Simulated funding programmes (1-Step, 2-Step, Instant and Direct Funding) on MetaTrader 5 and Match-Trader
Checked 8 October 2026
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City Traders Imperium (CTI) sells four funding programmes: a one-phase 1-Step Challenge, a two-phase 2-Step Challenge, and two programmes with no evaluation, Instant Funding and Direct Funding. Each is bought with a one-time fee. On the pages we saved, prices started at $29 for a $2,500 1-Step account. Trading is on MetaTrader 5 or Match-Trader. The starting profit share is 80% on both challenges, 50% on Instant Funding and 70% on Direct Funding. The firm says its VIP programme raises this to 90% and then 100% "at no extra cost".
The legal disclosure on the site says all trading activity "occurs in a demo environment using virtual capital". The firm's programme guide speaks of trading "real capital" or "live capital"; we have relied on the legal disclosure. The firm says it has been "Funding traders since 2018". Rules differ by programme, and a few of the firm's pages disagree with each other; we point these out below.
Everything in this review comes from City Traders Imperium's own web pages, saved on 7–8 October 2026. Rules and prices change, so check the firm's site before you buy.
| Highest profit split | Up to 100% 1 Firm's wording: “trade a funded account on an 80% profit share that scales to 100% through the VIP program.” |
|---|---|
| Cheapest account | $29 (list price) 1 |
| Account types | 1-Step evaluation, 2-Step evaluation, Instant funding (no evaluation) 12 |
| Markets | Forex, Crypto, Indices, Commodities, Metals 1 |
| Platforms | MetaTrader 5, Match-Trader 12 |
| Allowed / offered on at least one account type |
Rules can differ between account types — check the linked page for the account you want. |
| US traders | Accepted (check any conditions on the linked page) 12 |
| Restricted countries named | Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria 12 Countries the firm names. Its list may also refer to sanctions lists or other countries — check the linked page. |
All four programme pages say the fee is one-time, with no monthly subscription. The table shows the price for each account size as listed on each programme page when we saved it. A banner on the site was also offering a time-limited discount code, so the price at checkout may differ.
| Account size | 1-Step | 2-Step | Instant Funding | Direct Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $29 | $39 | $79 | Not listed |
| $5,000 | $49 | $59 | $139 | $229 |
| $10,000 | $79 | $99 | $259 | $399 |
| $20,000 | Not listed | Not listed | $449 | $999 |
| $25,000 | $159 | $199 | Not listed | Not listed |
| $40,000 | Not listed | Not listed | $849 | $1,999 |
| $50,000 | $299 | $329 | Not listed | Not listed |
| $80,000 | Not listed | Not listed | $1,599 | $3,999 |
| $100,000 | $449 | $549 | Not listed | Not listed |
Instant Funding starts on half the account. The account size you buy is the "fully funded" size. You start on 50% of it; for example, the $2,500 plan starts with a $1,250 balance. Reaching a 10% profit milestone doubles the account to its full size. Direct Funding starts on the full account size from day one.
Every programme page says the plans include access to CTI Academy, the firm's training course. The programme pages also list a discounted reset after a failed account.
The table summarises the rules on each programme page. The firm says drawdown on every programme is calculated from account balance, not equity. The firm's drawdown article adds that this fixes where the limit sits, but floating losses still count: if equity (balance plus open losses) reaches the limit, positions are closed and the account is breached.
| Rule | 1-Step | 2-Step | Instant Funding | Direct Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluation | 1 phase | 2 phases | None | None |
| Profit target | 8% | 10% (Phase 1), then 5% (Phase 2) | 10% milestone to scale, on the starting balance | 10% milestone to scale, on the full balance |
| Maximum drawdown | 5% of starting balance, trailing, balance-based | 10% of initial balance, static | 6% static from initial balance | 6% static from initial balance |
| Daily drawdown | None | 5% of initial balance, from each day's starting balance | None | None |
| Minimum profitable days to pass | 3 | 3 per phase | No evaluation | No evaluation |
| Time limit | None | None | None | None |
| Starting profit share | 80% | 80% | 50% on the starting balance; 70% once fully funded | 70% |
| Scaling cap | $200K per account, $400K total | $200K per account, $400K total | $2M per account, $4M total | $2M per account, $4M total |
Profitable trading day. The firm's programme guide defines a profitable trading day as a day that ends with net profit of at least 0.5% of the initial balance.
1-Step trailing drawdown and withdrawals. The 1-Step page says the drawdown floor is the highest balance reached minus 5% of the starting balance, and that "Withdrawals do not affect this calculation". The firm's programme guide gives a different formula, in which the last withdrawal is subtracted from the high-water mark. We have used the 1-Step page, but this is worth confirming with the firm before you withdraw.
Consistency. The 2-Step and Direct Funding pages say those programmes have no consistency rule. The programme guide says Instant Funding accounts double at each 10% profit "with a 20% Consistency Score".
The firm's pages disagree on martingale and on third-party EAs. One answer in the programme guide says EAs, martingale, news trading and weekend holds are allowed on all programmes. The four programme pages say martingale is allowed only on the 1-Step, and the guide's 1-Step section presents martingale and grid trading as an advantage of that programme. The guide also suggests Direct Funding for traders who use third-party EAs, while the Direct Funding page says personal EAs only. We have used the programme pages.
The help centre has a section called "Essential Rules & Guidelines" with 12 articles, but it was blocked when we tried to save it. We could not see its full list of rules or prohibited strategies.
An article on the firm's payout process also lists a "Minimum 10 active trading days" requirement. That does not appear on the programme pages.
The firm says it aims to process payout requests within 24 hours (its homepage says within 24 hours of approval). Its guide adds that bank wires typically take 2–5 business days to arrive. The firm lists bank transfer and "Direct Crypto" as payout methods; its guide also mentions e-wallets. Withdrawals must go to accounts in your own name. Identity verification (KYC) is required after passing a challenge, or at the first payout milestone or first withdrawal on Instant Funding.
The firm's VIP programme has three levels, which it says come "at no extra cost":
The qualification criteria for each level were not on the pages we could save.
1-Step and 2-Step: the guide says an account scales when you make 10% profit over 4 months, with 2 of those months profitable and the period ending in profit. Each step adds 50% of the original account size up to $100k, then in steps to $200k. The maximum is $200k per account and $400k across all accounts.
Instant Funding and Direct Funding: each 10% profit milestone adds 100% to the balance, up to $2,000,000 per account and $4,000,000 across two accounts. For Instant Funding, the guide adds a 20% Consistency Score condition.
Accounts run on MetaTrader 5 or Match-Trader. The firm says MT5 accounts are not offered in the USA, and that traders there should use Match-Trader. Match-Trader runs in a web browser and has TradingView charting built in. The firm says Expert Advisors do not run on Match-Trader, so traders who use EAs need MT5.
The firm lists Forex, metals, commodities, indices and crypto. Its symbols page lists 53 instruments across 5 asset classes, including currency pairs, gold, silver, crude oil, stock indices and cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum. The page says the prices shown are "indicative and for illustration". We did not find leverage or commission figures on the pages we saved.
Free trial. The firm offers a free 14-day trial on a $100,000 demo account on MT5 or Match-Trader, with no card needed. The trial has no profit targets and no payouts.
The legal disclosure in the site footer says the skill assessment programmes and simulated trading are provided by City Traders Imperium Limited. It describes this as a company incorporated in the Comoros Union (company number 15969, "License No. L15969/CTI"), with an operating address in San José, Costa Rica. It says the CTI Academy courses are provided by CTI FZCO, registered at Dubai Silicon Oasis in the United Arab Emirates. The same disclosure says neither company is a broker, dealer, exchange or investment adviser, and that neither accepts client deposits.
A payout article on the site, updated in September 2026, gives a different description: that City Traders Imperium Limited is "registered in England & Wales (registration number 11463147)". We have used the footer disclosure, which appears on every page of the main site we saved. UK Companies House lists company 11463147 as dissolved on 2 June 2026. Its record shows it was named City Traders Imperium Limited from 13 July 2018 to 21 May 2024 and was later renamed; its two directors are listed as Martin Najat and Daniel Bautista Martin, and the firm's About page names its co-founders as Martin Najat and Daniel Martin. The UK registration the payout article cites is therefore no longer active.
The firm's articles name Martin Najat as chief executive and say he co-founded the firm in 2018.
Refunds. The footer says all fees are non-refundable except as set out in the Refund Policy. That policy says no refund is issued once at least one simulated trade has been placed. If the account is completely inactive, you can ask for a refund within 7 calendar days of purchase; the policy also mentions a limit of no more than 3 lessons accessed. The policy says the firm may suspend all of a client's accounts if they raise a chargeback after using the service.
Restricted countries. The firm says it does not offer services to nationals or residents of North Korea, Iran, Syria, Cuba or Russia, or to anyone under international sanctions.
The Terms & Conditions page shows a 30-page PDF. Its text was not in our saved copy, so we have not reviewed it.
MyPropGenius has an affiliate relationship with City Traders Imperium: we earn a commission if you buy through our link. This does not change the review or the firm's Transparency Index score, which use the same published rules as every other firm.
MyPropGenius Rating:
The rating measures how openly City Traders Imperium discloses its rules, pricing, payouts and ownership (our Transparency Index methodology). It does not measure how likely you are to pass or be paid.
The footer names the operating entity (City Traders Imperium Limited, Comoros, no. 15969) and a Dubai entity, and says trading is simulated and neither is a broker. The About page names co-founders Martin Najat and Daniel Martin plus three other executives. A dedicated Refund Policy page states refunds are only possible within 7 days if no simulated trade has been placed, sets out how to request one and gives processing times. The firm has a 'CTI Payout Proof' page with three named trader case studies and a gallery labelled 'Real payout certificates'. The firm says it was founded in 2018, and the UK company it names was incorporated on 13 Jul 2018, about 8 years of history.
Its Transparency Index score is 72/100 (Good). We do not verify payouts or test accounts; this is what the firm’s own pages show.
Check the current rules and prices on the firm's own website before you buy.
Ad: MyPropGenius has an affiliate relationship with City Traders Imperium. We earn a commission if you buy through our links. It does not affect the firm's score, which comes from the Transparency Index.
City Traders Imperium sells two challenges and two no-evaluation programmes for one-time fees from $29. It has no time limits, allows news and weekend trading on all four, and offers VIP levels that the firm says raise the profit share to 100% at no extra cost. Starting splits and rules differ by programme: according to the programme pages, martingale and third-party EAs are allowed only on the 1-Step, and Instant Funding starts on half the account at a 50% split. Some of the firm's pages disagree on payout conditions, so check the specific programme page and confirm with the firm before buying.
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Find my matchSimulated. The firm's legal disclosure says all trading activity occurs in a demo environment using virtual capital, and that participants do not trade real assets.
On the pages we saved, the cheapest was the $2,500 1-Step Challenge at $29, paid once with no monthly subscription.
No. The firm says all programmes have unlimited time.
It starts at 80% on the 1-Step and 2-Step, 50% on Instant Funding (70% once fully funded) and 70% on Direct Funding. The firm says the VIP Bronze level raises it to 90% and Silver to 100%.
Yes. The firm says news trading and overnight and weekend holding are allowed on all four programmes.
The firm says Match-Trader is available to clients in the USA, but MT5 accounts are not offered there. It does not serve residents of North Korea, Iran, Syria, Cuba or Russia, or anyone under international sanctions.