If you are looking for crypto prop firm spot trading, the short answer is that it does not exist among the 27 active firms we track. Every account trades perpetual futures or CFDs. The closest substitutes are 1:1 accounts: FTMO's Swing account and FundingPips' funded Master account cap leverage at 1:1, and HyroTrader lets you set your own leverage on Bybit, BloFin or its Hyro platform. None of them removes funding or swap costs, and none gives you ownership of a coin.
Why crypto prop firm spot trading is not offered
Spot trading means you own the asset. A prop account is a simulated margin account; there are no coins inside it to own. Crypto Fund Trader, for example, describes its accounts as all demo with no real capital involved. A simulated balance cannot take delivery of bitcoin, but it can track a derivative perfectly well, because a derivative needs only a price feed and a margin rule. That is why every firm, from crypto-first to multi-asset, builds on perps or CFDs.
Some firms say it outright. Mubite prohibits spot markets, USDC pairs and options during its Bybit futures challenge. HyroTrader allows USDT perpetual futures only.
Every prop account in our census is a derivative account. No coin is owned, capital is simulated, and holding costs apply.
What the derivatives cost you
Two holding costs replace what a spot holder would pay (nothing):
- Funding rates on perpetual futures, exchanged between longs and shorts every few hours.
- Overnight swaps on CFDs at multi-asset firms such as FTMO (30 crypto CFDs) and The5ers (two).
A strategy that holds a coin for weeks costs more on a prop account than on an exchange. Velotrade, for example, charges 0.05% daily funding on crypto positions open at 00:30 UTC. Our page on simulated vs real capital explains what the funded balance actually is.
The closest options to spot
| Firm | Account | Crypto leverage | Cost that remains |
|---|---|---|---|
| FTMO | Swing | 1:1 | CFD swaps; 30 crypto CFDs |
| FundingPips | Swing, swap-free, and every funded Master account | 1:1 | Swaps on crypto even on swap-free accounts |
| HyroTrader | Any account | Set by the trader | Perp funding; static 3–5% daily loss limit |
A 1:1 position is no bigger than the margin behind it, which behaves like an unleveraged holding in price terms. The swap-free label is misleading at FundingPips: its terms still charge swaps on crypto. With HyroTrader, you choose leverage on each position, so you can trade at 1x, but you are still holding a perpetual contract. See the HyroTrader review and the FTMO review.
For traders with religious or tax reasons
We do not give religious rulings or tax advice. The facts a trader needs to take to an adviser are these: every account is a derivative, no coin is owned, the capital is simulated, and overnight swaps or funding payments apply on all of them, including those marketed as swap-free. For payout taxation, see are crypto prop firm payouts taxed.
Checklist if you want spot-like exposure
- Pick an account where you control leverage or where it is fixed at 1:1.
- Find the funding or swap rate on the exact pair and the time it is charged.
- Check weekend holding rules, since spot holders never face them. See weekend holding rules.
- Check whether the drawdown is static, so a long hold is not squeezed by a trailing floor.
- Confirm the firm allows positions held across days and payout cycles.
Trade-offs
A 1:1 account removes most liquidation risk but makes profit targets slow to hit: a 10% target needs a 10% move in your favour. If your strategy is long-term accumulation, an exchange account with your own capital is the honest tool, and our prop firm vs own account page lays out when each makes sense. If you are comfortable with derivatives, the opposite end of the scale is on the high-leverage list, where four firms allow 1:100 or more on crypto. Multi-asset firms with crypto CFDs at 1:1 to 1:3.33 are on the forex prop firms with crypto page, and the full field is ranked on our best crypto prop firms page.
Frequently asked questions
Does any crypto prop firm offer spot trading?
No. All 27 active firms we track use perpetual futures or CFDs. Mubite explicitly prohibits spot markets in its Bybit challenge.
What is the closest thing to spot at a prop firm?
A 1:1 account, such as FTMO Swing or the FundingPips funded Master account, or trading at 1x where the firm lets you set leverage, as HyroTrader does.
Are swap-free prop accounts free of crypto holding costs?
Not necessarily. FundingPips charges swaps on crypto even on swap-free accounts, and perpetual funding applies at crypto-first firms.
Why can prop firms not offer spot?
Their accounts are simulated margin accounts. A simulated balance cannot own coins, but it can track a derivative with just a price feed.