City Traders Imperium

News Trading

News trading is allowed without any time restrictions across all four programs:
• 1-Step Challenge
• 2-Step Challenge
• Instant Funding
• Direct Funding

Trades may be opened or closed during high-impact news events, both during evaluation and after funding. There is no designated restricted window before or after news releases.

First Payout

After 7 profitable trading days in the funded account and net profit of at least 2% or $100, whichever is higher.

Subsequent Payouts

Once per month, during the last five days of each calendar month.

First Payout

After reaching the full funding level and completing 5 profitable trading days, with net profit of at least 2% or $100, whichever is higher.

Subsequent Payouts

Twice per month: on the 14th or 15th, and during the last five days of the month.

Payouts are not available during the initial half-balance level.

First Payout

Once the eligibility requirements are met. CTI’s Help Center specifies 5 profitable trading days and net profit of at least 2% or $100, whichever is higher.

Subsequent Payouts

Twice per month: on the 14th or 15th, and during the last five days of the month.

An off-cycle payout request is permitted upon reaching a qualifying 10% profit.

Standard Tier

Payouts follow the regular schedule of the selected program.

VIP Bronze

Weekly payouts.

VIP Silver & Gold

On-demand payouts without a fixed monthly or weekly schedule.

Overnight Positions

Allowed in all City Traders Imperium programs, both during evaluation and after funding.

Weekend Holding

Allowed across all programs:
• 1-Step Challenge
• 2-Step Challenge
• Instant Funding
• Direct Funding

CTI does not require positions to be closed before Friday’s market close. Open positions may be held until trading resumes on Monday.

Drawdown limits and risk rules remain in force. Swap or overnight financing charges may apply depending on the traded instrument.

Applicable Programs

A 5% daily drawdown limit applies to the 2-Step Challenge only, during evaluation and after funding. There is no separate daily drawdown limit for the 1-Step Challenge, Instant Funding, or Direct Funding.

Calculation

CTI sets the daily loss allowance at 5% of the initial account size, using the balance recorded at the start of the trading day.

Example

For a $10,000 account starting the day with a $10,000 balance, the daily loss allowance is $500 and the daily loss threshold is $9,500.

Floating Profits and Losses

The calculation is balance-based, not equity-based. Unrealized gains and losses are not included until trades close and affect the balance.

Daily Reset

The daily loss threshold is recalculated at the beginning of each new trading day, according to the trading platform server time. The separate 10% static maximum drawdown still applies.

1-Step Challenge

5% balance-based trailing maximum drawdown. The loss threshold is calculated from the highest closed balance achieved, minus 5% of the initial account size. The threshold rises when a new balance high is reached and does not move back down after losses.

Example

A $10,000 account starts with a $9,500 loss threshold. If its highest closed balance rises to $10,400, the loss threshold moves up to $9,900.

2-Step Challenge

10% static maximum drawdown from the initial account size, during evaluation and after funding. The threshold does not rise as profits are made.

Example

On a $10,000 account, the overall loss threshold remains $9,000.

Instant Funding

6% static maximum drawdown based on the actual starting balance, not the advertised account size.

Example

An advertised $10,000 Instant account begins with an actual balance of $5,000. Its loss allowance is $300 and its loss threshold is $4,700.

Direct Funding

6% static maximum drawdown based on the full initial account size.

Example

A $10,000 Direct account starts at $10,000, with a $600 loss allowance and a $9,400 loss threshold.

Important

Overall drawdown and daily drawdown are separate limits. Both must be respected wherever both apply.

Mandatory Stop-Loss

A visible Stop Loss order must be placed on every trade within 60 seconds of opening the position. Hidden or stealth stops are not accepted.

If the stop is not added within the deadline, CTI’s system automatically closes the trade. This is treated as a soft breach and does not, by itself, permanently close the account. Profits from that trade may not count toward the evaluation target.

Risk per Trading Idea

CTI does not impose one uniform fixed risk percentage per trade on all traders. However, excessive risk or position sizes inconsistent with normal trading behavior are prohibited.

This includes risking the entire drawdown allowance on one trading idea or using unusually large trades to reach the target quickly.

Risk Team Measures

If the firm considers trading excessively risky or non-compliant, it may:
• Impose a 1% risk limit per trading idea
• Reduce leverage to as low as 1:5
• Restrict allowed lot sizes
• Exclude non-compliant trades or their profits
• Terminate the account where warranted

Scope

Stop-loss and risk-management rules apply to every CTI program during evaluation and after funding. The 1% limit is not a universal rule; it is a restriction CTI may impose following a high-risk trading review.

General Rule

Copy trading is permitted only when the CTI account is the Master Account from which trades originate.

Permitted Copying

• From a CTI account to a personal broker account
• From a CTI account to accounts at other prop firms
• Between multiple CTI accounts owned by the same trader, provided that a CTI account remains the master

Prohibited Copying

• From a personal broker account into CTI
• From another prop firm into CTI
• Signals or trades belonging to other traders
• Third-party challenge-passing or account-management services
• Sharing the same Expert Advisors with other traders

Important

Trading decisions must come from the account owner, rather than from signals or strategies executed by a third party. If unsure about copy settings, obtain approval from CTI support before using them.

1-Step Challenge

Personal and third-party Expert Advisors, including commercially available EAs, are permitted.
• Ownership of the EA source code is not required
• Martingale is permitted

2-Step Challenge

Only personal EAs developed by the trader with their own source code are allowed.
• Third-party EAs are prohibited
• Martingale is prohibited

Instant Funding & Direct Funding

The same restrictions as the 2-Step Challenge apply.
• Personal EAs are allowed
• Commercial and third-party EAs are prohibited
• Martingale is prohibited

General Conditions

• CTI may request source code to verify ownership where a personal EA is required
• Sharing or renting EAs to other traders is prohibited
• Arbitrage, latency exploitation and Grid Trading are prohibited
• Stop-loss and risk-management requirements apply to automated trading as well

Applicable Programs

A consistency score of 20% or less is required when applying for scaling on Instant Funding and Direct Funding accounts. This rule does not apply to passing challenges or requesting profit payouts.

Formula

CTI takes the largest absolute daily trading result, whether a gain or a loss. That amount is divided by the sum of the absolute values of all daily trading results, then multiplied by 100.

Example

If the largest absolute daily result is $400 and the sum of all absolute daily results is $2,000:
400 ÷ 2,000 × 100 = 20%
The account meets the consistency requirement for scaling.

If the Score Exceeds 20%

• The account is not closed
• Eligible profit payouts are not blocked
• Profits are not forfeited
• Scaling eligibility is deferred until the score reaches 20% or less

Important

This differs from the conventional consistency rule based only on the best profitable day divided by net profits. CTI includes losing days in the sum of absolute daily results.

1-Step & 2-Step Challenges

A scaling plan is available for funded accounts after passing the evaluation.

Eligibility

• At least 10% profit over the most recent four months
• Profits in at least two of those four months
• The account must be profitable when scaling is requested

Scaling Increments

• Each increase equals 50% of the initial account size until reaching $100,000
• Thereafter, each qualified increase equals 25% of the initial account size
• Up to $200,000 funding per account, or $400,000 in total

Instant Funding

The account starts at half of its advertised size. After a profit of 10% on the initial balance and a consistency score of 20% or less, its balance doubles to the full advertised size.

Example — Advertised $10,000 Account

• Initial balance: $5,000
• First scaling profit target: $500
• Balance after first scaling: $10,000
• Next scaling level: $20,000 after another 10% target

The profit split begins at 50%, rises to 70% after the first scaling level, and then to 80% after the next level.

Direct Funding

The account starts at its full advertised size from day one. Upon achieving 10% profit and a consistency score of 20% or less, its size doubles.

Example — $10,000 Direct Account

• Initial balance: $10,000
• First scaling profit target: $1,000
• Balance after first scaling: $20,000
• Next scaling level: $40,000 after another 10% target

The profit split starts at 70% and may increase through VIP tiers.

Instant & Direct Maximum Funding

• $2,000,000 per account
• $4,000,000 total across two accounts

Important

These 10% targets relate to scaling, not evaluation targets or separate payout eligibility requirements. Exceeding the 20% consistency score does not block eligible payouts; it only delays scaling until the requirement is met.

Verification

City Traders Imperium requires identity verification before processing payouts, and may request verification at other stages.

Required Documents

• A valid national ID, passport, or driver’s licence with at least three months remaining before expiry
• Proof of address issued within the last three months, such as a bank statement, utility bill or government document
• Selfie or live-video verification through Sumsub

Account Ownership

The account must be registered in the real trader’s name. Using another person’s identity or sharing an account is prohibited. The payout receiving method must belong to the account holder.

Additional Checks

CTI may ask for additional documents or information, including:
• An explanation of the trading strategy
• A video recording or interview
• Trading statements from other accounts
• EA documentation or source code when needed

Response Deadline

The terms require a response to additional verification requests within 24 hours of receipt. Failure to submit requested information or cooperate with verification may result in termination of participation in CTI’s services.

Price & Execution Exploitation

Strategies that exploit technical errors or delayed price updates are prohibited, including:
• Latency arbitrage
• Using external or delayed price feeds to gain an unfair advantage
• Exploiting price-quotation or order-execution errors

Cross-Account Hedging & Manipulation

• Opposing positions across different accounts to circumvent company rules
• Arbitrage between a challenge account and another CTI account or account at another prop firm
• Multiple accounts of the same size used to exploit market conditions or the company’s systems

Abusive Automated Trading

• High-Frequency Trading (HFT) designed to exploit company systems or data delays
• Automated or AI systems intended to manipulate execution or gain an unfair technical advantage

Gap Exploitation

Positions designed to exploit pricing gaps around market closures and reopenings are prohibited in circumstances specified by CTI. This is not a general prohibition on news trading, which is permitted under the applicable CTI rules.

Unrealistic Risk-Taking

• Excessive leverage or risk exposure
• Large one-directional bets
• Unusual changes in position size or trade count to circumvent evaluation requirements
• Account rolling practices

Consequences

Depending on the nature and seriousness of a breach, CTI may:
• Exclude non-compliant trades or results
• Require another evaluation
• Reduce leverage to 1:5
• Impose a 1% per-trade risk limit
• Cancel the account or terminate services in serious cases

Scope

These rules apply across all CTI programs during evaluation and after funding. CTI retains discretion to assess trading patterns and determine which practices are non-compliant or excessively risky.

1-Step Challenge

After a failed challenge, CTI offers another attempt with a 15% discount on the reset fee.

2-Step Challenge

After failing either phase, a new attempt is available with a 15% discount.

Instant Funding

After an account failure, CTI offers a reset with a 10% discount.

Direct Funding

After an account failure, CTI offers a reset with a 10% discount.

Important

• Resets are not free
• The stated discounts apply to retries after failure, not standard account purchase discounts
• Check reset eligibility and the final fee in the CTI dashboard before paying

Inactivity Rule

At least one trade must be executed every 30 calendar days to keep an account active. This applies to all CTI programs, during evaluation and after funding, including Instant and Direct.

How the 30 Days Are Counted

The period begins when the account becomes available or from the last trade opening or closing, as applicable. There is no minimum trade size needed to renew activity.

Notifications & Consequences

• An email reminder is sent on day 28
• Another reminder is sent on day 30
• After 30 days without activity, account access may be suspended or the service terminated under CTI’s terms

Exception for Never-Traded Accounts

If an account has been purchased but never traded, and is then suspended for inactivity, the trader may request reinstatement within three months of suspension.

Send the request to support@citytradersimperium.com. If the three-month period passes without a request, the service is terminated without a refund. This exception does not apply to accounts that were traded and then left inactive for 30 days.

Temporary Account Pause

Traders may request to pause the account in advance for up to two months. CTI support must be contacted and approval obtained before the inactivity deadline passes.

Important

Having no evaluation time limit does not remove the 30-day inactivity requirement. Pauses and reinstatements are not automatic; follow CTI’s procedures and deadlines.

Account Merging

CTI does not allow merging accounts or transferring starting balances between them without the firm’s express permission. Trading results, evaluation targets, or conditions from different programs may not be combined.

Multiple Accounts

Multiple accounts may be held within CTI’s limits:
• 1-Step and 2-Step Challenges: up to two accounts under the funding plan
• Instant and Direct: combined scaling cap across two accounts

Restrictions

• CTI may impose additional limits based on total funding or trading behavior
• Multiple accounts of the same size must not be used to exploit market conditions or circumvent the rules
• CTI may cancel some accounts and refund their fees if the configuration breaches its risk policy

Trader Profile

Each trader may hold only one CTI user profile. All accounts are managed through the same dashboard.

1-Step & 2-Step Challenges

CTI offers a 100% refund of the challenge purchase fee when the funded account first achieves a 10% profit. Passing the evaluation or merely obtaining the funded account does not trigger the refund.

Free accounts received through competitions or giveaways are not eligible for a fee refund.

Instant Funding

The program does not follow the challenge fee-refund model. Instead, the trader receives a 50% profit share on the first-level profit target once the 10% profit target at the second level is achieved.

Direct Funding

The challenge fee-refund benefit tied to a 10% profit on a funded account is not part of the Direct Funding offering.

Purchase Cancellation & Fee Refund

A purchase fee refund may be requested within 7 calendar days, provided that no trade has ever been placed on the account. After the first trade, eligibility for a normal cancellation refund is lost.

How to Request

Email support@citytradersimperium.com with account details, order number and purchase date. An eligible request is processed within three business days. The payment provider may take another 3–7 business days to credit the refund.

Important

A reward-based challenge fee refund after achieving a profit target is different from canceling an unused purchase before trading begins.