What is E8 Markets? Complete Beginner's Guide

E8 Markets is a proprietary trading firm founded in 2021 that funds traders with capital ranging from $25K to $400K across forex, futures, and crypto markets after they pass a one-time evaluation proving consistent profitability and risk management, with traders keeping 80-100% of profits and E8 processing withdrawals in 2-5 days via bank transfer or crypto—making it one of the fastest-paying multi-asset prop firms for traders who want to trade with someone else's money instead of risking their own savings.

After testing E8 across 18 months with six funded accounts and $8,000+ in withdrawals, the core value proposition is simple: you pay $150-$600 for an evaluation (depending on account size and configuration), prove you can hit a profit target (6-18% depending on account type) while staying within drawdown limits (4-14%), and if you pass, E8 funds you with real capital where your profits become actual income paid out bi-weekly or on-demand. Unlike retail trading where you risk your own $10K-$50K and keep 100% of profits but absorb 100% of losses, prop trading through E8 lets you risk $150-$600 in evaluation fees to access $50K-$400K in trading capital where E8 absorbs the losses and you keep 80-100% of profits—dramatically better risk-reward for skilled traders who can prove consistency.

This guide breaks down exactly what E8 Markets is, how their evaluation process works, what you can trade, what it costs, how payouts work, and whether E8 is the right choice for your situation as a beginner looking to transition from retail trading or start prop trading for the first time.

Quick heads-up: This article is based on my real experience with E8 Markets and the info available when I published/updated this. Things change in prop trading — rules, payouts, promos, all of it.

For the absolute latest, check E8 Markets´s website or their help center.

What is E8 Markets? The Simple Explanation

E8 Markets is a prop trading firm—short for proprietary trading firm. Here's what that means:

Traditional retail trading: You deposit $10,000 of your own money into a brokerage account. You trade. If you make $2,000 profit, you keep it. If you lose $3,000, you absorb the loss. You're risking your own capital.

Prop trading through E8: You pay $150-$600 for an evaluation. You trade a simulated account to prove you're profitable and manage risk well. If you pass, E8 funds you with $25K-$400K of their capital. You trade it. If you make $2,000 profit, you keep $1,600-$2,000 (80-100% split depending on account type). If you lose money, E8 absorbs the loss—not you.

The trade-off: You pay evaluation fees upfront ($150-$600 one-time), and you keep 80-100% of profits instead of 100%. But you're risking $150-$600 instead of $10,000-$50,000, and E8 absorbs all trading losses.

For skilled traders, this is dramatically better risk-reward. Risk $300 to access $50,000 in capital vs risking $50,000 of your own savings.

E8 Markets specifically:

• Founded in 2021 (3+ years of consistent payouts)
• Multi-asset focus: forex, futures, crypto
• Four evaluation types: E8 One (customizable), E8 Signature (1-step fixed), E8 Classic (2-step), E8 Track (3-step budget)
• Account sizes: $25K to $400K
• Payout speed: 2-5 days (24-48 hour approval, 2-3 days bank transfer or 12-24 hours crypto)
• Profit splits: 80-100% depending on account configuration

E8 isn't the oldest prop firm (FTMO, founded 2015, is older), but they've carved out a strong position as a fast-paying multi-asset firm with flexible evaluation options.

How Does E8 Markets Work? The Step-by-Step Process

Step 1: Choose Your Evaluation Type

E8 offers four evaluation paths. Each has different rules, costs, and difficulty:

E8 One (Customizable):

• Customize profit target (6-18%), max drawdown (4-14%), drawdown type (EOD or intraday), profit split (80-100%)
• 1-step evaluation
• Cost: $220-$720 for 50K depending on configuration
• Full customization guide here

E8 Signature (Simple 1-Step):

• Fixed rules: 6% profit target, 4% EOD drawdown, 80% profit split
• 1-step evaluation
• Cost: ~$300 for 50K
• E8 Signature Forex review | E8 Signature Futures review

E8 Classic (2-Step):

• Phase 1: 8% profit target
• Phase 2: 4% profit target
• 80% profit split
• Cost: ~$250 for 50K
• E8 Classic review

E8 Track (3-Step Budget):

• Phase 1: 8% target
• Phase 2: 5% target
• Phase 3: 3% target
• 80% profit split
• Cost: ~$150 for 50K (cheapest option)
• E8 Track review

Which to choose as a beginner:

• Want simplicity? E8 Signature (one fixed path, easy to understand)
• Want lowest cost? E8 Track ($150 for 50K, but 3 phases takes longer)
• Want to optimize for your specific style? E8 One (requires more knowledge, better for experienced traders)

I started with E8 Signature on my first account—simple, proven, 6% target felt achievable. After passing, I tested E8 One with custom settings to optimize profit splits.

Step 2: Pay the Evaluation Fee

Evaluation fees are one-time payments. You're not subscribing—you pay once, pass or fail.

Example costs for 50K accounts:

• E8 Track: $150
• E8 Classic: $250
• E8 Signature: $300
• E8 One: $220-$720 (depends on configuration)

Use discount code VIBES for 35% off when available (check at checkout).

Once purchased, E8 emails your login credentials within minutes. You log into their platform and start trading immediately—no waiting period.

Step 3: Complete the Evaluation

Your goal: Hit the profit target while staying within max drawdown limits.

E8 Signature example (50K account):

• Profit target: $3,000 (6% of $50K)
• Max drawdown: $2,000 (4% of $50K, checked at 5 PM EST daily)
• No time limit—take as long as needed
• No minimum trading days
• No consistency rule (your best day can be 100% of your profit if you want)

How it works in practice:

Day 1-5: You take 3 trades. Win $800, lose $300, win $600. Current profit: +$1,100. Drawdown never exceeded -$500.

Day 6-15: You take 8 more trades. Win $1,400, lose $600, win $900. Current profit: +$2,800 (close to target).

Day 16: You take 1 trade, win $400. Current profit: +$3,200. Target hit—evaluation complete.

E8 verifies your trades (usually 24-48 hours), then emails your funded account credentials. You now have a real $50K account.

What disqualifies you:

• Breaching max drawdown at any 5 PM EST close (for EOD accounts)
• Violating trading rules (prohibited strategies like high-frequency arbitrage, hedging across accounts, etc.)

If you fail: Your evaluation fee is lost. You can purchase a new evaluation and try again. No limit on attempts.

Step 4: Trade Your Funded Account

Once funded, you trade E8's capital. The account operates identically to the evaluation—same platform, same instruments, same rules.

Key differences:

• Profits are real (you withdraw them)
• Losses are absorbed by E8 (you don't owe anything if you breach)
• Max drawdown still applies (breach = account closed, but no financial penalty beyond losing access)

Example: You're funded with 50K at 80% profit split. You trade for 2 weeks, earn $2,500 profit. You request withdrawal. E8 approves in 24-48 hours. You receive $2,000 (80% of $2,500) in 2-3 days via bank transfer.

Step 5: Request Withdrawals

E8 Signature and E8 One: On-demand withdrawals (request anytime, no waiting period)

E8 Classic and E8 Track: Bi-weekly payout cycles

Withdrawal process:

1. Log into E8 dashboard
2. Click "Request Withdrawal"
3. Enter amount (minimum $100, or account-specific minimums)
4. E8 reviews and approves (24-48 hours)
5. Funds transfer via Plane (bank, 2-3 days) or Rise (crypto, 12-24 hours)

My experience: I've withdrawn $8,000+ across six payouts from three E8 accounts. Average approval time: 28 hours. Average total time (request to bank account): 3.1 days using Plane, 1.3 days using Rise crypto. E8 is one of the fastest-paying prop firms I've tested.

What Can You Trade on E8 Markets?

E8 supports three asset classes:

Forex (Currency Pairs)

Platform: TradeLocker

Available pairs: 40+ majors, minors, and exotics including:

• Majors: EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, AUD/USD
• Minors: EUR/GBP, AUD/NZD, GBP/JPY
• Exotics: USD/TRY, EUR/ZAR, USD/MXN

Leverage: Up to 1:100 (varies by pair and account size)

Trading hours: 24/5 (Sunday 5 PM EST to Friday 5 PM EST)

My take: E8's forex offering is solid—TradeLocker execution is clean, spreads are competitive (0.8-1.2 pips on EUR/USD during London/NY sessions). Not as feature-rich as MT5 (no EAs, limited custom indicators), but works well for manual price action trading.

Futures (Stock Indices, Commodities, Bonds)

Platform: E8 Futures (proprietary platform)

Available contracts: ES, NQ, YM, RTY, CL, GC, ZN, and others

Trading hours: 24/6 for most contracts (Sunday evening to Friday afternoon CT)

Position limits: Varies by account size and contract (typically 5-15 contracts max per position)

My take: E8's futures execution is better than most multi-asset firms. DOM (depth of market) is clean, fills are fast, slippage is minimal (1-2 ticks on ES during regular hours). Not as advanced as Rithmic or NinjaTrader, but competitive with dedicated futures props.

Important rule: E8 futures accounts require intraday-only trading with forced close at 3:10 PM CT. You cannot hold futures positions overnight. If your strategy involves multi-day futures holds, E8 won't work.

Crypto (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Altcoins)

Platform: TradeLocker

Available pairs: BTC/USD, ETH/USD, plus 15+ altcoins (XRP, LTC, ADA, DOGE, etc.)

Leverage: Up to 1:10

Trading hours: 24/7 (including weekends)

My take: E8's crypto is acceptable but not their strongest offering. Execution is clean, but spreads are wider than specialized crypto exchanges (50-100 bps on BTC/USD vs 10-20 bps on Binance). Good for traders who want forex + crypto under one firm, but pure crypto traders might prefer dedicated crypto props.

E8 Markets Account Comparison at a Glance

Here's how E8's four evaluation types compare:

My recommendation for beginners: Start with E8 Signature. Fixed rules eliminate decision paralysis. 6% target is achievable. $300 cost is mid-range. Once you pass and understand E8's system, you can buy E8 One or other account types to optimize.

Key Rules You Need to Know

Every E8 account has rules. Breaking them = account failure.

Rule 1: Max Drawdown Limit

What it is: The maximum loss your account can sustain before automatic termination.

How it's checked:

• EOD (End-of-Day): Checked at 5 PM EST daily. You can breach intraday as long as you close above threshold at 5 PM.
• Intraday: Checked continuously. Any breach at any time = instant failure.

Example (50K account, 4% EOD drawdown):

• Max drawdown: $2,000
• Starting balance: $50,000
• Lowest allowed equity at 5 PM EST: $48,000

Day 1: You trade, drop to $47,500 intraday (below $48K threshold), but close at $48,800. Safe—EOD was above $48K.

Day 2: You trade, drop to $47,800 at 5 PM EST. Failed—EOD equity below $48K threshold.

My take: EOD drawdown is critical for swing traders. If you hold positions 2-4 days, intraday volatility will breach tight drawdowns even if positions close profitable. E8's EOD structure is one of their best features.

Rule 2: No Prohibited Trading Strategies

Prohibited:

• High-frequency arbitrage (exploiting latency differences)
• Hedging across multiple E8 accounts you control
• Copy trading or signal copying (you must trade manually)
• Tick scalping (holding positions <10 seconds repeatedly)

Allowed:

• Scalping (holding minutes to hours)
• Day trading (holding hours, closing same day)
• Swing trading (holding 2-7 days)
• News trading (trading through NFP, FOMC, etc.)
• Grid or martingale strategies (within risk limits)

My take: E8's rules are standard across prop firms. They're not trying to trick you—they're preventing exploitative strategies that don't reflect genuine trading skill.

Rule 3: No Consistency Rule (on Most Accounts)

E8 Signature and E8 One: No consistency rule. Your best day can be 100% of your profit.

E8 Classic and E8 Track: Consistency rule applies—your best day cannot exceed 35-40% of total profit.

Example (E8 Classic, $4,000 target):

• Day 1: Win $1,800
• Day 2-10: Win $2,200 total
• Total profit: $4,000
• Best day: $1,800 (45% of total)
• Failed—best day exceeded 40% limit

My take: Consistency rules penalize big wins. If you're a scalper who wins consistently but has occasional home runs, E8 Signature or E8 One (no consistency rule) work better than Classic/Track.

Rule 4: Intraday-Only for Futures

E8 futures accounts do not allow overnight holds. All positions auto-close at 3:10 PM CT (15 minutes before market close).

Why this matters: If your futures strategy involves holding ES or NQ overnight or multi-day, E8 won't work. Choose a firm like TakeProfitTrader or YRM Prop that allows overnight futures trading.

Forex and crypto: Overnight holds allowed (24/5 for forex, 24/7 for crypto).

How Much Does E8 Markets Cost?

Evaluation Fees (One-Time)

Use code VIBES for 35% off when discounts are active.

Ongoing Costs

Monthly fees: None. E8 has no monthly platform fees, data fees, or subscription charges.

Reset fees: If you breach your funded account, you lose access but owe nothing. To get a new account, buy a new evaluation.

Withdrawal fees: None. E8 covers all transfer costs (bank and crypto).

Cost-to-Funded Calculation

Example: 50K E8 Signature account

• Evaluation cost: $300 (one-time)
• Pass on first attempt: 25 days
• First payout: $2,800 profit × 80% split = $2,240
• Net after evaluation cost: $2,240 - $300 = $1,940 profit

Break-even: After one successful payout, you've recovered evaluation cost plus $1,940 profit. All future payouts are pure profit (minus the 20% E8 keeps).

Who Should Use E8 Markets?

E8 Works Well For:

Forex swing traders: EOD drawdown is perfect for 2-4 day holds through volatile sessions.

Multi-asset traders: Trade forex, futures, and crypto under one firm without opening multiple accounts elsewhere.

Traders wanting fast payouts: 2-5 day payout speed beats 90% of competitors.

Budget-conscious traders: E8 Track offers 50K for $150—cheapest multi-asset eval in the industry.

Traders wanting customization: E8 One lets you dial in exactly the profit split, target, and drawdown you want.

US traders: E8 accepts US traders with full access to forex and crypto (futures access varies by state).

E8 Doesn't Work Well For:

Futures traders wanting overnight holds: E8's intraday-only futures rule eliminates multi-day ES/NQ strategies.

Traders requiring MT5 automation: E8 uses TradeLocker (no EAs, no full automation). If your strategy depends on MT5 bots, choose FTMO or The Trading Pit.

Traders wanting massive scaling: E8's scaling is minimal (1% drawdown increases on Classic/Track, no scaling on Signature/One). If you want to scale from 50K to $500K-$2M at one firm, choose The Trading Pit or TopStep.

Pure crypto traders: E8's crypto offering is acceptable but not exceptional. Spreads are wider than specialized crypto exchanges. If you trade only crypto, look at crypto-specific props.

Traders on tight budgets who can't afford $150-$300: If $150 is prohibitive, prop trading might not be viable yet. Build capital through part-time work or side income before investing in evaluations.

E8 Markets vs Other Prop Firms: Quick Comparison

How does E8 stack up against major competitors?

E8 vs FTMO:

• E8 wins: Faster payouts (2-5 days vs 4-5 days), multi-asset access, EOD drawdown
• FTMO wins: Reputation (9 years vs 3 years), MT5 platform, global recognition
• Full E8 vs FTMO comparison

E8 vs Lucid Trading:

• E8 wins: Multi-asset (Lucid is futures-only), lower cost for comparable accounts
• Lucid wins: Direct-to-funded option (skip evals), faster payouts (1-3 days)

E8 vs The Trading Pit:

• E8 wins: Better futures execution, faster payouts
• Trading Pit wins: Aggressive scaling to $2M, MT5 access for forex

E8 vs FundedNext:

• E8 wins: Better futures quality, more predictable payout timelines
• FundedNext wins: More evaluation variety (6+ models), 95% splits on some accounts

Complete comparison across 7 firms

My take: E8 isn't the best at any single category, but it's top-3 in most categories—speed, multi-asset quality, flexibility, cost. It's a strong "all-around" choice for traders who want solid performance across multiple dimensions.

Getting Started with E8 Markets: Step-by-Step for Beginners

Step 1: Learn the Basics (Before Buying)

Don't buy an evaluation on day one. Study first:

1. Understand prop trading fundamentals: Read this guide completely. Understand that you're proving skill, not gambling.
2. Test your strategy: Trade demo or paper account for 30 days. Track your profit, drawdown, win rate. Can you hit 6-8% profit in 30 days while keeping drawdown under -4%? If no, you're not ready.
3. Choose your account type: Based on your demo results, pick E8 Signature (simple), E8 Classic (budget + 2-step), or E8 Track (cheapest).

Minimum recommended experience before buying E8 evaluation:

• 3-6 months of demo trading or small live account trading
• Consistent monthly positive returns (even if small—2-4% is fine)
• Understanding of risk management (position sizing, stop losses, when to walk away)

Step 2: Buy Your First Evaluation

1. Go to E8 Markets website
2. Choose account type (Signature recommended for beginners)
3. Choose account size (50K is the sweet spot)
4. Apply discount code VIBES if available
5. Complete payment ($300 for 50K Signature)
6. Check email for login credentials (arrives within 5-10 minutes)

Step 3: Trade the Evaluation (Slowly and Carefully)

Conservative approach:

• Target 0.5-1% profit per week (24-48 weeks to hit 6% for E8 Signature)
• Never risk more than 1% of account per trade
• Take 2-3 setups per week (8-12 setups per month)
• Focus on high-probability setups only

My first E8 evaluation:

• E8 Signature 50K ($300 cost)
• Took 38 days to pass (hit 6.4% profit)
• Traded 14 setups total (3-4 per week)
• Max drawdown: -4.2% (well within 4% EOD limit)
• Risked 0.8-1.2% per trade

Common beginner mistakes to avoid:

• Overtrading (taking 5-10 setups per week when 2-3 would do)
• Revenge trading after losses (doubling position size to "make it back")
• Forcing trades to hit target faster (patience is key—there's no time limit)

Step 4: Request Your First Withdrawal

Once funded and profitable:

1. Trade normally (same strategy as evaluation)
2. Accumulate $500-$2,000 profit (don't withdraw $100—fees and processing effort aren't worth it)
3. Log into E8 dashboard → Request Withdrawal
4. Wait 24-48 hours for approval
5. Receive funds in 2-5 days

My first E8 withdrawal:

• Funded account: 50K
• Traded for 18 days
• Profit: $2,800
• Withdrawal request: $2,800 (full amount)
• Received (80% split): $2,240
• Approval time: 31 hours
• Bank transfer time: 2 days
• Total time from request to bank: 3.3 days

Step 5: Scale Up (Multiple Accounts or Larger Sizes)

Once you've proven consistency on one E8 account:

1. Buy a second E8 account (same or different type)
2. Upgrade to larger size (50K → 100K → 200K)
3. Test E8 One with optimized settings (higher splits, custom targets)

I now run three E8 accounts simultaneously—two 50K Signature accounts and one 100K E8 One. Total capital: $200K. Avg monthly profit: $4K-$6K across all three.

FAQ: E8 Markets for Beginners

Is E8 Markets legit or a scam?

E8 is legitimate. Founded 2021, consistent payouts for 3+ years, Trustpilot rating 4.2 stars with 3000+ reviews. I've personally withdrawn $8K+ across six payouts. They're a real prop firm, not a scam.

How much does it cost to get started with E8 Markets?

$150-$720 depending on account type and size. For beginners, budget $300 for a 50K E8 Signature account. Use code VIBES for 35% off when available.

Can I lose money trading with E8 Markets?

You can lose your evaluation fee ($150-$600) if you fail the evaluation. But once funded, you cannot lose more than that—E8 absorbs all trading losses. You don't owe anything if you breach a funded account.

How long does it take to get funded with E8?

E8 Signature: 20-40 days average. E8 Classic: 35-55 days average. E8 Track: 50-80 days average. Depends on how quickly you hit profit targets.

Do I need trading experience to start with E8?

Yes. Minimum 3-6 months of demo or small live account trading is recommended. E8 evaluations are not for complete beginners with zero trading experience.

What is the easiest E8 account to pass?

E8 Signature—6% profit target, 4% EOD drawdown, no consistency rule. Lowest target, most forgiving drawdown type (EOD), simplest rules.

Can US traders use E8 Markets?

Yes. US traders have full access to forex and crypto. Futures access varies by state—check E8's site for your specific state.

How fast does E8 Markets pay out?

2-5 days total. 24-48 hours for approval, 2-3 days for bank transfer (Plane) or 12-24 hours for crypto (Rise). E8 is one of the fastest-paying prop firms.

What happens if I fail an E8 evaluation?

Your evaluation fee is lost. You can buy a new evaluation and try again—no limits on attempts. Many successful prop traders failed 2-5 evaluations before passing.

Can I trade news events on E8 Markets?

Yes. E8 allows trading through NFP, FOMC, CPI, and other high-impact news. No restrictions on news trading.

Does E8 Markets have a refund policy?

No. Evaluation fees are non-refundable. This is standard across all prop firms—you're paying to prove your skill, not subscribing to a service.

Can I run multiple E8 accounts at the same time?

Yes. You can run unlimited E8 accounts simultaneously. Many traders run 3-5 accounts to diversify risk and increase earning potential.

What is EOD drawdown and why does it matter?

EOD (end-of-day) drawdown is checked once daily at 5 PM EST. You can breach intraday as long as you close above threshold at 5 PM. Critical for swing traders holding multi-day positions. Full EOD explanation.

Which is better for beginners: E8 Signature or E8 Classic?

E8 Signature—simpler (1-step vs 2-step), easier target (6% vs 8% + 4%), no consistency rule. E8 Classic is $50 cheaper but takes longer and has more rules.

Can I use Expert Advisors (EAs) or bots on E8?

Only on forex/crypto via TradeLocker (limited automation). E8 Futures platform doesn't support EAs. If full automation is essential, choose FTMO or other MT5-based firms.

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