Prop firms multiply across the market each month as the industry grows. Yet beneath this trend lies a troubling reality – many brands collapse within twelve months, leaving traders with pending payouts. While failure results from various causes, inadequate risk management during the funded phase proves to be the primary factor.
Why Standard A-Book Doesn’t Work for Prop Firms
Market experts recognize that most prop firms operate without hedging their funded-phase accounts. This exposes them to substantial risk and potential abuse. A natural question arises: why not eliminate this vulnerability by hedging the funded phase with a liquidity provider? The answer shows why prop firms struggle – full hedging of every account that transitions to the funded phase would undermine their entire operational model for two key reasons:
- Required margin: Unlike traditional FX brokers that collect trader deposits, prop firms generate revenue by selling challenges. Properly hedging funded accounts would require capital approximately equal to the combined balance of accounts in the funded phase. Statistics show these amounts are significantly above what almost all prop firms can secure.
- Profit split: The standard asymmetric profit splits (e.g. 80/20 or even 90/10) greatly favor traders who receive the majority of profits generated. When an account hits maximum drawdown – say 10% – the prop firm absorbs the entire loss.
The Hidden Cost of Top Traders
These realities push most prop firms toward internalizing all funded-phase risk, counting on most traders to burn through their accounts. While theoretically accurate, this strategy overlooks long-tails, i.e. exceptional performers. A group of consistently successful traders can dramatically impact the profitability of companies internalizing risk. This may lead some prop firms to manipulate trading parameters or add constraints during the funded phase, potentially limiting the profits traders can withdraw. Once trust erodes between traders and a prop firm, rebuilding the relationship is almost impossible.
Some liquidity providers push hybrid solutions, recommending selective hedging for top-performing traders. This approach works well if prop firms can accurately identify trading talent in the funded phase from among the vast trader population – a task that proves exceptionally challenging in practice.
Redefining Funded Phase Liquidity
Working together with liquidity provider FX-Edge, Match-Trader has successfully developed a new liquidity offering dedicated to prop firms that removes obstacles to funded-phase hedging. We’re introducing an innovative settlement model between prop firms and the liquidity provider while preserving full independence for both entities.
Individual Accounts
We’ve created an alternative to the traditional approach in which the prop firm doesn’t share a single omnibus account with the liquidity provider. Each trader now receives their own hedge account. Thanks to this, FX-Edge can offer each firm individual funded-phase conditions aligned with the terms of the challenges purchased by traders.
No Margin Requirements
Prop firms pay only a one-time fee for each funded account, calculated based on the account balance and specific account conditions. At the same time, FX-Edge takes full responsibility for risk management, abuse monitoring, and payout authorization – allowing prop firms to concentrate on growth.
Predictable Profit
With the known pass rate of traders to the funded phase, the final factor to consider is trader performance. By paying a fixed fee per funded account, prop firms can forecast profitability with unprecedented accuracy. This de-risks the funded phase, replacing uncertainty with predictability.
Secured Payouts
Too many traders have experienced payout failures from financially stressed prop firms. As a regulated liquidity provider serving over 150 brokers globally, FX-Edge brings nearly a decade of market experience and proven financial resources. This gives prop firms absolute certainty that trader profits will be honored and paid promptly.
Liquidity Powered by Technology
Match-Trader drives the innovative liquidity partnership with FX-Edge, offering prop firms an integrated trading ecosystem. Beyond funded-account management, the platform provides sophisticated tools for designing challenges, setting evaluation criteria, and overseeing funded traders. Leading prop firms use Match-Trader as a standalone solution connected to their own CRMs or market-leading systems already integrated with our platform.
By combining Match-Trader’s prop-focused technology with FX-Edge’s deep liquidity expertise, this collaboration addresses the industry’s core challenge. Prop firms can now transform their funded-phase operations from unpredictable risk exposure into a secure, predictable business component.
If you’re interested in discussing our solution further, we invite you to visit booth #73 at the Forex Expo Dubai on October 6–7, 2025.