City Traders Imperium (CTI) Rules: Complete Guide for 2026

City Traders Imperium (CTI) is a UK-based prop firm that has built a strong reputation for transparency and trader education. Unlike many prop firms that simply offer a challenge and a funded account, CTI pairs their evaluation programs with educational resources and mentoring. Their scaling plan goes up to $2,000,000, making it an attractive option for serious traders looking to build a long-term career in prop trading.

City Traders Imperium Overview

City Traders Imperium offers multiple evaluation programs: a Standard evaluation (two-phase), a one-step Direct Funding program, and a Classic challenge. The firm supports forex, indices, gold, and oil trading through MetaTrader 5. CTI has been operating since 2018 and emphasizes a mentorship approach — many of their programs include access to educational content and community support.

Profit splits start at 70% on the Standard program and scale up to 100% as traders progress through milestones. The Direct Funding program offers an immediate funded account with profit splits starting at 60%, scaling higher with consistency. CTI is also FCA-registered, which adds a layer of regulatory credibility that many offshore prop firms lack.

City Traders Imperium Rules at a Glance

• Daily Drawdown: 4% for Standard evaluation, 3% for Direct Funding accounts
• Maximum Overall Loss: 10% for Standard evaluation (from initial balance), 5% for Direct Funding
• Phase 1 Profit Target (Standard): 8%
• Phase 2 Profit Target (Standard): 5%
• Direct Funding: No evaluation required — start trading a funded account immediately with tighter rules
• Minimum Trading Days: Varies by program — typically 5 days for Standard evaluation phases
• Leverage: Up to 1:33 on forex — lower than average, but CTI encourages conservative risk management
• Scaling: Account scales up to $2,000,000 with profit splits reaching 100%
• Prohibited: Martingale strategies, grid trading without stop losses, account management services

Account Sizes & Pricing

CTI offers accounts ranging from $2,500 to $80,000 on the Standard evaluation, with scaling potential far beyond the starting size.

Program	Account Size	Approximate Fee	Max Drawdown	Profit Split (Start)
Standard	$2,500	$39	10%	70%
Standard	$5,000	$59	10%	70%
Standard	$10,000	$109	10%	70%
Standard	$20,000	$189	10%	70%
Standard	$40,000	$329	10%	70%
Standard	$80,000	$529	10%	70%
Direct Funding	$20,000	$449	5%	60%
Direct Funding	$40,000	$849	5%	60%

Pricing is approximate. CTI updates pricing periodically — always verify on the City Traders Imperium website.

How to Pass City Traders Imperium

1. Adjust to the lower leverage. At 1:33, you have roughly one-third the leverage of firms offering 1:100. This is by design — CTI wants traders who can profit without relying on excessive leverage. Size your positions based on the pip value and your dollar risk, not the maximum lot size the leverage allows.
2. Watch the 4% daily drawdown closely. CTI's 4% daily limit is tighter than the 5% offered by FTMO and similar firms. That 1% difference matters — it is the equivalent of one extra bad trade that you cannot afford to take.
3. Take advantage of the educational resources. CTI provides mentoring and educational content as part of many programs. Use it. Understanding what the firm values (consistency, risk management, patience) gives you an edge in how you approach the evaluation.
4. Plan for long-term scaling. CTI's real value is in the scaling plan. Starting at $10,000 with a 70% split may not seem exciting, but scaling to $500,000+ with a 90-100% split is a career-changing opportunity. Trade with the long game in mind.
5. Avoid prohibited strategies. Martingale and grid trading without stops will get you disqualified immediately. If your strategy involves adding to losing positions, make sure every position has a defined stop loss and does not resemble a martingale pattern.

Common Failures

• Overexposure due to unfamiliar leverage limits. Traders accustomed to 1:100 leverage often open positions that feel small at 1:33, then add more trades to compensate. This creates correlated overexposure that can breach the 4% daily limit on a single adverse move.
• Failing the daily drawdown by holding overnight. A trader enters a position late in the London session that is -2% floating. Overnight, the Asian session pushes it to -4.2%. By the time they check in the morning, the daily drawdown is breached.
• Confusing Standard and Direct Funding rules. The 10% max drawdown on Standard versus 5% on Direct Funding is a massive difference. Traders who switch between programs sometimes apply the wrong limits.
• Trading too many instruments. CTI supports forex, indices, gold, and oil. Traders who spread across all categories often find themselves managing too many correlated positions. Focus on 2-3 instruments maximum.

Track Your Challenge with TradeLens

CTI's MT5 platform integrates seamlessly with TradeLens via the EA Bridge. Track your daily and overall drawdown against CTI's specific limits, monitor your profit progress, and use the Discipline Score to ensure your trading behavior aligns with what CTI rewards: consistency, conservative risk management, and patience.

Get your free Discipline Score to see if your discipline matches CTI's strict requirements.

Is City Traders Imperium regulated?

CTI is registered with the UK's FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) as an appointed representative. While this does not make them a fully regulated broker, it provides a level of oversight and credibility that many offshore prop firms do not have. This registration means they must adhere to certain conduct standards in how they operate.

How does the CTI scaling plan work?

After receiving your funded account, CTI scales your balance at defined profit milestones. Each time you hit the milestone (typically 10% profit), your account size increases and your profit split percentage can also increase. The maximum account size is $2,000,000 with profit splits that can reach 100% at the highest tiers. Each scaling level requires sustained profitability and clean rule compliance.

Can I use EAs with City Traders Imperium?

Yes, EAs are generally allowed on CTI accounts. However, strategies that function as martingale systems, grid traders without stop losses, or latency arbitrage bots are explicitly prohibited. Your EA must comply with all standard risk management rules including daily drawdown and maximum loss limits. If in doubt, contact CTI support before running your EA on an evaluation account.