON announced its US launch, calling itself the first prop firm built entirely around sports prediction markets. Per the company’s press release, traders start with a free simulated $1,000 account, pass a two-stage evaluation, and keep 75% of profits on a funded account.

Note that these figures and terms come from company announcements and single reports. Prediction-market challenges are simulated evaluations like any other, so the checks in our guide on whether a funded account is real money apply unchanged — and a brand-new category means there is no payout track record to inspect yet. Extra caution is warranted.

What it means for you

The common thread this month: risk sits not only in the firm itself but in what the firm depends on — its platform partners and its product categories. Before buying an evaluation, confirm the firm supports more than one platform, that you can actually use one in your region, and that any new product has a payout history. We track closures and exits in the shutdown tracker. This page is informational and is not investment advice.