Humble Futures Funding is still operating and accepting new evaluations, but it appears on the Do Not Trade list due to documented payout denial complaints from funded traders. The firm offers three account paths — Standard (1-step + activation fee), Express (1-step, no activation fee), and Instant Funding (straight to funded) — across multiple account sizes with 90% profit split and EOD trailing drawdown. The rules themselves are competitive, but the payout reliability issues make this firm a risk for traders who successfully pass their evaluations.

The core concern with Humble Funding is that traders who have passed evaluations and met all payout eligibility requirements have reported difficulty receiving their withdrawals. Payouts are processed via Rise or ACH/WIRE and are supposed to be available after 5 trading days on funded accounts. The 30% consistency rule on performance accounts (20% on Instant path) and the 14-day activation window after passing add additional friction. Standard Path accounts require an activation fee before moving to the funded stage — traders who pay this fee and then experience payout denials have reported being left without recourse.

Until Humble Futures Funding demonstrates consistent and reliable payout processing, we recommend against opening a new account. If you are an existing trader experiencing payout issues, document all communications, screenshot your dashboard showing eligible profits, and submit a formal request to support@humblefunding.co. If there is no resolution, consider filing a chargeback for recent payments and exploring alternatives. The firm does have a path to live capital via Edge Clear and uses ONYX TradingView platform — the infrastructure is legitimate — but the payout execution concerns are serious enough to warrant caution.

HyperTicks is still operating and accepting new evaluations, but it appears on the Do Not Trade list due to a combination of rules that create significant payout risk for traders who follow normal trading practices. The four red flags that define the concern: a micro-scalping minimum hold time rule, a 20-minute news blackout window (both before and after releases), a hard daily loss limit that breaches immediately with no soft pause, and a requirement that your single largest winning trade must exceed your single largest losing trade across the account.

The 20-minute news window is the most immediately impactful rule. Most prop firms restrict trading 2–5 minutes around high-impact news. HyperTicks’ 20-minute window on both sides means that for events like FOMC, NFP, or CPI — which often occur at 8:30 AM or 2:00 PM ET — over 40 minutes of prime trading time is completely off-limits. Combined with the hard daily loss limit (no soft pause, immediate breach), a single bad session with no recovery window is a real risk. The micro-scalping rule adds further complexity — even technically profitable trades can be invalidated if positions are closed in a timeframe the firm deems too fast.

The largest win must exceed largest loss rule is perhaps the most unusual. It means a trader can be net profitable across dozens of trades, but if one stop-out was slightly larger than the biggest winning trade, the entire payout cycle could be rejected. This creates a scenario where following good risk management — cutting losses quickly — can actually hurt your payout eligibility. Until HyperTicks publicly revises or removes these rules, we recommend traders avoid this firm and choose an alternative with cleaner, more transparent payout criteria.

Apex Trader Funding was once one of the most recommended futures prop firms in the industry. The firm built its reputation on accessible evaluations and heavy discounting. Today, it carries a substantial and well-documented record of payout denials — traders who followed the rules and passed evaluations have reported being denied their earned profits, often without clear or consistent explanation.

What distinguishes Apex from the other firms on this list is that it is still operating and some traders are paid. The concern is consistency — a firm that pays some traders while denying others using retroactive or inconsistently applied rules creates an unpredictable environment. When the outcome of a payout depends on factors outside the stated rules, that is a problem we take seriously.

We have moved Apex Trader Funding to our Do Not Recommend list after weighing the volume and nature of trader complaints against the firm’s continued operation. If you are already trading with Apex, document everything and review your account rules carefully before requesting a payout. If you are considering a new account, we recommend exploring the alternatives on our Best Futures Prop Firms list.

LeseUp has received serious complaints from traders across multiple communities. Unlike firms where isolated incidents can be attributed to individual circumstances, the pattern here is consistent and concerning — profitable traders being denied payouts, accounts being restricted without justification, and rules being applied in ways that almost always benefit the firm over the trader.

The reason LeseUp ranks more strongly as a firm to avoid than even Apex Trader Funding is the severity and consistency of the reported issues. With Apex, some traders are paid and the situation has nuance. With LeseUp, the trader community feedback is more uniformly negative and the pattern of behavior is harder to explain away as isolated incidents or misunderstandings.

We recommend avoiding LeseUp entirely. If you are considering opening an account, look at our Best Futures Prop Firms list instead — there are many firms with strong payout track records and genuine trader-first policies. If you currently hold a LeseUp account with pending payouts, document every trade meticulously and be prepared to escalate through your payment provider if necessary.

Funding Ticks shut down without providing traders adequate notice or resolution for outstanding payouts. Traders who had funded accounts found themselves locked out with no recourse through the firm. This is one of the most serious failures a prop firm can commit — collecting fees and then ceasing operations.

There is no scenario in which we recommend sending money to a firm that has ceased operations. If you encounter promotional material for Funding Ticks online, be aware it may be outdated content. Do not fund any account associated with this firm.

If you hold an account with Funding Ticks and have outstanding funds, your options are: (1) contact your credit card company or payment processor to dispute the charge, (2) report the firm to the relevant financial regulator in your country, (3) connect with other affected traders in trading communities on Reddit or Discord who may be coordinating responses.

TX3 Funding Futures has shut down its futures prop trading program. As of now, the platform operates exclusively as a Forex prop firm. Futures traders who held accounts or were mid-evaluation lost access to the program with no clear reinstatement date provided. This type of abrupt program closure — without adequate notice — is a serious concern for any trader considering the platform.

The futures program was marketed as a 2-phase evaluation (Starter and Pro plans) on MT5, offering a 100% profit split on the first $10K then 90/10 after. The abrupt discontinuation without transition support or refund clarity is the primary reason TX3 Funding Futures appears on this list. Traders who purchased evaluations expecting futures access were left without a clear path forward.

Until TX3 Funding relaunches its futures program with a clear, stable commitment, we recommend traders avoid this firm for futures trading. If you are looking for a Forex prop firm, TX3 may still be relevant — but for futures, look elsewhere. Firms that discontinue programs without warning represent an unacceptable operational risk for traders who depend on account continuity.

NexGen Futures Trader shut down without providing traders adequate notice or resolution for outstanding payouts. Traders who had funded accounts found themselves locked out with no recourse through the firm. This is one of the most serious failures a prop firm can commit — collecting fees and then ceasing operations.

There is no scenario in which we recommend sending money to a firm that has ceased operations. If you encounter promotional material for NexGen Futures Trader online, be aware it may be outdated content. Do not fund any account associated with this firm.

If you hold an account with NexGen Futures Trader and have outstanding funds, your options are: (1) contact your credit card company or payment processor to dispute the charge, (2) report the firm to the relevant financial regulator in your country, (3) connect with other affected traders in trading communities on Reddit or Discord who may be coordinating responses.

Tick Tick Trader shut down without providing traders adequate notice or resolution for outstanding payouts. Traders who had funded accounts found themselves locked out with no recourse through the firm. This is one of the most serious failures a prop firm can commit — collecting fees and then ceasing operations.

There is no scenario in which we recommend sending money to a firm that has ceased operations. If you encounter promotional material for Tick Tick Trader online, be aware it may be outdated content. Do not fund any account associated with this firm.

If you hold an account with Tick Tick Trader and have outstanding funds, your options are: (1) contact your credit card company or payment processor to dispute the charge, (2) report the firm to the relevant financial regulator in your country, (3) connect with other affected traders in trading communities on Reddit or Discord who may be coordinating responses.

Trade Shield has ceased operations. The platform is no longer accessible and the firm has shut down its futures prop trading program entirely. Traders who held evaluation or funded accounts no longer have access to their accounts, and no payout processing is occurring. This is a full business closure, not a temporary pause.

Trade Shield was marketed as a straightforward futures prop firm with 100% static drawdown and daily payouts. Despite these promises, the firm has shut down without providing a clear transition plan, refund policy, or communication to affected traders. Traders who paid evaluation fees or were mid-funded-account cycle are left without recourse.

Do not send money to Trade Shield or attempt to open an account. The firm is out of business. If you are an existing trader who held funds or a funded account, we recommend documenting all transaction records and contacting your payment provider about potential chargebacks for recent payments. Look for an established, active prop firm as an alternative.