Sway Funded pays crypto-only (BTC, ETH, USDT, TRX) with a flat 1.5 percent processing fee inside 24 hours of request. Two gates clear payouts: $10 net realized profit and 4 trading days per cycle. The entry-fee refund credits against the first payout rather than paying cash.
Sway Funded runs a crypto-only payout system on the SF Trader funded account. After passing the evaluation phases and completing KYC, traders receive funded access and can request payouts on a flexible cadence governed by two simple gates: minimum $10 net realized profit and at least 4 trading days inside the cycle. Processing runs through cryptocurrency rails (BTC, ETH, USDT, TRX) with a flat 1.5 percent processing fee and a 24-hour turnaround.
This guide walks through how to request a Sway Funded payout, what gates have to clear, how the fee math works, how the entry-fee refund interacts with the first cycle, and how to avoid the most common payout denials. The cycle counter resets after every payout, so the architecture rewards smaller-frequent withdrawals over single large compounding pulls.
Quick answer: how Sway Funded pays out
Pass the SF Trader funded account requirements ($10 net profit and 4 trading days inside the cycle), request payout through the dashboard, receive crypto inside 24 hours minus the 1.5 percent processing fee. Default profit split is 80 percent to the trader; the 90/10 add-on raises it to 90 percent. The entry-fee refund credits against the first payout rather than paying cash.
The two payout gates
Minimum $10 net realized profit
The cycle profit must be at least $10 after netting losses. Unrealized profit on open positions does not count. A trader with $30 of closed profit and a $25 floating loss has a $5 net cycle profit, which fails the gate. Close positions to realize the profit before requesting payout.
Minimum 4 trading days
A trading day counts if the trader opens and closes at least one position on that calendar day. Four such days must accumulate inside the cycle. Two big sessions are not enough. The rule pushes consistent activity rather than single-spike trading.
| Cycle scenario | Net profit | Trading days | Eligible? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smooth pass | $120 | 6 | Yes |
| High profit, few days | $500 | 2 | No (days fail) |
| Many days, low profit | $8 | 8 | No (profit fails) |
| Bare minimum | $11 | 4 | Yes |
| Losses overwhelm gains | $0 | 5 | No (profit fails) |
Processing and timing
Approved payouts process inside 24 hours from request. Sway Funded uses a single processing window per request rather than a batched daily cycle. Requests filed late evening tend to land the next business day; requests filed mid-day often clear inside 12 hours. The 24-hour ceiling is the policy commitment.
No specific calendar cadence governs payouts. A trader who clears the $10/4-day gates can request immediately; another trader who skips a cycle to compound can request when ready. The flexibility is real but the counter resets, so frequent small payouts produce more reliable cash flow than rare large ones.
Payout methods and the 1.5 percent fee
Crypto is the only payout rail. BTC, ETH, USDT, and TRX are accepted. No bank transfer, no PayPal, no Wise. Traders without a crypto wallet need to set one up before requesting the first payout; KYC requires linking a wallet address to the verified account.
| Crypto | Network | Typical settlement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| BTC | Bitcoin | 20-60 minutes | On-chain confirmation required |
| ETH | Ethereum | 2-10 minutes | Gas fees on top in some setups |
| USDT | TRC-20 or ERC-20 | 2-10 minutes | TRC-20 cheapest network fees |
| TRX | Tron | 1-3 minutes | Cheapest on-chain transfer |
The 1.5 percent processing fee is flat across all four rails. On an $800 withdrawal, the fee is $12 and the trader receives $788. On a $5,000 withdrawal, the fee is $75 and the trader receives $4,925. The fee applies to every payout, including the first cycle after the entry-fee credit.
Entry-fee refund mechanic
Sway Funded does not refund the eval entry fee as cash. Instead, the entry fee (plus any add-on costs) is credited against the first payout reward. The trader's first cycle still processes, but the entry-fee amount is subtracted before the 80/10 or 90/10 split is paid out.
| Scenario | Cycle profit | Split | Entry fee credit | Net first payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard $200 fee, $500 cycle | $500 | 80% = $400 | -$200 | ~$200 minus 1.5% = ~$197 |
| Standard $200 fee, $200 cycle | $200 | 80% = $160 | -$200 | $0 (entire payout absorbed) |
| Standard $200 fee, $1,000 cycle | $1,000 | 90% = $900 | -$200 | ~$700 minus 1.5% = ~$689.50 |
From the second cycle onward, the entry-fee credit is satisfied and payouts process at the full split minus only the 1.5 percent fee. The first-cycle math matters because traders who target a tight first cycle can end up with zero or near-zero cash in hand despite passing the gates.
Profit split: 80/20 default vs 90/10 add-on
Every Sway Funded eval includes the 80/20 split by default. The 90/10 add-on must be purchased before starting the challenge; it cannot be applied retroactively to an active or funded account. The add-on raises the funded-account split for the lifetime of that account.
Is the 90/10 add-on worth it
Math depends on expected cycle volume. On a funded account paying $500 per cycle, 90/10 adds $50 per cycle versus 80/20. Twelve cycles a year is roughly $600 in extra payout. The add-on cost has to come in under that line for the math to work in the trader's favour. For confident traders with documented edge, the add-on usually pays for itself inside year one. For uncertain traders attempting their first eval, the default 80/20 is the lower-risk choice.
KYC: 6-step process at my.swayfunded.com/kyc
KYC is mandatory before the funded account is issued. The process runs at my.swayfunded.com/kyc and takes roughly 5 to 10 minutes if all documents are ready. The 6 steps are device check, country declaration, government ID upload, liveness selfie, proof of address, and phone verification.
- Device check confirms the browser/device fingerprint
- Country declaration must match the residency on the eval purchase
- Government ID upload accepts passport, national ID, or driving license
- Liveness selfie matches the ID photo via automated check
- Proof of address accepts utility bill or bank statement under 3 months old
- Phone verification sends a one-time code to the registered number
Complete KYC at signup rather than waiting for the first payout. A documents-incomplete account at payout request adds 2 to 5 business days while support reviews. In a flexible payout cycle that compounds, the delay matters more than the documentation effort.
Payout denials: why they happen
Gate failures
Most denials come from one of the two payout gates. Under $10 net profit triggers gate failure even if the trader had a strong week. Under 4 trading days triggers gate failure even on a fat profit number. The gates are checked at request time, not at the start of the cycle, so a trader can plan around them.
Rule breaches during the cycle
Any rule breach during the cycle voids the payout regardless of profit. Hard breaches include drawdown limit hits, daily loss limit hits, and prohibited-strategy violations. Soft breaches like consistency warnings may pause the payout pending review.
KYC mismatches
ID country mismatch, expired documents, or selfie-liveness rejection block the payout until KYC clears. The most common cause is uploading an expired ID. Re-upload with a current document to clear the flag.
Restricted countries
Sway Funded operates under sanctions-aligned country restrictions. Traders in restricted jurisdictions cannot fund or receive payouts. The exact list is published on the Sway Funded site and should be verified before purchase. Crypto rails do not bypass country restrictions; KYC matches the declared residency to sanction lists at the documentation stage.
Payout strategy: small-frequent vs large-rare
The cycle counter resets to zero after every payout. A trader can choose between small-frequent withdrawals (request every time the gates clear) or large-rare withdrawals (let cycles compound, request at higher thresholds). The math favours small-frequent for cash flow but large-rare for total dollars compounded inside the account.
| Strategy | Approx cycles/month | Avg per cycle | Monthly take after 1.5% fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Small-frequent | 6 | $200 | ~$1,182 |
| Standard | 3 | $500 | ~$1,477 |
| Large-rare | 1 | $1,500 | ~$1,477 |
Notice that standard and large-rare produce roughly the same take. The compounding advantage of large-rare evaporates once the 1.5 percent fee is applied per cycle. The strategic choice is between cash-flow timing and dollar magnitude per request, not absolute total.
Common mistakes when requesting a Sway Funded payout
- Requesting before 4 trading days are logged
- Forgetting that unrealized profit does not count toward the $10 floor
- Targeting a tight first cycle without realising the entry-fee credit absorbs it
- Skipping KYC at signup and discovering the delay at first payout request
- Sending crypto to the wrong network address (TRC-20 USDT to an ERC-20 wallet)
- Closing the cycle counter accidentally by hitting request twice in succession
Decision matrix for the 90/10 add-on
| Profile | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| First eval attempt, uncertain edge | Skip add-on; 80/20 default is fine |
| Documented edge from another firm | Buy add-on; pays back inside 12 cycles |
| Plans 24 plus cycles per year | Buy add-on regardless of split economics |
| Plans to withdraw small frequent | Buy add-on; fee compounds otherwise |
Comparison to peer crypto-only payout firms
| Firm | Payout rail | Processing | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sway Funded | Crypto only (BTC/ETH/USDT/TRX) | 24 hours | 1.5% |
| HyroTrader | Crypto only | Multiple per week | Variable |
| Tradeify Crypto | Crypto via DXtrade rails | Multiple per week | Verify with firm |
| Crypto Fund Trader | Crypto only | Standard prop cadence | Verify with firm |
Sway's 1.5 percent fee is in line with peer firms in the crypto-only payout space. The 24-hour processing window is competitive but not best-in-class; some peers run multiple processing windows per week. The 4-trading-day gate is friendly compared to firms requiring 5 or more days.
Year-one payout projection
Modelling a representative trader on SF Trader passing the eval and producing 12 cycles of $400 average profit at the 80/20 default split.
| Line | Value |
|---|---|
| Cycle count | 12 |
| Avg profit per cycle | $400 |
| Gross trader split (80%) | $320 per cycle |
| Total gross before fee | $3,840 |
| 1.5% fee total | -$57.60 |
| Entry-fee credit (cycle 1) | -$200 |
| Estimated net year one | ~$3,582 |
Switching to the 90/10 add-on raises the per-cycle take from $320 to $360 for an extra $480 across 12 cycles. The break-even on the add-on sits inside that $480 line; if it costs less than that, the math favours buying.
Wallet setup before the first payout
Setting up a crypto wallet ahead of the first payout request is the single most important operational prep step. KYC links the wallet address to the verified account; mismatches between KYC residency and wallet origin can trigger compliance review. The walking-through process below clears the most common setup blockers.
Picking a wallet
For TRX and USDT TRC-20 (the cheapest rails), TronLink and Trust Wallet are the typical default choices. For BTC, any reputable on-chain wallet works (Electrum, BlueWallet, hardware wallets). For ETH and USDC, MetaMask is the broadest fit. Custodial exchange wallets (Coinbase, Binance) work as destinations but add an extra step to off-ramp to fiat.
Address verification
Send a small test transaction (under $10) to the wallet before linking it to the funded account. A failed test transaction is recoverable; a failed first-payout request is not. The 1.5 percent processing fee applies to test transactions through Sway, but the cost is trivial relative to the protection against address typos.
Trading day mechanics in detail
The 4-trading-day gate is the rule most often misread by new Sway Funded traders. A trading day counts only if the trader opens and closes at least one position on that calendar day. Several edge cases are worth internalising.
- A position opened Tuesday and closed Wednesday counts as one trading day (Wednesday), not two
- A position opened and closed inside the same minute counts as one trading day for that calendar date
- A pending order that fills overnight without manual intervention counts toward the day it fills, not the day the order was placed
- A weekend close on a position opened Friday counts as Friday for trading-day purposes if markets are closed Saturday-Sunday
- A demo trade does not count toward the funded-account trading day total
How the cycle counter behaves
The cycle counter starts at zero when the funded account activates. It increments each trading day that meets the open-and-close criterion. The net profit counter accumulates each cycle. Both reset to zero immediately after a payout request is submitted and approved. A failed payout request (gate not cleared) does not reset the counter; only an approved request does.
This behaviour favours traders who manage the counter explicitly. A trader who is close to the $10 profit floor but only has 3 trading days can wait one more session to satisfy the 4-day gate. A trader with 6 trading days but only $5 of profit can wait for one more winning session to clear the $10 floor. The flexibility is significant; missed payouts are nearly always operator error rather than rule design.
Funded account discipline beyond the gates
Passing the gates is necessary but not sufficient. The funded account also enforces drawdown rules, daily loss limits, and prohibited-strategy rules. Any violation during the cycle voids the payout regardless of profit and trading-day compliance.
Hard breach categories
- Drawdown floor hit (any breach voids account, not just payout)
- Daily loss limit hit (cycle voided, account may be voided)
- Prohibited strategy patterns (arbitrage, latency exploitation, copy trading from another funded account)
- Coordinated trading across multiple Sway accounts
- KYC fraud detected post-funding
Soft warnings
Consistency-related warnings or risk-management flags may pause a payout pending review without voiding the account. The review window is typically 2 to 5 business days. Maintain a clean trade log to expedite the review process; opaque or undocumented activity tends to extend the review timeline.
Tax treatment of Sway payouts
Crypto payouts are taxable income in most jurisdictions. The 1.5 percent fee may be deductible as a business expense. The cycle structure produces multiple taxable events per year (one per payout), each measured at the crypto market value at the moment of receipt. Tax treatment varies significantly by jurisdiction; consult a local tax adviser for specific rules. Maintain a payout log that records date, crypto rail, amount, and market value at receipt for tax reporting.
Comparison to peer crypto-only prop firms
| Firm | Min profit gate | Min days gate | Fee | Processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sway Funded | $10 | 4 days | 1.5% | 24h |
| HyroTrader | Varies | Varies | Variable | Multiple/week |
| Tradeify Crypto | Verify | Verify | Verify | Standard |
| Crypto Fund Trader | Verify | Verify | Verify | Standard |
Sway's $10 profit floor is among the lowest in the crypto prop space. The 4-day gate is in the middle of peer norms (some firms require 5 or 6 days). The 1.5 percent processing fee is competitive but not best-in-class; a few peers run at 1 percent or have fee waivers on certain rails.
Long-term trader habits for Sway
Traders who sustain Sway funded accounts over 6 to 12 months share three habits. First, they front-load qualifying days early in each cycle to remove the day-count constraint and let profit accumulate at its natural pace. Second, they pre-set hard daily loss caps well inside the firm limit, typically half of the drawdown limit, to avoid the cycle-voiding breach scenario. Third, they batch payouts into a consistent rhythm (weekly or bi-weekly) rather than on-demand, which produces predictable cash flow and a clean payout log for tax reporting.
The 24-hour processing window is reliable enough that long-term traders treat it as same-day for cash-flow planning. Mid-week payouts arrive before the following Monday's open; Friday payouts may land Saturday or Sunday depending on rail and time of submission.
Wallet setup before the first payout
Setting up a crypto wallet ahead of the first payout request is the single most important operational prep step. KYC links the wallet address to the verified account; mismatches between KYC residency and wallet origin can trigger compliance review. The walking-through process below clears the most common setup blockers.
Picking a wallet
For TRX and USDT TRC-20 (the cheapest rails), TronLink and Trust Wallet are the typical default choices. For BTC, any reputable on-chain wallet works (Electrum, BlueWallet, hardware wallets). For ETH and USDC, MetaMask is the broadest fit. Custodial exchange wallets (Coinbase, Binance) work as destinations but add an extra step to off-ramp to fiat.
Address verification
Send a small test transaction (under $10) to the wallet before linking it to the funded account. A failed test transaction is recoverable; a failed first-payout request is not. The 1.5 percent processing fee applies to test transactions through Sway, but the cost is trivial relative to the protection against address typos.
Trading day mechanics in detail
The 4-trading-day gate is the rule most often misread by new Sway Funded traders. A trading day counts only if the trader opens and closes at least one position on that calendar day. Several edge cases are worth internalising.
- A position opened Tuesday and closed Wednesday counts as one trading day (Wednesday), not two
- A position opened and closed inside the same minute counts as one trading day for that calendar date
- A pending order that fills overnight without manual intervention counts toward the day it fills, not the day the order was placed
- A weekend close on a position opened Friday counts as Friday for trading-day purposes if markets are closed Saturday-Sunday
- A demo trade does not count toward the funded-account trading day total
How the cycle counter behaves
The cycle counter starts at zero when the funded account activates. It increments each trading day that meets the open-and-close criterion. The net profit counter accumulates each cycle. Both reset to zero immediately after a payout request is submitted and approved. A failed payout request (gate not cleared) does not reset the counter; only an approved request does.
This behaviour favours traders who manage the counter explicitly. A trader who is close to the $10 profit floor but only has 3 trading days can wait one more session to satisfy the 4-day gate. A trader with 6 trading days but only $5 of profit can wait for one more winning session to clear the $10 floor. The flexibility is significant; missed payouts are nearly always operator error rather than rule design.
Funded account discipline beyond the gates
Passing the gates is necessary but not sufficient. The funded account also enforces drawdown rules, daily loss limits, and prohibited-strategy rules. Any violation during the cycle voids the payout regardless of profit and trading-day compliance.
Hard breach categories
- Drawdown floor hit (any breach voids account, not just payout)
- Daily loss limit hit (cycle voided, account may be voided)
- Prohibited strategy patterns (arbitrage, latency exploitation, copy trading from another funded account)
- Coordinated trading across multiple Sway accounts
- KYC fraud detected post-funding
Soft warnings
Consistency-related warnings or risk-management flags may pause a payout pending review without voiding the account. The review window is typically 2 to 5 business days. Maintain a clean trade log to expedite the review process; opaque or undocumented activity tends to extend the review timeline.
Tax treatment of Sway payouts
Crypto payouts are taxable income in most jurisdictions. The 1.5 percent fee may be deductible as a business expense. The cycle structure produces multiple taxable events per year (one per payout), each measured at the crypto market value at the moment of receipt. Tax treatment varies significantly by jurisdiction; consult a local tax adviser for specific rules. Maintain a payout log that records date, crypto rail, amount, and market value at receipt for tax reporting.
Comparison to peer crypto-only prop firms
| Firm | Min profit gate | Min days gate | Fee | Processing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sway Funded | $10 | 4 days | 1.5% | 24h |
| HyroTrader | Varies | Varies | Variable | Multiple/week |
| Tradeify Crypto | Verify | Verify | Verify | Standard |
| Crypto Fund Trader | Verify | Verify | Verify | Standard |
Sway's $10 profit floor is among the lowest in the crypto prop space. The 4-day gate is in the middle of peer norms (some firms require 5 or 6 days). The 1.5 percent processing fee is competitive but not best-in-class; a few peers run at 1 percent or have fee waivers on certain rails.
Long-term trader habits for Sway
Traders who sustain Sway funded accounts over 6 to 12 months share three habits. First, they front-load qualifying days early in each cycle to remove the day-count constraint and let profit accumulate at its natural pace. Second, they pre-set hard daily loss caps well inside the firm limit, typically half of the drawdown limit, to avoid the cycle-voiding breach scenario. Third, they batch payouts into a consistent rhythm (weekly or bi-weekly) rather than on-demand, which produces predictable cash flow and a clean payout log for tax reporting.
The 24-hour processing window is reliable enough that long-term traders treat it as same-day for cash-flow planning. Mid-week payouts arrive before the following Monday's open; Friday payouts may land Saturday or Sunday depending on rail and time of submission.
The bottom line
Sway Funded's payout system is straightforward: crypto-only rails, two simple gates, 1.5 percent fee, 24-hour processing. The entry-fee credit absorbs the first cycle for most traders, so plan the first payout to be large enough to clear it or accept that the first cycle is effectively the refund vehicle. The 90/10 add-on is worth buying if cycle volume will be high; the 80/20 default is the safer first-eval choice. Complete KYC at signup, request small-frequent or standard cycles based on cash-flow preference, and the system delivers predictable mid-week crypto payouts inside the 24-hour window.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do payouts work at Sway Funded?
After passing the evaluation and completing KYC, request a payout from the SF Trader funded dashboard once two gates clear: $10 net realized profit and 4 trading days inside the cycle. Processing runs through crypto rails (BTC, ETH, USDT, TRX) within 24 hours with a 1.5 percent fee.
What is the minimum payout at Sway Funded?
Ten dollars net realized profit. Unrealized profit on open positions does not count. The trader must also log at least 4 trading days inside the cycle before the gate clears.
What payment methods does Sway Funded use?
Cryptocurrency only. Accepted rails are BTC, ETH, USDT (TRC-20 or ERC-20), and TRX. There is no bank transfer, PayPal, or Wise option. A 1.5 percent processing fee applies to all withdrawals.
How long does Sway Funded take to process a payout?
Up to 24 hours from request. Mid-day requests often clear inside 12 hours; late-evening requests typically land next business day. The 24-hour ceiling is the policy commitment.
Is the Sway Funded entry fee refunded on the first payout?
Yes, but as a credit against the first payout rather than a cash refund. The entry-fee amount is subtracted from the first cycle reward. From cycle two onward, the trader receives the full split minus only the 1.5 percent fee.
Is there a profit target on the funded SF Trader account?
No. The funded account has no profit target. The only gates per cycle are $10 net realized profit and 4 trading days. The trader can request payout whenever both clear.
What happens to the cycle counter after a payout?
It resets to zero. The 4-day trading-day count and the net profit count both restart after each payout request. Plan small-frequent or standard cycles based on cash-flow preference.
Is KYC required before getting paid at Sway Funded?
Yes. KYC must be completed after passing all evaluation phases and before receiving the funded account. The 6-step process at my.swayfunded.com/kyc takes 5 to 10 minutes.
What is the profit split at Sway Funded?
Default 80 percent to the trader. With the 90/10 split add-on purchased before starting the challenge, the trader keeps 90 percent. The split applies to net realized profit on every payout cycle.
What is the 1.5 percent fee for?
It is a processing fee deducted from every payout, including the first. On an $800 withdrawal, the fee is $12 and the trader receives $788. The fee covers crypto network costs and platform operations.
Can I upgrade to 90/10 after I am funded?
No. The 90/10 add-on must be purchased before starting the challenge. An active or funded account cannot be upgraded mid-cycle.
Which crypto rail settles fastest at Sway?
TRX (Tron) typically settles in 1 to 3 minutes with the cheapest network fees. USDT TRC-20 is a close second. BTC takes 20 to 60 minutes due to on-chain confirmation.
Can I send crypto to any wallet address?
Yes, but the wallet must be linked in the KYC step and the network must match the rail. Sending TRC-20 USDT to an ERC-20 wallet will fail or lose funds.
What happens if I breach during a cycle?
The funded account voids on hard breaches like drawdown or daily loss limit hits. Unpaid cycle profit is forfeited. The trader can re-evaluate by purchasing a fresh challenge.
Are Sway Funded payouts taxable?
Yes. Crypto payouts are taxable income in most jurisdictions. The 1.5 percent fee may be deductible as a business expense. Consult a tax adviser for jurisdiction-specific treatment.
How many trading days count for the 4-day gate?
A trading day counts if the trader opens and closes at least one position on that calendar day. Days with only open positions or only closes from previous days do not count toward the gate.