BrightFunded vs Velotrade: Which Crypto Prop Firm Is Better in 2026?

Two firms that get a lot right. One key number that separates them.

BrightFunded and Velotrade are among the more trader-friendly crypto prop firms currently operating. Both use EOD trailing drawdowns, both have no consistency rule, both allow news trading and weekend holding. The overlap is genuine. These firms were designed with similar principles in mind.

But the differences that do exist are meaningful. This comparison works through every metric that matters for a trader deciding between them: profit targets, drawdown structure, minimum trading days, profit split, platform choice, and the scaling model each firm offers. If you are also weighing up what kind of crypto funded trading account is right for you, this breakdown covers all the structural details you need.

Quick Comparison: BrightFunded vs Velotrade

Profit Targets: BrightFunded Asks for Less to Pass

The most tangible structural difference is the Phase 1 profit target.

BrightFunded requires 8% in Phase 1. Velotrade requires 10%.

On a $50,000 account, that gap is $1,000: BrightFunded sets the pass bar at $4,000, Velotrade at $5,000. Both firms share the same Phase 2 target of 5%, so the difference is concentrated in the evaluation's opening phase.

A lower target does not make the evaluation easier overall. Drawdown limits are identical at 10% and daily loss limits match at 5%. But it does mean BrightFunded traders need to take on marginally less risk, or spread their trades across fewer sessions, to hit the pass threshold.

For conservative traders or those entering at larger account sizes where absolute dollar targets are significant, this 2-percentage-point difference is worth factoring in.

Drawdown Model: Both Use EOD Trailing

This is where the two firms are most closely aligned, and where both differentiate themselves from most of the prop firm market.

Both Velotrade and BrightFunded use EOD (end-of-day) trailing drawdowns. The high water mark is calculated on your closing equity balance, not on intraday peaks. The floor only moves upward when you close a day at a new equity high. If your position spikes to a new high during a session but settles lower by close, the floor does not move.

This is directly opposed to the tick-by-tick trailing drawdown model used by many other firms, where every intraday equity peak immediately tightens the breach level. Tick-by-tick models create a specific failure mode where a profitable trade in progress (one that hasn't been closed) can permanently raise the floor, leaving traders with less buffer even on winning days.

Neither Velotrade nor BrightFunded has this problem. For a full breakdown of how drawdown models affect your funded account risk, see crypto prop firm rules and drawdowns explained.

No Consistency Rule: Both Firms Get This Right

Many prop firms, particularly those that started in forex and moved into crypto, enforce consistency rules that cap how much any single day can contribute to total evaluation profit. Velotrade and BrightFunded both explicitly reject this.

Neither firm has a consistency rule at any stage. Not during the evaluation, not on the funded account.

If you close your entire profit target in one session off a high-conviction news trade or macro move, that is a legitimate pass at both firms. Your profit distribution is not evaluated. Only your compliance with drawdown and daily loss limits matters.

For traders whose strategies naturally concentrate returns into fewer, larger setups: news traders, momentum traders, or anyone who avoids low-conviction activity. This shared rule is the single most important thing both firms have in common. See crypto prop firms with no consistency rule for context on why this matters and which firms still enforce it.

Profit Split: Day One vs Add-On Required

This is where the two firms diverge most directly on terms.

Velotrade offers up to 90% from the first payout. There is no ramp-up period, no scaling schedule, and no additional fee required to access it.

BrightFunded's base split is 80%. The 90% split is available, but it requires paying an add-on at checkout: an extra 20% on top of the standard challenge fee. On a $100,000 account where the base challenge fee is €495, accessing 90% from day one costs an additional ~€99.

The 10-point difference in split compounds over time. On $10,000 profit, 80% returns $8,000 and 90% returns $9,000. Over a full year of consistent trading, the gap is material.

BrightFunded does have a path to 100% profit split: traders who reach their third scale-up (three consecutive qualifying periods under the scaling plan) unlock the 100% tier without any add-on. This is a longer-term proposition that rewards sustained performance, but it is a meaningful ceiling that Velotrade does not match.

BrightFunded also refunds the challenge fee on the first funded account payout. Velotrade does not offer a fee refund.

Minimum Trading Days

Velotrade requires 4 qualifying trading days. Each session must close with at least 0.5% net profit on the initial account balance. Hit your profit target and your 4 qualifying days within the same window, you pass. There is no overall time limit.

BrightFunded requires 5 minimum trading days in Phase 1. The requirement is simply that at least one position is opened across 5 separate trading days. There is no minimum profit-per-day condition.

In practice, both requirements are straightforward to meet during a normal evaluation run. The Velotrade approach asks for more from each qualifying day (minimum 0.5% profit), while BrightFunded's 5-day floor is purely attendance-based.

Platform: Choice vs Specialisation

BrightFunded supports three platforms: MT5, cTrader, and DXtrade. Traders choose their preferred environment at signup.

Velotrade uses dxTrader exclusively, a prop-firm-native platform purpose-built for the evaluation environment, with built-in rules monitoring, account management, and payout tracking.

If you already work in MT5 or cTrader and want to run the same tools, indicators, and EAs you have built in those environments, BrightFunded removes the friction of adapting to new software. The flexibility is a genuine practical advantage.

Velotrade's dxTrader consolidation keeps the experience consistent but narrows your options. Traders unfamiliar with the platform face a learning curve that does not exist if they are evaluating at BrightFunded on their preferred platform.

BrightFunded's Scaling Plan

BrightFunded operates a formal scaling program. Every 4 months, if a funded trader meets three criteria: at least 10% total profit across the period, profitable in at least 2 of those 4 months, and at least 2 payouts processed, their account balance increases by 30% of the original account size.

There is no stated cap on the total account size that can be reached through scaling. BrightFunded advertises a maximum initial allocation of $400,000 per trader, expandable through the scaling program.

Velotrade does not currently have a published structured scaling plan of this kind.

For traders who are building toward larger capital allocation as a primary goal, BrightFunded's scaling model provides a defined roadmap that Velotrade does not currently match.

Pricing: Side-by-Side Challenge Fees

BrightFunded fees are charged in EUR. Approximate USD equivalents shown at current exchange rates. BrightFunded refunds the challenge fee on the first funded payout; Velotrade does not. BrightFunded fees increase by 20% if the 90% profit split add-on is selected.

At the $100,000 and $200,000 tiers, BrightFunded is meaningfully cheaper in net terms, and even more so once the fee refund is factored in after a successful pass.

What Each Firm Suits Best

Choose Velotrade if:

• You want 90% profit split from your first payout without paying an add-on fee
• You want the option of a 1-step challenge for a faster, simpler evaluation path
• You prefer fewer minimum trading days to pass (4 vs 5) with a structured qualifying-day model
• You are comfortable with dxTrader and want a purpose-built prop trading environment
• You value a crypto-focused founding team with institutional background

Choose BrightFunded if:

• A lower Phase 1 profit target (8% vs 10%) better fits your conservative approach
• You want platform choice: MT5, cTrader, or DXtrade based on what you already use
• The structured scaling plan and path to 100% split matter to your long-term trading goals
• You want the challenge fee refunded on your first payout
• You trade across crypto, forex, and commodities and want access to a broader asset range

Both Firms Get Right: Shared Strengths

For traders coming from generalist prop firms with restrictive forex-inherited rules, both BrightFunded and Velotrade represent a meaningfully better environment:

• EOD trailing drawdown: neither firm uses tick-by-tick trailing models that punish intraday equity spikes
• No consistency rule: profit distribution across trading days is not evaluated at either firm
• News trading allowed: both permit trading through scheduled and unscheduled macro events
• Weekend holding allowed: neither forces position closure on Friday close
• EAs and automation permitted: both support algorithmic strategies with no stop-loss placement mandate
• No mandatory stop-loss: how you manage risk within the drawdown limits is your decision

For context on why each of these permissions matters, and how many firms still restrict them, see why most retail traders fail prop challenges.

Which Crypto Prop Firm Is Better?

For traders whose primary goal is maximising the profit split from day one without paying extra, Velotrade's 90% baseline is a concrete advantage. Add the 1-step option and the slightly lower minimum trading day requirement, and Velotrade is the faster, higher-returning path for traders who are confident in their ability to pass.

For traders who value platform flexibility, a lower Phase 1 hurdle, and a defined long-term scaling roadmap, BrightFunded's structure is genuinely appealing, especially at larger account sizes where the fee differential is significant and the scaling plan compounds over time.

Both firms are legitimate, both share the rules infrastructure that actually matters for crypto trading strategies, and either is a reasonable choice depending on your priorities.

For a broader view of where both firms sit in the market, see best crypto prop firms in 2026. To understand how Velotrade's full rule set works in detail, including drawdown mechanics and breach consequences, see Velotrade review 2026 and crypto prop firm rules explained.

To see how Velotrade compares to another crypto-only firm, read HyroTrader vs Velotrade.

Ready to start a Velotrade challenge? View challenge options and pricing →

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This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Prop firm rules, fees, and structures change frequently. Always review each firm's official terms and conditions before making any decisions. This comparison reflects publicly available information as of March 2026.