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After a deliberate step back from the prop trading space, Eightcap has returned with a new focus and a bold product to cut through the space: Day Trader Challenges. Designed for traders who prefer high-focus, short-term sessions over long evaluation periods, these challenges aim to make trading challenges more transparent, flexible and skill-based. We spoke with Adam Bock, Head of Eightcap Tradesim, about what prompted the company’s return, the thinking behind its new model, and how he sees the future of prop trading evolving.

Eightcap recently re-entered the prop trading space. What prompted the return — and why now?

Adam Bock: For four years, Eightcap helped build, shape and support the growth of the modern prop and funded-trader industry. From 2021 to 2024, we sat behind a large share of the ecosystem, powering over 300,000 funded trading challenges across 40 prop and education brands worldwide, and providing the brokerage infrastructure, pricing, execution and risk systems their traders relied on every day.

When we decided to step back from the prop trading market, it was because we felt the industry had lost its way. There was too much noise, too much focus on unrealistic marketing and “get rich quick” promises, and not enough emphasis on genuine trading education and skill development.

At Eightcap, we’ve evolved from powering the trading industry behind the scenes to directly engaging with traders through innovative challenges. By listening to trader feedback and learning from their experiences, we’ve crafted a new form of challenges that truly resonate with traders’ needs.

The market didn’t need another generic offering; it needed something fresh and impactful. That’s where our Day Trader Challenges come in: a high-intensity, intra-day trading experience tailored for today’s active traders. It’s a concise, focused way for skilled traders to showcase their expertise and rise to the challenge.

Can you explain what the Day Trader Challenges are — and how they differ from standard prop challenges?

Adam Bock: Day Trader Challenges have been created to prioritise flexibility and choice for traders. Traders can choose from 1-hr, 2-hr, 4-hr and 8-hr challenges, a market first. They will also be able to choose how much to stake and what reward multiplier they want to aim for. Everything adjusts dynamically. Shorter timeframes and higher multipliers make the challenge tougher, while longer sessions and lower multipliers balance it out. Traditional prop challenges can take weeks to complete while being paired with strict rules and drawn-out evaluation periods. With us, traders get a simulated environment that’s fair, fast and built entirely around their strategy and schedule.

Why focus on short, high-intensity trading sessions rather than longer evaluation models?

Adam Bock: That’s how real traders operate. Most day traders don’t want to wait weeks to see results; they’re instead focused on specific sessions, moments of volatility, or market opens and closes. We designed this product for them. Completing a challenge in a few hours also delivers immediate feedback, which is critical for learning and improvement.

The prop space has seen its fair share of controversy in recent years. How is Eightcap ensuring this product maintains transparency and credibility?

Adam Bock: That’s one of the key reasons why we relaunched with Day Trader Challenges. There are no hidden fees and no misleading marketing. We wanted to rebuild trust in the prop space by focusing on transparency, so traders know exactly what they’re getting. This is a simulated, educational experience designed to help traders develop and test strategies in real market conditions. Our goal is to make prop challenges fair, skill-based and transparent.

What role does education play in the design of these challenges?

Adam Bock: Education plays a central role in how we designed the Day Trader Challenges. Our goal wasn’t only to create a faster and flexible prop challenge model; it was to build a learning environment where traders can sharpen their skills under realistic market conditions. Short intensity trading challenges teach discipline, risk management and strategy refinement far more effectively than drawn-out evaluations. Every challenge is an opportunity to identify areas that need improvement in trading skills. We have also aligned the structure with how traders actually learn, for example, clear metrics and simple rules, so that traders know what to focus on. The educational component of the challenges is not a by-product but the foundation of what we built on. We're helping traders build their skills that translate directly into long-term trading performance.

Looking ahead, how do you see the prop trading model evolving — and where does Eightcap Tradesim fit in that future?

Over the next few years, we’re going to see the industry move away from the slow, opaque evaluation structures towards models that prioritise speed and clarity. We’re also moving away from traditional methods for risk management and trade strategies, and towards AI-backed technology integration. It is currently used for trading, and going forward, props will be able to scale to meet trader demands. Another major shift will be shorter, skill-based evaluations. Models will reward precision, discipline and strategy over long, repetitive trading cycles, which is exactly the direction our Day Trader Challenges lead.

Source: Finance Magnates