Guidelines
General Rules
The First Law of Trading at IQ Capital: We trade fair and we expect the same in return
Your strategy must reflect real-market behavior and honest execution. Any attempt to manipulate, exploit, or abuse the system violates this core rule and ends the relationship.
Beyond this core principle, IQ Capital maintains a concise set of quantitative limits that act as guard-rails for every trader. Respect them and you stay in the game; ignore them and the account closes fast.
No Minimum Trading Days
WHY?
There are no required minimum trading days. If you hit the profit target and stay within the rules, you can pass the challenge in a single day.
Goal (Profit Target)
WHY?
Shows that you can generate profits sustainably with the given risk.
HOW?
You must reach the set profit target — either as a percentage (e.g., 8%) or an absolute figure (e.g., $8,000 on a $100K account) — while staying within all other rules.
Overnight & Weekend Trading
WHY?
Markets don't sleep — and neither should your strategy. Allowing overnight and weekend trading gives you the freedom to act on opportunities across all time zones and market conditions, without being forced into artificial closing decisions.
HOW?
There are no restrictions on holding positions overnight or over the weekend. Simply leave your trades open — your positions will remain active until you choose to close them.
Hedging
WHY?
Risk management is a core skill of any professional trader. Allowing hedging gives you the tools to protect your positions and navigate volatile market conditions without being penalized for smart risk control.
HOW?
Hedging is only available on a hedging account, not on a netting account. On a hedging account you can hold opposing positions in the same market at any time. On a netting account, opposing positions are automatically combined into a single net position.
Netting
WHY?
In a netting account, your total position per instrument is automatically offset. This gives you a clear view of your actual market exposure and simplifies risk calculation.
HOW?
Opposite positions in the same instrument are automatically combined into a single net position. For example, if you hold 2 NASDAQ contracts long and open 1 NASDAQ contract short, your resulting net position is automatically 1 NASDAQ contract long. Simultaneously holding opposing positions in the same instrument is not possible in a netting account.
Scalping-Rule
WHY?
The Scalping Rule helps prevent conflicts of interest between traders and the firm.
Since we begin replicating successful traders at an early stage, trading strategies must be realistically executable in live market conditions. Strategies that rely primarily on ultra-short holding times or simulated execution advantages are often not replicable in a live environment.
HOW?
At least 50% of all trades must be held for longer than 15 seconds.
At least 50% of all profits must be generated by trades that were held for longer than 15 seconds.
