Scalping — Taking many short-duration trades for small gains, which some firms restrict through minimum hold times or trade-duration reviews.
How scalping works in prop trading
Scalping is permitted at most futures prop firms and restricted at a meaningful minority. Where restrictions exist they usually take the form of a minimum hold time — trades under a threshold such as 10 or 30 seconds may be excluded from the profit calculation — or a review of whether a large share of profit came from very short holds.
The underlying concern is execution rather than the style itself. On a simulated funded account, extremely short holds can capture fills a live market would not have given, so firms filter for it. If you scalp, confirm three things: whether a minimum hold time applies, whether it applies at evaluation or only at payout, and whether the firm's data feed and platform are fast enough for the approach at all.
Key points
- Permitted at most futures firms; restrictions are usually a minimum hold time rather than a ban.
- Restrictions often apply at the payout review rather than being blocked live.
- Round-turn commissions matter far more to a scalper than the profit split does.
- Fill quality on a simulated funded account can differ from the evaluation environment.
Also known as
- scalp trading
- scalping rule
- minimum hold time
Frequently asked questions
Do prop firms allow scalping?
Most futures firms do. Some apply a minimum hold time, commonly measured in seconds, below which trades may not count toward profit. The rule is usually in the prohibited-strategies section rather than the headline features.
What is the best prop firm for scalping?
For a scalper the deciding factors are round-turn commission, whether a minimum hold time applies, and whether the drawdown is measured intraday. Low commissions matter more than a high profit split when trade count is high.
Put this into practice
Scalping is described here as a plain-language educational definition. Firms, platforms, and account programs may apply different conditions or calculations. Verify the current official terms before using this definition to make an account decision.