Two low-barrier crypto prop firms. One built for crypto from day one. Here is how they compare where it counts.
DNA Funded and Velotrade both appeal to traders looking for accessible entry into funded crypto trading. DNA Funded markets itself on low challenge cost and broad instrument access. Velotrade takes a narrower, crypto-native position with a cleaner rule set and up to 90% profit split from the first payout. If you are trying to choose between them, this comparison covers every metric that drives funded account outcomes: profit targets, drawdown model, consistency rules, profit split, platform, and pricing. For a broader overview of how both fit into the funded trading landscape, see what a crypto funded trading account actually involves.
Highlights of this article
- Velotrade uses static drawdown on every plan; DNA Funded's drawdown varies by product (challenge accounts static, Instant Funding trailing at 4%)
- Velotrade offers up to 90% profit split from the first payout; DNA Funded's base split is reported at up to 90% but with less structural transparency
- DNA Funded runs on MT5 and DXtrade; Velotrade is DXtrade-only
- Velotrade is crypto-native with no consistency rule, news trading allowed, and weekend holding allowed
- DNA Funded has a multi-asset, forex-first product history; crypto coverage is broad but not the architectural focus
- Velotrade's 2-Step challenge starts at $60 for a $5,000 account; DNA Funded is known for competitive low-end pricing
- Both firms allow weekend holding, but DNA Funded applies a payout-consistency rule (~30% single-day) and restricts news trading, while Velotrade does neither
Quick Comparison: DNA Funded vs Velotrade
| Velotrade | DNA Funded | |
|---|---|---|
| Challenge types | 1-Step, 2-Step | 2-Step (standard) |
| Account sizes | $5k to $200k | Up to $600k (across accounts) |
| Phase 1 profit target | 10% | ~10% (confirm with firm) |
| Phase 2 profit target | 5% | ~5% (confirm with firm) |
| Daily loss limit | 5% (2-Step) | Confirm with firm |
| Max drawdown | 10% static | Static challenges (1-Step 6%, 2-Step 8%, Rapid 5%); Instant Funding 4% trailing |
| Min trading days | 5 qualifying days | Confirm with firm |
| Consistency rule | None | ~30% single-day payout cap |
| News trading | Allowed | Restricted (~5 min around news) |
| Weekend holding | Allowed | Allowed |
| EAs / automation | Allowed | Allowed |
| Platform | DXtrade | MT5, DXtrade |
| Max funding | $200k | Up to $600k (multi-account) |
| Profit split | Up to 90% from day 1 | Up to 90% |
| Challenge fee refund | No | Confirm with firm |
Profit Targets and Drawdown: What the Numbers Actually Mean
On a 2-step challenge, Velotrade sets a 10% Phase 1 profit target and 5% in Phase 2. The maximum drawdown is 10% static, with a 5% daily loss limit.
Static means the floor that sets your breach threshold is fixed from your starting balance and never moves. It does not move intraday, and it does not move at the end of the day either. This model is materially more forgiving than tick-by-tick trailing drawdowns, which tighten your floor every time unrealised gains touch a new high, even briefly. It is also more forgiving than end-of-day trailing, because the floor never rises at all as you profit.
DNA Funded's drawdown varies by product. Its challenge accounts use a static max loss fixed from the initial balance (1-Step 6%, 2-Step 8%, Rapid 5%), so on a challenge you get the same forgiving static model. The difference is the Instant Funding product, which uses a 4% trailing drawdown that tightens as your equity climbs. Velotrade applies static on every plan, with no trailing product in the range. To calculate your exact floor, daily limit, and trade capacity on a Velotrade account, use the prop trading drawdown calculator.
For a detailed breakdown of how drawdown models affect challenge pass rates and funded account longevity, read crypto prop firm rules and drawdowns explained.
How many losing trades before you breach?
See your drawdown floor, daily loss budget, and losing trade capacity for any account size - before you place a single trade.
Consistency Rule: Velotrade Has None, DNA Funded Applies One
Consistency rules cap how much of your profit can come from a single trading day. A firm that limits any one day to around 30% of the total means a single large day, even a valid one, can hold up a payout or an evaluation.
Velotrade does not enforce a consistency rule at any stage. This is explicitly documented. Your profit distribution across days is not evaluated at any point. Whether your target profit comes from 1 session or 20 does not matter, provided you stay within the drawdown and daily loss limits.
DNA Funded applies a payout-consistency rule, reported at around 30% maximum single-day distribution. It caps how concentrated your payout can be across trading days. Verify the current figure directly with the firm before purchasing.
This is especially important for news traders and volatility traders who naturally concentrate returns into fewer, higher-conviction setups. Forcing artificial daily distribution does not reflect how real edge works in crypto markets, and it is one of the clearest structural gaps between the two firms.
To understand why the consistency rule remains one of the most impactful hidden costs at many prop firms, read crypto prop firms with no consistency rule.
News Trading and Weekend Holding
The firms differ on news trading. Velotrade allows it outright: you can hold positions through scheduled macro events, central bank announcements, and other high-impact data releases without rule-based position closure requirements. DNA Funded restricts it, with no trading permitted in a window of roughly 5 minutes before and after high-impact news. For traders whose edge is built around these releases, that window is a real constraint.
Both firms permit weekend holding. Positions can remain open over the weekend without triggering a breach. For crypto traders running swing trades or multi-day positions across weekends, this is a meaningful structural advantage over firms that force Friday-close position management.
Velotrade's weekend holding and unrestricted news policy are clearly documented as part of its core rule set. DNA Funded permits weekend holding on reported terms but applies the news window above, so confirm both directly with the firm before trading through a scheduled event.
Platform: MT5 Flexibility vs DXtrade Specialisation
DNA Funded supports MT5 and DXtrade. If you already run a tested setup in MetaTrader 5, including custom indicators, EAs, and risk management scripts built in MQL5, DNA Funded lets you bring that environment directly into the evaluation. There is no learning curve, no indicator migration, and no execution environment adjustment.
Velotrade uses DXtrade exclusively. DXtrade is a purpose-built prop trading platform with native challenge management, rules monitoring, and account performance dashboards integrated at the system level. It was designed specifically for the funded account model, which means the evaluation environment and account management tools are more tightly integrated than in a retail MT5 stack adapted for prop use.
For traders new to DXtrade, there is a short adjustment period. For traders already familiar with it from other firms, the transition is straightforward.
Crypto-Native vs Multi-Asset Architecture
This is the structural difference that matters most for dedicated crypto traders.
Velotrade is built around crypto trading. Its rule design, drawdown calibration, and platform choice are all oriented to 24/7 markets, higher volatility, and crypto-specific liquidity behavior. No forex legacy constraints are inherited.
DNA Funded has a multi-asset, forex-first product history. Crypto coverage is broad and the platform supports it, but the firm's original architecture was built for a different market structure. For traders running exclusively crypto strategies, this is worth considering when evaluating whether rule calibration and risk controls are designed with crypto volatility in mind.
Neither position is inherently disqualifying. But if your entire strategy is built around crypto-specific market behavior, a crypto-native firm is less likely to introduce structural friction through rules calibrated for forex.
For a deeper argument on why this distinction matters for practical outcomes, read why crypto-native infrastructure matters.
Profit Split: Up to 90% from Day One
Velotrade offers up to 90% profit split from the first payout. There is no ramp-up schedule, no qualifying period before the top split activates, and no add-on fee required to access it. You pass the challenge, you get funded, you take 90%.
DNA Funded reports up to 90% profit split as well. The specific structure of how and when the top split is accessed, whether it requires a scaling path, additional fees, or period qualification, should be confirmed directly with the firm before purchasing.
On a $10,000 profit withdrawal, the difference between 80% and 90% is $1,000. Over a year of consistent funded trading, that gap compounds materially. The headline percentage is important, but the conditions attached to reaching it are equally important.
Minimum Trading Days
Velotrade requires 5 qualifying trading days to pass the evaluation. Each qualifying day must close with at least 0.8% net profit on the starting account balance. Passing the profit target and completing 5 qualifying days in the same window is all that is required. There is no overall time limit imposed.
DNA Funded's minimum trading day requirements should be verified directly with the firm. Different firms in this category use different definitions of "trading day", ranging from pure attendance (any position opened that day) to minimum profit-per-day conditions. Confirming the definition matters because it affects how many sessions your strategy needs to cover.
Pricing: Side-by-Side Challenge Fees
| Account Size | Velotrade 2-Step | Velotrade 1-Step | DNA Funded 2-Step |
|---|---|---|---|
| $5,000 | $60 | $72 | Confirm current pricing |
| $10,000 | $120 | $132 | Confirm current pricing |
| $25,000 | $300 | $330 | Confirm current pricing |
| $50,000 | $540 | $594 | Confirm current pricing |
| $100,000 | $899 | $1,199 | Confirm current pricing |
| $200,000 | $1,549 | $1,679 | Confirm current pricing |
DNA Funded is known for a competitive low-cost pricing model, particularly at smaller account sizes. It is marketed specifically at cost-sensitive traders testing funded workflows. Confirm current pricing on DNA Funded's website before purchasing, as fees can change.
Velotrade pricing is fixed and transparently published. The 1-step option adds a small premium over the 2-step fee in exchange for a single-phase evaluation rather than two.
What Each Firm Suits Best
Choose Velotrade if:
- You want 90% profit split confirmed from the first payout, with no additional fees or scaling requirements
- You want a crypto-native rule set designed for 24/7 volatile markets, not forex-inherited constraints
- You prefer a 1-step challenge option for a faster evaluation path
- You are comfortable with DXtrade and want a purpose-built prop trading environment
- You value explicit rule documentation over loosely communicated terms
Choose DNA Funded if:
- Low challenge cost is your primary filter and you want to test funded workflows with minimal upfront commitment
- You already run a tested MT5 setup and do not want to migrate your tools to DXtrade
- You want higher maximum capital allocation across multiple accounts (up to $600,000)
- You trade across crypto, forex, and other instruments and need broader multi-asset access
- You are a cost-sensitive trader calibrating to a funded account model for the first time
Where They Overlap, and Where Velotrade Pulls Ahead
For traders coming from more restrictive prop firm environments, both DNA Funded and Velotrade offer a better operating baseline than legacy forex firms, but the freedoms are not identical:
- Weekend holding allowed: neither forces position closure on Friday close
- EAs and automation permitted: algorithmic strategies are supported at both firms. Velotrade provides full open API access on every account with no extra fee or approval process.
- Broad crypto access: both cover major and mid-cap crypto pairs
- Static challenge drawdown: both use a static max loss on their challenge accounts, though only Velotrade keeps it static across every product (DNA Funded's Instant Funding trails at 4%)
Velotrade pulls ahead on the constraints DNA Funded still applies: no consistency rule versus DNA Funded's ~30% single-day payout cap, and unrestricted news trading versus DNA Funded's ~5-minute news window. On a Velotrade account you get the full combination, static drawdown on every plan, no consistency rule, unrestricted news, weekend holding, multi-asset, crypto-native infrastructure, and full API access, on one account.
For context on how each of these permissions affects strategy design and challenge pass rates, see crypto prop firm rules explained.
Which Crypto Prop Firm Is Better?
For traders who want a crypto-native firm with clearly documented rules, transparent drawdown mechanics, and up to 90% profit split from day one, Velotrade is the stronger structural choice. The static drawdown is explicitly confirmed, the rule stack is designed for crypto volatility, and there are no ambiguities about how and when the top split applies.
For cost-sensitive traders running MT5 setups who want to test a funded account workflow with low upfront commitment and access to higher capital allocation across multiple accounts, DNA Funded is a practical starting point.
Both decisions are defensible depending on what you are optimizing for. If you choose DNA Funded, note the trade-offs its rule set carries: the Instant Funding product trails at 4%, a payout-consistency rule of around 30% per day applies, and news trading is restricted in a roughly 5-minute window around high-impact releases. Confirm the payout structure and minimum trading day definitions before paying, since the details at that level determine outcomes more than any headline comparison.
For a full market view of where both firms sit, see best crypto prop firms in 2026. For Velotrade's complete rule set, payout structure, and account details, see Velotrade review 2026. For a step-by-step guide from evaluation to first payout, see how to become a funded crypto trader. For DNA Funded's full challenge profile and side-by-side rule comparison with other firms, see the DNA Funded directory page. For a standalone review of DNA Funded's challenge structure, rules, and what to verify before purchasing, see DNA Funded review 2026.
Ready to start a Velotrade challenge? View challenge options and pricing
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.
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About the author

Vittorio De Angelis
Executive Chairman
Former equity-derivatives trader at JP Morgan, Dresdner Kleinwort and Bank of America in London. Later Head of Brokerage at a global broker in Hong Kong.
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