Most popular prop trader challenges – 2025 trends

Prop trading In recent years, it has become one of the most interesting alternatives for individual traders. Companies offering financing are gaining popularity worldwide, and more and more people are deciding to test their skills through prop challenges. Clear trends are already visible in 2025 – both in the choice of account sizes, challenge types, and instruments that traders most frequently trade.

Below we present an overview of the most important data and observations that may be of interest to both beginner traders and those already operating in the world of prop trading.

Account value by region

In wealthier countries, larger accounts are clearly more common – for example, in Oceania, over 40% of traders choose USD 100 challenges. In Africa, this percentage is lower (below 20%), but still surprisingly high considering local income levels.

In regions with lower GDP, smaller accounts ($5–$10) are more popular. Importantly, this is where the number of actual purchases is highest, as the population of active traders is simply larger.

Challenge Models – What Do Traders Choose?

The most popular are the so-called "Express Funded" – models that combine quick access to financing with the need to overcome a challenge. These offer more favorable trading conditions than "instant funding," which, despite their appealing name, proves less popular due to high requirements and restrictive rules.

Traders are willing to devote a little more time and energy to a challenge if, in return, they receive more stable cooperation conditions and better profit potential.

Most popular instruments

The top 5 instruments chosen by challenge participants in 2025 are:

1. US Tech 100 (NASDAQ)
2. USDJPY
3. XAUUSD (gold)
4. BTCUSD (Bitcoin)
5. EURUSD

Therefore, markets with high volatility and global reach dominate – ideal for short-term strategies and dynamic play on price movements.

The most profitable markets – interesting facts

The results of the instruments that generated the highest profits for traders turned out to be a surprise: Canadian dollar pairs and indices Nikkei i Dow JonesThis may indicate specific strategies used by selected groups of traders, as well as the growing popularity of less obvious markets.

Conclusions and practical tips

• Even in lower GDP regions, interest in large accounts is growing – prop companies can take this into account when tailoring their offers.
• Hybrid models (“express funded”) are a direction that balances the needs of traders and the security of companies.
• The popularity of high-volatility instruments shows that most traders rely on dynamic strategies, often aimed at quick results.
• Tracking which instruments generate the best results can help prop firms better design challenges and manage risk.

The article was based on the study TradeInformer/FXStreet/Swiset (2025), enriched with our interpretation and commentary for ForexClub.pl readers.