FFUNDED HFT and Execution Abuse Thresholds
Fast trading is allowed at FFUNDED. Expert Advisors are allowed. Scalping is allowed. What is prohibited is targeting the execution or the price feed rather than the market, and FFUNDED publishes the exact figures that define where that line sits.
What the rule is actually aimed at
Strategies that exploit how a simulated environment fills orders, rather than strategies that are simply quick, are the target. That includes latency and tick arbitrage, quote manipulation, and high frequency patterns that rely on simulated fill behaviour and would not be executable in live market conditions.
The published wording is worth keeping in mind: Expert Advisors and automated strategies are allowed. What is not allowed is using them to exploit execution. The tool is never the violation.
The three measured patterns
Three patterns are measured, and each is judged on its own.
| Pattern | Threshold |
|---|---|
| Burst opening | 5 or more positions opened inside any 10 minute window |
| Rapid clustering | 3 or more positions opened inside any 12 second window |
| Ultra short holds | Any trade closed in under 60 seconds |
Each pattern that fires costs one formal warning. Two patterns, whether they fire together or weeks apart, breach the account, as the warning and breach system sets out.
That last sentence is the part that surprises people. The patterns are counted independently, so triggering the 12 second rule in March and the 60 second rule in May is two patterns and therefore a breach, even though neither happened twice.
Related volume limits
Sustained order volume is measured on the same rule:
- 20 orders inside 5 minutes
- 500 orders inside 1 hour
- An average trade duration under 3 seconds across 50 or more trades
Execution arbitrage
Trading against stale, delayed or absent prices is reviewed where any of the following are present:
- 30% or more of your trades show negative slippage
- 30% or more of your realised profit is made while prices were delayed or missing
- An amount equal to 0.5% of your starting balance is made while prices were delayed or missing
Note the framing: this one triggers a review rather than an automatic outcome. The pattern is evidence to be examined rather than a mechanical breach.
Liquidity abuse sits alongside it
Building results in deliberately thin markets is prohibited separately. The threshold is 20% or more of your realised profit coming from trades that were both opened and closed inside a low liquidity window.
The window is Monday to Thursday, 22:00 to 00:00 UTC, the trough between the US close and the Asian open. There is no window on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, and no separate window per instrument.
Both halves matter: the trade must be opened and closed inside the window to count toward the 20%.
What this means if you scalp
A genuine scalper is not the target of these rules, but a genuine scalper can still trip them by accident. The 60 second rule is the one to watch, because a legitimate scalp that hits its take profit quickly is indistinguishable from an exploit at the level of a single trade.
Three habits keep an honest fast strategy clear. Avoid opening clusters of positions within seconds of each other, since the 12 second rule fires on three. Let winners run past the minute mark where the strategy permits it, rather than closing on a tick. And stay out of the 22:00 to 00:00 UTC window on weeknights unless the trade genuinely belongs there.
If your edge structurally requires sub minute holds across hundreds of trades, this is worth confirming against the trading rules before you buy rather than after, because the rule is published precisely so you can check.
Frequently asked questions
Is scalping allowed on FFUNDED?
Yes, and so are Expert Advisors and automated strategies. What is prohibited is exploiting execution rather than trading the market. The specific triggers are 5 or more positions inside 10 minutes, 3 or more inside 12 seconds, and any trade closed in under 60 seconds, each of which costs one warning.
How many warnings do the HFT rules give?
One per pattern. Each of the three measured patterns is judged on its own, so one pattern firing is a warning and a second pattern firing breaches the account, whether the two happen in the same moment or weeks apart.
Are Expert Advisors banned on FFUNDED?
No. Expert Advisors and automated strategies are allowed on every plan. The prohibition is on using them to exploit execution, such as latency and tick arbitrage or quote manipulation, rather than on automation itself.
What is the low liquidity window?
Monday to Thursday, 22:00 to 00:00 UTC, the trough between the US close and the Asian open. Liquidity abuse triggers where 20% or more of realised profit comes from trades both opened and closed inside that window. There is no window on Friday, Saturday or Sunday.
Every rule above is published before you pay
Five plans, from $5,000 to $400,000 in simulated capital. No time limit on any evaluation, an 85% profit split from your first payout, and every drawdown figure stated on the plan card rather than buried in a PDF.
Accounts trade simulated capital in a demo environment. Payouts are real money based on simulated performance. Trading involves substantial risk.