forex-scalping.com

Futures prop firms and forex/CFD prop firms target similar traders but differ in structure:

• Market: futures firms route to a regulated exchange (CME), CFD firms usually trade against a broker or a simulated feed.
• Drawdown: futures firms commonly use end-of-day or intraday trailing drawdown, CFD firms more often static.
• Costs: futures have exchange and clearing fees per contract, plus data fees; CFD costs are in spread and commission.
• Products: 6E (euro futures) vs EURUSD spot. The tick value and session hours are not identical.
• News: futures firms are often more relaxed on news, but slippage around releases on micro contracts can be large.

For an FX scalper, the main question is whether currency futures liquidity at your trading time matches spot. Outside of the US session, 6E and especially 6B or 6A can be thin.

Has anyone moved from CFD prop to futures prop, and what surprised you most?

I tested a futures prop eval for two weeks mainly to compare 6E behaviour with EURUSD spot at my London hours. Outside the US overlap the micro contract felt thin enough that a 4 pip scalp target was unrealistic after fees.

Trailing intraday drawdown was the rule shock. Static CFD floors let me recover inside the day; the futures trailing floor turned a green morning into a tighter leash by lunch.

Costs landed differently too. Exchange and data fees were predictable, but one busy CPI minute on the micro contract slipped more than my usual CFD stop slip on the same idea.

I stayed on CFD prop for pure FX scalps and kept futures ideas on a small personal account. Session liquidity at 08:00 London was the decider, not the marketing comparison.

Has anyone found 6B or 6A liquid enough for London only scalping, or do you treat those as US session products only? I treat them as US session only for now.