FAQ

General Information

What is Stack Trading? Stack Trading is a proprietary trading firm being built in Frisco Square, Texas. Unlike traditional retail "challenge" models, it offers a structured path for traders to advance from an evaluation phase to W-2 employment, real capital trading, and legacy asset management.

What markets can I trade? Stack Trading currently supports trading in Futures, Forex, and Crypto.

When is the official launch? The firm is currently in the regulatory formation phase. The Beta Launch is scheduled for August/September 2026. You can currently join the waitlist to secure priority access.

The Evaluation & Trading Rules

Is this a simulation or real capital? Only the initial Associate Track Evaluation phase is simulated (designed to assess discipline and risk management). Once you pass and become a Funded Trader (Level 1), you are trading the firm's real capital with Direct Market Access (DMA) to the CME and Forex markets.

How much does the Associate Track Evaluation cost? The Associate Track Entrance Exam is $650. Note: You do not need to pay this to join the waitlist.

What are the rules regarding stop losses and daily limits? Stack Trading removes the tricks found in standard retail prop firms:

• Static Stop Losses: Stop losses act as a static floor and never trail upwards. If you profit and then lose, your original stop remains in place.

• The Circuit Breaker: If you hit your daily loss limit, your trading simply locks until the next day instead of failing your account. This resets your account and protects you from revenge trading.

• No Consistency Rules: If you make 80% of your profit on one trade, that is acceptable. There are no minimum trading day requirements and no profit distribution mandates.

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Can I trade overnight or during news events? Yes, overnight and news trading are supported, provided you maintain a sufficient buffer from the Level's stop loss. However, news trading is not permitted during the Associate Track Evaluation. Futures are subject to CME overnight margins, and Futures/Forex positions are capped at approximately 25% of the Level's Notional value.

What is the 90-Day Standard? To maintain your seat and base capital, you have a maximum of 90 days to hit your profit target and advance to the next tier.

Career Progression & Compensation

How does level progression and payouts work? There are 24 levels in total. Upon reaching a level's profit target, W-2 employee bonuses or contractor payouts are instantly processed via code and written to a public, immutable blockchain ledger. There are no manual, subjective review boards. If you hit your target, you advance and get paid.

How does W-2 employment work for US traders? Once you reach Level 6, you will be offered a full-time W-2 role. This includes a base salary, health benefits, and PTO, with the ability to work remotely from anywhere in the US. If you already have benefits elsewhere, you may opt for a higher base salary instead.

What is the status and compensation for International Traders? International traders operate as Independent Service Providers. Starting at Level 6, international traders become eligible for a monthly global retainer based on their proven trading results and designated service hours (up to 35 hours per week). All retainer payments are issued in USD and processed automatically to local banking rails.

What is "Drawdown Defense"? Starting at Level 9, Drawdown Defense is activated. If you breach your risk parameters, a mandatory 48-hour cooling-off period is initiated instead of account termination. Your seat is protected, and you earn it back on a 25% Notional Performance Improvement Plan.

Infrastructure & Platforms

What platforms does Stack Trading support?

• Forex Platforms: TradingView, MT5, Match-Trader.

• Futures Platforms: ATAS, Quantower, MotiveWave, Sierra Chart, NinjaTrader.

Who pays for data and platform costs? Stack Trading covers all software and platform licensing costs.

• Associate Track Evaluation: The Firm pays 100% of data costs.

• Levels 1 and 2: The Trader pays standard exchange professional data rates.

• Level 3: The Trader is fully reimbursed for Level 1 and 2 market data costs incurred.

• Levels 3 to 24: The Firm pays 100% of data costs.

Mentorship & Leadership

Are there leadership opportunities? Yes, Stack Trading recruits experienced traders to act as "Pod Leaders." Leaders guide incoming Associate traders and are capped at a maximum of seven mentees. Leaders conduct weekly syncs, daily Discord check-ins, and 45-minute video strategy reviews. Trade logs are automatically synthesized by AI for the leader to review.

How are Pod Leaders compensated? Leaders earn direct cash bounties when their mentees hit profit targets and advance. These are paid out in vesting tranches (e.g., $250 when a mentee reaches Level 3, $500 at Level 5, and $1,500 at Level 7). Founding Pod Leaders also receive a complimentary Associate Track evaluation to trade firm capital alongside their mentees.