Prop Firms USA 2026: Check Before You Pay

When it comes to being open to US traders, there is a distinction between accepting traders from the US and providing access to every platform a firm offers. Most evaluations only focus on the former, overlooking the latter. A firm may claim to accept US applicants in the country dropdown menu but still restrict access to specific platforms highlighted in its marketing materials. In this analysis, we delve deeper into the terms of five crypto trading firms that welcome US traders in 2026, including Crypto Fund Trader. Instead of relying on the firms’ homepage taglines, we scrutinize their terms and conditions. What emerges as a common trend among these five firms is that while US access is generally permitted, it is platform-specific rather than universal.

Crypto Fund Trader

Crypto Fund Trader allows US traders on Bybit or Match-Trader; however, MetaTrader 5 is off-limits according to its own Terms and Conditions.

Crypto Fund Trader is a simulated trading evaluation firm and a partner of Bybit. According to its Terms and Conditions, access to MetaTrader 5 is not available to users residing in the United States. The firm also extends this restriction to MT5 resets or migrations for new US users. However, Match-Trader has no country restrictions, and Bybit does not impose any country restrictions. Traders are responsible for complying with Bybit’s Terms of Service and jurisdictional restrictions. Bybit evaluations cover over 550 crypto futures pairs with no markup on prices. The program allows for up to $300,000 in simulated funded allocation with no time limit or minimum trading days. Traders can qualify to receive up to 80% of simulated profits, which can increase to 90% with an add-on. While KYC is not required to start the Bybit evaluation, it is mandatory before receiving any scholarship reward. Crypto Fund Trader reports having paid over $21 million to traders to date, although this figure is self-reported and not audited by a third party.

Breakout

Breakout is a prop firm linked to Kraken that explicitly lists the US as an accepted jurisdiction without any platform restrictions.

Breakout operates as Breakout Trading Group, LLC, based in Tampa, Florida, following Kraken’s acquisition in September 2025. The firm’s restricted-countries page does not include the US or UK, indicating that any country not listed is generally accepted. The list of restricted countries mainly consists of sanctioned or high-risk jurisdictions such as Iran, North Korea, Russia, and Syria. Unlike other firms like CFT, HyroTrader, or BrightFunded, Breakout does not have platform-specific restrictions. Evaluations are conducted on Breakout’s proprietary terminal covering around 60 crypto pairs with leverage up to 5x on BTC and ETH. Profit splits range from 80% to 90%, and traders can request rewards as needed. Breakout is the most straightforward case among the five firms, accepting the US without any platform-level restrictions.

HyroTrader

HyroTrader offers two tracks: a Bybit track closed to US traders and a Cleo track accessible to them.

HyroTrader conducts evaluations linked to Bybit via API, with Bybit restricting access for US and Canadian residents. In response, HyroTrader offers an alternative platform, Cleo, with no country restrictions, allowing US traders to use Binance market data instead of a live Bybit feed. This is in contrast to CFT’s setup where the exchange-linked platform (Bybit) is open to US traders, while the older third-party platform (MT5) is closed. Profit splits start at 80% and can go up to 90%. Account sizes range from $5,000 to $200,000. US applicants must be aware of which platform, Bybit or Cleo, they are signing up for, as each has different access restrictions.

RebelsFunding

RebelsFunding accepts US applicants based on its own compliance clause, rather than a blanket acceptance like Breakout.

RebelsFunding‘s Terms and Conditions stipulate that residents of the United States may only be accepted for simulated trading evaluations where permitted by applicable law and if they meet the provider’s internal compliance requirements. The firm does not offer brokerage, retail forex, securities, or live trading services to US residents specifically. RebelsFunding conducts evaluations on its RF-Trader platform rather than on a specific exchange. It is the most conditional among the four competitors, with US applications subject to individual review and approval rather than a blanket acceptance.

BrightFunded

BrightFunded welcomes US traders but restricts them from using MetaTrader 5, similar to CFT’s restriction, for the same reasons.

BrightFunded‘s Terms and Conditions state that services related to MetaTrader 5 (MT5) are not intended for residents or citizens of the United States. Additionally, cTrader is unavailable to US accounts as per the firm’s platform documentation. DXTrade is the one platform open to all traders, including those from the US, offering a multi-asset terminal covering forex, CFDs, and a smaller selection of cryptocurrencies compared to platforms linked to Bybit or Kraken. BrightFunded’s structure closely mirrors CFT’s, with one platform restricted based on residency and another platform catering to US traders. The main difference lies in the platform allocated for each role.

Platform Access, Side by Side

The country a prop firm accepts and the platform it opens to that country are two separate lines in its terms.

What “Available in the US” Actually Means

The same three words cover three different arrangements once a firm’s terms are read past the yes. Breakout is the plainest case: it names the US as a permitted country with no platform carved out, so an applicant reads one clause, not two. Crypto Fund Trader, HyroTrader, and BrightFunded all gate one specific platform instead, MetaTrader 5 for CFT and BrightFunded, Bybit for HyroTrader, while a substitute stays fully open to US traders. RebelsFunding’s own terms go further still, accepting a US application only where it clears an internal compliance review, a narrower promise than the other four make.

None of this changes what a US trader can eventually do; it changes which document answers the question, and which platform name to check before paying an evaluation fee.

FAQ

Does “accepts US traders” mean every platform a prop firm sells works from a US address? No. Three of the five close at least one platform to US residents even after accepting the country.

Why does MetaTrader 5 keep being the platform that narrows for US residents? A licensing change, not a choice CFT or BrightFunded made alone. Offering MT5 to US clients needs NFA, CFTC, or FINRA authorization, which most evaluation firms lack. MetaQuotes enforced that on February 2, 2024, pulling a major grey-label provider’s MT4/MT5 licenses; other unauthorized firms lost US access in the same sweep, per Velotrade’s review of the episode (read 2026-09-15). CFT and BrightFunded both restrict MT5 and route US business elsewhere.

Does CFT require KYC before a US trader can start the Bybit evaluation? No. KYC “is not required to participate in the evaluation with demo capital” on Bybit, but is mandatory before any scholarship reward.

Is a restricted-countries list the same as a restricted-platforms list? No. Breakout has only the first; CFT, HyroTrader, and BrightFunded have both, gating different platforms for different reasons.

Conclusion

Looking beyond the country acceptance field, it becomes clear that “US traders welcome” can take on various meanings depending on the platform access. CFT and BrightFunded restrict access to MetaTrader 5, leaving Bybit and Match-Trader accessible; Breakout allows US access without any platform restrictions. HyroTrader’s setup is different, closing Bybit but opening Cleo to US traders. RebelsFunding’s US access is subject to an internal compliance review on a case-by-case basis. Each firm has its own unique platform access restrictions, so it is essential to review the terms before committing to an evaluation fee. For prop firms in the USA, CFT’s FAQ provides clear information, unlike its marketing materials.