A qualifying trading day is used to measure two things: the minimum trading days required to pass your evaluation (2 days), and the minimum trading days required before your first funded account payout (5 days). Not every day you trade automatically qualifies — three specific conditions must all be met.
The three conditions
A trading day qualifies when all three of the following are true on the UTC day the position closes (00:00–23:59 UTC):
- At least one position is closed on that day (opened any time prior)
- The position's notional value is at least 5% of your initial account balance
- The position is held open for at least 1 minute
All three conditions must be met by a single position. You cannot combine two trades to satisfy the rule.
What is notional value?
Notional value is the total size of your position in dollar terms, after leverage is applied.
Notional value = position size × entry price
Example: You open a 0.1 BTC long position at $60,000. Notional value = 0.1 × $60,000 = $6,000.
The 5% minimum notional value by account size:
| Account | Balance | Minimum notional value (5%) |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $5,000 | $250 |
| Rising | $10,000 | $500 |
| Professional | $25,000 | $1,250 |
| Expert | $50,000 | $2,500 |
| Master | $100,000 | $5,000 |
Overnight positions — what day do they count toward?
The day a position closes is the day that counts. It does not matter when you opened it.
Example: You open a BTC long on Monday at 22:00 UTC and close it Tuesday at 08:00 UTC. Tuesday is the qualifying day, as long as the notional value is at least 5% of your starting balance and the position was held open for at least 1 minute.
This also means you cannot earn a qualifying day on the day you opened a position if you are still holding it. The day only counts when you close.
What counts and what does not
| Scenario | Qualifies? |
|---|---|
| Position closed on that UTC day, notional ≥ 5%, held ≥ 1 min (opened any day) | Yes |
| Position closed on that UTC day, notional ≥ 5%, held 45 seconds | No — under 1 minute |
| Position closed on that UTC day, notional below 5% | No — too small |
| Position still open at end of UTC day | No — must be closed to count |
| Multiple small trades, none individually meeting 5% notional | No — conditions apply per position, not combined |
| Non-qualifying trade that generates profit | Profit counts toward target, day does not qualify |
When does the UTC day reset?
The UTC calendar day runs from 00:00 to 23:59 UTC. The daily loss limit also resets at 00:00 UTC, consistent with the qualifying day definition.
Does every trade need to qualify?
No. You only need one qualifying position per day for that day to count. You can place as many other trades as you want — they still contribute to your profit target even if they do not individually meet the qualifying conditions.
Why does this rule exist?
The qualifying trading day rule ensures that each counted day reflects genuine market exposure — not micro-trades opened and closed in seconds to satisfy a day count requirement. It is a quality standard, not a trap. Trading real size and holding real positions for a meaningful duration is what counts.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to qualify every single day I trade? No. You only need 2 qualifying days to pass the evaluation, and 5 qualifying days before your first funded account payout. Days where you trade but do not meet the criteria still count toward your profit — they just do not count toward the day requirement.
- Does profit from non-qualifying trades count toward my profit target? Yes. Every trade contributes to your profit target regardless of whether it qualifies as a trading day.
- I opened a position on one day and closed it the next — which day counts? The day you close it. As long as the position meets the notional value and 1-minute hold requirements, the closing day is your qualifying day. The open timestamp can be on any previous day.
- Does the 1-minute rule apply to the entire trade or just part of it? The entire position must be held open for at least 1 minute from open timestamp to close timestamp.
- Can I use multiple small positions to meet the 5% notional requirement? No. The 5% notional requirement applies to a single position. You cannot combine multiple smaller trades to reach the threshold.
- Does the qualifying day rule apply to both evaluations and funded accounts? Yes. The exact same definition applies to both phases. The only difference is the number of qualifying days required — 2 for the evaluation, 5 for the first funded account payout.
- What counts as the notional value for leveraged positions? Notional value is calculated after leverage is applied. It is the full position size in dollar terms, not the margin used to open it.
