Earn2Trade Review (2026) – I Blew My Gauntlet Mini on Day Four
Last updated: August 2026
I blew my Earn2Trade Gauntlet Mini 50K evaluation on day four. Not because of a bad trading strategy. Not because the market moved against me badly. I forgot about the daily loss limit and hit it trading NQ and MNQ. Account failed. Hard breach. No coming back from it without a reset.
That one mistake is the most important thing any trader needs to understand about Earn2Trade before they start. This review breaks down exactly what happened, how the rules work, and the one rule that changes everything.
Watch My Earn2Trade Videos First
I made two videos about Earn2Trade from my real experience. Watch these before you read the rest of the review – they cover the rules and setup in detail.
Earn2Trade Gauntlet Mini Explained (One Rule Changes Everything)
Earn2Trade Rithmic Setup (Step by Step + Live Trade)
What Is Earn2Trade?
Earn2Trade is one of the most established futures prop firms in the market, founded in 2016. Unlike newer firms in the futures prop firm space, Earn2Trade has nearly a decade of operational history and a strong educational focus alongside their evaluation programs.
They offer two evaluation paths:
- Gauntlet Mini – the direct route to funding. Pass the evaluation and get funded at the same account size. No growth plan but more account size options.
- Trader Career Path (TCP) – the slower, educational route. Start smaller and scale up to $400K through a structured progression ladder.
I took the Gauntlet Mini 50K. This review focuses on that plan.
One critical thing to understand about Earn2Trade before anything else: they are futures only. No forex, no stocks, no crypto (Bitcoin futures don’t count toward passing). You trade CME Group futures only – ES, NQ, MNQ, MES and similar instruments.
Earn2Trade Gauntlet Mini 50K Rules at a Glance
Before diving in, make sure you understand how futures prop firm rules work in general – especially the difference between EOD drawdown and daily loss limits – because Earn2Trade has both and they work differently.
| Rule | GAU50 ($50K) | GAU100 ($100K) | GAU150 ($150K) | GAU200 ($200K) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profit Target | $3,000 | $6,000 | $9,000 | $11,000 |
| EOD Trailing Drawdown | $2,000 | $3,500 | $4,500 | $6,000 |
| Daily Loss Limit | $1,100 | $2,200 | $3,300 | $4,400 |
| Consistency Rule | 30% | 30% | 30% | 30% |
| Minimum Trading Days | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| Max Contracts | Up to 6 | Up to 12 | Up to 15 | Up to 16 |
| Subscription Model | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly | Monthly |
| Profit Split (Funded) | 80/20 | 80/20 | 80/20 | 80/20 |
Note: Always verify current rules and pricing on the Earn2Trade official help center before trading.
The One Rule That Changes Everything – The Daily Loss Limit
This is what blew my account on day four and it is the most important thing to understand about Earn2Trade.
Most EOD drawdown firms I trade – like Take Profit Trader and Lucid Trading – have removed their daily loss limit completely. You just manage the EOD trailing drawdown and the consistency rule. One bad session doesn’t end your evaluation.
Earn2Trade still has a hard daily loss limit. On the 50K Gauntlet Mini that limit is $1,100. If you lose $1,100 in a single trading day – including on open unrealised positions – your evaluation is immediately failed. No soft breach. No pausing for the day and coming back tomorrow. It is over and you need to purchase a reset.
I was trading NQ and MNQ on day four. I had been profitable in the eval up to that point. I got into a position that moved against me, I held it thinking it would recover, and before I could manage it properly I had crossed the $1,100 daily loss limit. Account failed instantly.
Coming from firms where the DLL has been removed, I had mentally treated Earn2Trade the same way. That was my mistake. This is one of the most common mistakes traders make – assuming all firms have the same rules.
How the EOD Drawdown Works on Earn2Trade
The EOD trailing drawdown on Earn2Trade works differently from intraday trailing drawdown but there is an important detail many traders miss.
The drawdown floor only moves at the end of each trading day based on your closing balance. So intraday equity swings do not move the floor – good news for hold-style traders.
However – breaches are tracked in real time. If your balance drops below the EOD drawdown floor at any point during the day, even on an open unrealised position, your account is breached immediately. You do not get to wait until end of day.
On the 50K Gauntlet Mini:
- Starting balance: $50,000
- Starting EOD drawdown floor: $48,000 ($2,000 below starting balance)
- The floor moves up each night based on your closing balance
- Once the floor reaches $50,000 (starting balance) it locks and stops trailing
- If your balance drops below the floor at any point intraday – account breached
This means you have two separate limits to manage every single day – the EOD drawdown floor AND the $1,100 daily loss limit. Hitting either one breaches your evaluation.
The 30% Consistency Rule
Earn2Trade has one of the strictest consistency rules in the futures prop firm space. No single trading day can account for 30% or more of your total profits during the evaluation.
On the 50K with a $3,000 profit target:
- Maximum any single day can contribute: less than 30% of total profits at time of passing
- Example: if you make $3,000 total, no single day can account for $900 or more
- Having a big day does not fail the evaluation – you just need to keep trading until that day drops below 30% of total profit
Compare this to Take Profit Trader at 50% or Top One Futures at 40% – Earn2Trade’s 30% is significantly stricter. The good news is the consistency rule is removed completely once you are funded.
I use my futures trading journal to track daily profit distribution so I never accidentally breach the consistency rule. If you are trading Earn2Trade, tracking this daily is essential.
The 10 Day Minimum – Important for Planning
Earn2Trade requires a minimum of 10 trading days before you can pass the evaluation. This is longer than most firms – Lucid Trading has no minimum, TPT requires 5 days, Topstep can be passed in 2 days.
Combined with the 30% consistency rule this means you need to be patient and methodical. You cannot rush the Earn2Trade evaluation. This is by design – they want to see consistent performance over time, not one or two lucky days. Read my guide on how to pass a futures prop firm evaluation for the mindset and approach that works.
Critical Warning – No Copy Trading Allowed
This is a major difference between Earn2Trade and most other firms I review here.
Copy trading is completely banned on Earn2Trade – on evaluations, LiveSim accounts, and Live accounts. If you use a trade copier to pass multiple evaluations, you will only receive one funded account and will not receive a refund on the others.
If you currently run trade copiers across multiple prop firm accounts, Earn2Trade cannot be included in that setup. This is a hard rule with serious consequences including permanent account closure.
Firms like Lucid Trading, Take Profit Trader, and Top One Futures all allow trade copiers. Earn2Trade does not. Factor this into your decision.
Earn2Trade Rithmic Platform Setup
Earn2Trade uses Rithmic as their data feed provider during evaluations. Supported platforms are NinjaTrader, Tradovate, and Finamark. I made a full step-by-step setup video for the Rithmic connection including a live trade.
The setup is straightforward but there is one thing to be careful about – low liquidity contracts on Rithmic calculate open equity using Bid/Ask prices which can cause large unexpected balance swings. Earn2Trade will not reverse these. Stick to liquid instruments like NQ, ES, MNQ and MES.
Earn2Trade Funded Account and Payouts
Once you pass the Gauntlet Mini evaluation, Earn2Trade forwards your results to their prop firm partner who reaches out with a funding offer. You then choose between:
- LiveSim account – uses EOD trailing drawdown, available at step one only
- Live account – uses real-time trailing drawdown that moves with your equity throughout the day. Once you choose Live you cannot switch back to LiveSim.
Key payout details:
- Profit split: 80/20 – you keep 80%, firm takes 20%
- Withdrawals processed weekly on Wednesdays
- Request must be emailed by 2:00 PM Friday before
- Minimum net withdrawal: $100 after firm’s 20% share and fees
- LiveSim maximum withdrawal: $4,000 (you need $5,000 in profit to withdraw the full amount)
- Must trade at least once every 5 consecutive trading days or account is terminated
- Consistency rule removed on funded accounts
The 80/20 split is lower than most firms I review – Lucid, Top One Futures, and Topstep all offer 90/10 or better. Factor this in when comparing total earnings potential.
Earn2Trade Pros and Cons
Pros
- Nearly a decade of operational history – one of the most established firms in the space
- EOD trailing drawdown during evaluation – intraday swings don’t move the floor
- Strong educational component – free video library and study guides included
- Subscription model with free monthly reset on Trader Career Path
- Consistency rule removed completely on funded accounts
- Trader Career Path scales to $400K – one of the highest scaling paths available
- Transparent pass rates published publicly
Cons
- Hard daily loss limit – $1,100 on 50K, hitting it fails the evaluation instantly with no soft breach
- 30% consistency rule is one of the strictest in the industry
- 10 minimum trading days – longer than most competitors
- 80/20 profit split – lower than most firms which offer 90/10
- No copy trading allowed on any account type – big limitation for multi-account traders
- Monthly subscription model – costs accumulate if you take multiple attempts
- Gauntlet Mini resets must be purchased separately – no free reset
- Weekly payouts only – no daily payouts like Top One Futures or TPT
Earn2Trade vs Other Firms
- Take Profit Trader – EOD drawdown, DLL removed, 50% consistency, 5 day minimum, daily payouts, 90/10 split, copy trading allowed
- Lucid Trading – one-time fee, EOD drawdown, no consistency rule in eval, copy trading allowed, 90/10 split
- Topstep – monthly subscription, EOD drawdown, DLL removed, 50% consistency, 90/10 split, $149 activation fee
- TradeDay – intraday or EOD option, no activation fee, daily payouts, copy trading allowed
- Top One Futures – EOD drawdown, soft DLL breach, 40% consistency, daily payouts, 90/10 split, copy trading allowed
For a full breakdown of how these firms compare on rules, read my guide on futures prop firm rules explained.
FAQ
Does Earn2Trade have a daily loss limit?
Yes – and it is a hard breach. On the 50K Gauntlet Mini the daily loss limit is $1,100. If you hit it at any point during the trading day, including on unrealised open positions, your evaluation is immediately failed. This is different from firms like Top One Futures where the DLL is a soft breach that only pauses your account for the day.
Can I use a trade copier on Earn2Trade?
No. Copy trading is completely banned on all Earn2Trade accounts including evaluations, LiveSim and Live funded accounts. If you rely on trade copiers for your prop firm strategy, Earn2Trade is not compatible with that approach.
What drawdown type does Earn2Trade use?
EOD trailing drawdown during evaluations and LiveSim funded accounts. The floor only moves at end of day based on closing balance, but breaches are tracked in real time throughout the day. Live funded accounts use real-time trailing drawdown. Read my full guide on EOD vs trailing drawdown for a clear explanation of the difference.
How long does it take to pass the Earn2Trade Gauntlet Mini?
Minimum 10 trading days. Combined with the 30% consistency rule you need patience and steady performance across multiple sessions. You cannot rush this evaluation.
What is the profit split on Earn2Trade?
80/20 – you keep 80% and the firm takes 20%. This is lower than most competitors which offer 90/10. Withdrawals are processed weekly on Wednesdays.
Want to Try Earn2Trade?
If you want to try Earn2Trade after reading this, use my affiliate link or discount code below. It supports this site at no extra cost to you.
Start Your Earn2Trade Evaluation
Or use code ITS at checkout for a discount.
Affiliate disclosure: If you sign up through my link or use my code, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend firms I have personally traded with. See my full affiliate disclosure.
Sources: Earn2Trade official help center. Rules change – always double-check the provider’s help center before trading.
More Prop Firm Reviews and Resources
- Take Profit Trader Review (2026 Updated) – EOD drawdown, no DLL, daily payouts
- Lucid Trading Review (2026 Updated) – one-time fee, EOD drawdown, LucidDaily plan with daily payouts
- Topstep Review (2026 Updated) – established firm, monthly subscription, 100% on first $10K
- TradeDay Review (2026 Updated) – intraday and EOD options, no activation fee, daily payouts
- Top One Futures Review (2026 Updated) – EOD drawdown, soft DLL, daily payouts from day one
- Futures Prop Firm Rules Explained – drawdowns, consistency rules, payouts explained simply
- How to Pass a Futures Prop Firm Evaluation – my step-by-step approach
- Free Futures Trading Journal Template – the journal I use to track every eval
- About It’s Trading Star – my trading background and how I use prop firms
