SharkFunded Review 2026

SharkFunded sells simulated trading accounts. Its help centre has a separate rules article for each of seven programmes: Strike 1 Step (Daily Payout), Instant Bolt (Daily Payout), Prime 2 Step, Prime Instant, Lite Instant, Lite 1 Step and Lite 2 Step. The firm describes three routes: 1-Step and 2-Step evaluation challenges, and instant accounts where "no evaluation is required".

The rules differ a good deal between programmes, so we set them out programme by programme. Where the firm's own pages disagree, we say so and say which page we used.

The homepage price panels show prices only alongside a promotion, and do not label which figure is the undiscounted price, so we do not give a price. Check the price at checkout.

Everything in this review comes from SharkFunded's own web pages, saved on 11 October 2026. Rules and prices change, so check the firm's site before you buy.

The table summarises each programme's own help-centre article. Targets and maximum losses are percentages of the account size; most daily loss limits are measured from the higher of the day's starting balance or equity (see below). "Not given in the article" means the programme's article we saved does not state that figure.

Prices

The homepage price panels show prices only alongside a promotion and do not label which figure is the undiscounted price, so we do not list a price. A separate guide on the firm's site describes prop trading in general as "a one-time financial commitment", but does not tie this to a programme. The price panels also showed promotional prices, which we do not list. Check the price at checkout. None of the pages we saved mentions an activation fee.

Account sizes

The homepage size selector offers $5,000, $10,000, $25,000, $50,000 and $100,000. The homepage says the Strike challenge is "Available from 5K to 100K". The Instant Bolt article uses a $1,500 account as its example. The firm's prop trading guide mentions sizes "ranging from $3,000 to $200,000+".

Strike challenge-phase reward

On Strike 1 Step, a trader who reaches the 8% target keeps 10% of the profit made in the challenge phase, and the article says this becomes "directly withdrawable". Its example: on a $10,000 account, reaching the $800 target pays $80.

Strike 1 Step (Daily Payout)

• There is no daily drawdown limit. The 3% maximum drawdown applies in both the challenge and funded phases.
• A 1% maximum floating loss rule applies only in the funded phase. Reaching it is a hard breach and closes the funded account.
• In the funded phase, each payout must be less than 3% of the account size, and a new request can be made once 24 hours have passed since the last one.
• The homepage panel lists no minimum trading days and no consistency rule for Strike.

Lite 1 Step

• The 3% daily drawdown is calculated from the higher of balance or equity at the start of the day and resets at the broker server reset time.
• The maximum drawdown is 6% of the initial account size; on a $100,000 account, equity or balance must stay above $94,000.
• The funded stage has an unlimited trading period and a 1% maximum floating loss rule.
• Payouts are weekly; a minimum of 7 trading days is required to request one, and the account must be above its starting balance.
• The same article also says, under the funded stage, that balance or equity "must never fall below 90% of the initial account size", which does not match the 6% figure. We used 6%, the figure given in both stages' headings.

Lite 2 Step

• The daily loss limit is 3% of the higher of starting equity or balance, and the maximum loss is 6% of the initial account size.
• A 1% maximum floating loss rule applies in the funded stage.
• The article says a minimum of 7 trading days is required to request a payout.
• The homepage panel for Lite 2 Step lists no minimum trading days, weekly rewards and no consistency rule.

Prime 2 Step

• Phase 1 has a 9% target and Phase 2 a 6% target. Passing Phase 2 is "subject to final review by our risk management team".
• The daily loss limit is 4% of the higher of starting equity or balance, and the maximum loss is 10% of the initial account size.
• A 1% maximum floating loss rule applies in the funded stage.
• Payout requests can only be made 24 hours or more after the first executed trade.

Prime Instant

• A 1% maximum floating loss, calculated on the initial balance, is a hard breach; two positions running at the same time count as a single trade.
• The 4% daily loss limit uses the higher of balance or equity; the 7% maximum loss means equity must stay above 93% of the initial balance.
• A 15% consistency score applies: the largest single trade profit must be 15% or less of total account profit to be payout eligible. Failing it is not a breach.
• Payouts need at least 7 profitable days, with a day counting as profitable at 0.25% of account size, and the account must be above its starting balance.

Lite Instant

• The maximum drawdown is 3%, including closed and floating losses, and a 1% maximum floating loss is a hard breach.
• There is no consistency requirement.
• A minimum of 7 trading days is required, and the account must be above its starting balance before a payout request.
• The article's introduction says the account has "no profit targets" but also sets a "Minimum 8 percent target for Withdrawal". We read this as an 8% minimum before withdrawing, not a target to pass.

Instant Bolt (Daily Payout)

• The daily drawdown is 3% and the maximum drawdown 4% of the account size.
• The account is valid for 30 days from activation.
• The minimum payout request is 1% of the account size, and the first request can be made 24 hours after the first executed trade.
• A 1% maximum floating loss rule applies.

Most banned-strategy rules repeat across the seven programme articles. The points below are taken from those articles and apply to all programmes unless we name one.

Layering, grid and martingale

Traders may not hold more than two open positions on the same instrument, or open three or more positions at once without a stop loss. Adding to a losing trade, averaging down, grid trading and martingale are not allowed. This is a soft breach in challenge phases and a hard breach in funded phases and instant accounts.

Tick scalping

A position cannot be closed and then reopened within five minutes. The articles describe tick scalping as including opening and closing multiple trades within 120 seconds. Up to 20% of trades may be ignored in challenge phases and up to 10% in funded phases and instant accounts; above that, the account is reviewed by the risk team.

News trading

In the funded phase, trades must not be opened or closed from 10 minutes before to 10 minutes after a news event. For speeches the window runs until 10 minutes after the speech ends. The rule covers pending, stop loss and take profit orders, and Forex Factory is the official calendar. Trades opened at least 5 hours before a high-impact event may be closed inside the window, and their profits count. The Prime Instant, Lite Instant and Instant Bolt articles carry the same news rule, worded as applying during the funded phase. The Strike article says news trading is allowed during the challenge phase.

Weekend and overnight holding

The help centre's weekend article says holding positions over the weekend is allowed in the challenge phase but not in the funded phase. The Instant Bolt article says weekend holding is "strictly prohibited on all Funded Phase and Instant Accounts". The Strike article bans weekend holding on all funded-phase accounts; positions must be closed before the market closes on Friday. The Lite 1 Step article, however, lists "Weekend Trading : Allowed" under its funded stage, which conflicts with the weekend article. We could not tell which applies, so ask the firm before holding a funded Lite 1 Step position over a weekend. The homepage panel for Lite 2 Step also lists "Weekend Trading Allowed" without saying which phase it covers. None of the saved pages has a separate rule on holding trades overnight.

Expert advisors, copy trading and hedging

We found no rule on expert advisors (EAs), trade copiers or hedging in the saved pages, so we cannot say whether they are allowed.

Other account rules

• Traders on Prime 2 Step, Lite 1 Step and Lite 2 Step manage one active funded account at a time; the next becomes tradable if the active one is breached.
• Any account inactive for 14 consecutive days is automatically suspended.
• The IP region used to buy an evaluation must match the region used to trade it, and VPNs or proxies may trigger IP flags.

Withdrawals

• The minimum withdrawal is $10.
• The payout amount must always be less than the daily drawdown limit, or the request is not approved.
• Giveaway accounts have a 2% withdrawal limit.
• Payout methods may include USDT and, where available, e-wallets.
• KYC must be completed and approved before a withdrawal.
• The help centre gives a standard processing time of 24–48 hours once approved, and says weekends, holidays and compliance reviews can add delays.
• The homepage separately claims "99.99% processed within 24 hours". We have not verified this.

Scaling plan

The scaling article says a funded trader who completes 10 successful reward payouts and a total accumulated profit of 20% has their capital allocation increased by 100%. It lists possible benefits including "Up to 100% reward split (as applicable)" and capital limits "up to $2,000,000". Scaling is calculated on the initial account size, reviewed by the risk team, and "not guaranteed". The About page instead mentions "a scaling capital plan up to $1M+". We used the scaling article, which is more specific.

Profit split claims

The homepage advertises "upto 100% split" in one place and "Up to 90%" in another. The help centre's introduction says traders can "earn up to a 100% profit split". The programme articles give 80% for Strike, Lite 1 Step, Prime Instant and Lite Instant, and 70/30 for Instant Bolt. We used the programme articles.

The homepage panel for the Strike challenge names MetaTrader 5 (MT5) as the trading platform. None of the other saved pages names a platform for the other programmes.

Instant accounts: instruments, costs and leverage

The Prime Instant and Lite Instant articles list forex, crypto, indices, stocks, metals and energies. Both articles list RAW spreads and a $7 commission per standard lot, round turn.

We did not find leverage or commission figures for the evaluation programmes or Instant Bolt.

The site footer says the website is owned and operated by Shark Funded LTD, registered at Ground Floor, The Sotheby Building, Rodney Village, Rodney Bay, Gros-Islet, Saint Lucia, and gives "License No.: 2025-00783". The footer also says: "Although licensed, Shark Funded Ltd does not conduct brokerage services or offer real trading accounts on this website." The footer does not name the body that issued the licence, and we have not verified it.

The homepage gives "2023" as the year the firm was established. The About page lists a Saint Lucia headquarters. The Terms say disputes go to arbitration under American Arbitration Association rules in Quebec, and traders must be at least 18.

Restricted countries

Three pages give different lists:

• The Terms and Conditions bar residents or citizens of the USA, North Korea and Pakistan.
• The site footer excludes countries on the FATF and EU/UN sanctions lists, Vietnam and the UAE.
• The help centre lists North Korea, Iran, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.

We treat all three lists as applying. Check with the firm if your country is near any of them.

Refunds

The Terms say a refund is available on request before any trade is taken, but not after the earlier of 14 days from purchase or the first trade. The help centre's refund policy says "no refunds will be issued under any circumstances" once an evaluation is bought. These two pages conflict, and we could not tell which one the firm applies.

KYC

KYC is required before any payout. The help centre says most checks take 1–2 business days.

• Traders who want frequent payouts may look at Strike 1 Step and Instant Bolt, where payout requests can be made every 24 hours.
• Traders who dislike daily loss limits may look at Strike 1 Step, which has none, though its 3% maximum drawdown is tight.
• Grid, martingale and averaging-down strategies are not allowed on any programme.

MyPropGenius Rating: 3.0/5 — its Transparency Index score of 60/100 ÷ 20, rounded down

The rating measures how openly SharkFunded discloses its rules, pricing, payouts and ownership (our Transparency Index methodology). It does not measure how likely you are to pass or be paid.