City Traders Imperium Review - What to Expect

Traditionally, trading forex required personal capital, which limited participation to those with significant financial resources. However, the rise of proprietary trading firms, or prop firms, has transformed this landscape. These firms provide talented traders with capital, technology, and infrastructure to trade financial instruments in exchange for a share of the profits, without the trader having to risk their own money.

City Traders Imperium (CTI) is one of the better-known names in the world of proprietary trading firms (prop firms). Founded in 2018 by experienced traders Martin Najat and Daniel Martin, CTI distinguishes itself with flexible funding options, a strong emphasis on trader development, and a competitive profit-sharing structure.

In this City Traders Imperium review, we will walk through CTI’s background, funding programs and rules, and other core components to help traders understand what a partnership with this firm entails.

City Traders Imperium Company Background

City Traders Imperium emerged during a boom in prop trading in 2018, aiming to address common pain points like rigid rules and poor support. Its co-founders, both with over 20 years in markets spanning forex, indices, and crypto, emphasise psychological resilience and strategic discipline.

Like other modern prop firms, CTI allows aspiring traders to access significant capital by successfully passing an evaluation process. CTI emphasises building a strong trader community through free educational resources, webinars, and an active social media presence. It maintains a strong community presence via Discord, Telegram, and weekly live trading rooms.

Now, let’s take a look at the various funding models this company uses.

City Traders Imperium Funding Programs

CTI provides a diverse range of funding programs tailored to different trading styles and experience levels. The main offerings include Challenge (Evaluation) programs and Instant Funding programs. Let’s take a look at both approaches:

Challenge Programs

These programs are the most common entry point. They require traders to pass a structured evaluation to prove their skills before managing firm capital. CTI offers two different challenge programs, including a 1-step challenge and a 2-step challenge. Both challenges do not have a time limit to complete.

1-Step Challenge

The 1-Step Challenge includes just a single phase to complete before qualifying for funding. It’s the most cost-effective funding program, featuring a low profit target requirement of only 8%. To pass the CTI 1-Step Challenge, all you need to do is stay within the 5% Max Trailing Drawdown. And need to complete only 3 minimum profitable days.

There are a variety of strategies allowed under the 1-Step Challenge. News trading, holding trades overnight, holding trades over the weekend, use of personal or third-party EAs, and Martingale trading are all allowed under this challenge. Once you pass Phase 1, you’ll get funded and be able to trade a CTI-funded account. The profit share under this challenge is 80% but can increase to 90% on the Bronze Level and 100% on the Silver Level CTI VIP Program.

If you don’t pass the 1-Step Challenge, you can reset your challenge with an unlimited 15% discount. Every time you qualify, your account balance increases by 50% of its original balance, up to $100,000. Then, you continue on the $100,000 scaling plan.

2-Step Challenge

The 2-Step Challenge consists of 2 Phases, which you must pass to qualify for funding. To pass the 2-Step Challenge, you need to stay within 5% Max Daily Drawdown for each phase. You must also stay within 10% Max Static Drawdown for each phase. There is no time limit to complete phases 1 and 2. The main objective here is to reach a profit target of 10% during Phase 1 and 5% during Phase 2.

Like the 1-Step Challenge, news trading, holding trades overnight, and holding trades over the weekend are all allowed. Once you pass Phase 2, you’ll get funded and be able to trade a CTI-funded account. Profit Share is 80%, then it increases to 90% on the Bronze Level, and 100% on the Silver Level of the CTI VIP Program.

If you don’t pass the 2-Step Challenge, you can reset your challenge with an unlimited 15% discount. However, every time you qualify, your account balance increases by +50% of its original balance, up to $100,000. Then, you continue on the $100,000 scaling plan.

Instant Funding and Instant Funding Pro

The Instant Funding and Instant Funding Pro are no-evaluation funding programs that provide instant access to funding. These models provide real funding from the start with no test or simulation needed. Additionally, if you reach a 10% profit, you stand the chance to double your account size. For example, if you have a starting balance of $40,000 and make a profit of $4,000, you receive a 50% profit share and move to Level 2, where you will start trading on a $80,000 account.

The difference between Instant Funding and Instant Funding Pro is that you start at Level 1 of the Instant Funding Scaling Plans with Instant Funding. Level 1 only offers a 50% profit share. In contrast, you skip Level 1 and start directly at Level 2 of the Instant Funding Scaling Plans with Instant Funding Pro. Level 2 offers a 70% profit share.

News trading is allowed on both programs with no restrictions. Additionally, holding trades overnight and on weekends is allowed.

Fees and Charges

Please note that City Traders Imperium charges a sign-up fee for each of its plans. The fee varies widely depending on the target amount and whether you choose a 1-step or 2-step challenge. It also differs based on whether you select instant funding or instant funding pro. For example, with a target of 2,500 USD, the fee is 69 USD for instant funding and 299 USD for instant funding pro. We highly recommend visiting the official CTI website to review all fees and the full terms of the available programs.

On another note, the Challenge Programs (1-Step and 2-Step) both offer a full fee refund once you hit key milestones. When you hit your first 10% profit target on your funded account, you’ll get 100% of your sign-up fee refunded. The Instant Funding and Instant Funding Pro do not offer fee refunds. Further, each plan on City Traders Imperium features a commission of $5 per lot.

Does City Traders Imperium Use a Broker?

City Traders Imperium does not rely on third-party brokers and does not function as a broker itself. The firm operates under its own regulatory framework, holding a license in the Union of Comoros. When you sign up, you gain access to its proprietary trading infrastructure and can choose between two professional-grade platforms. These include MetaTrader 5 (MT5) and Match-Trader, depending on a client’s location.

To ensure that its clients have access to deep liquidity and superior execution, CTI has partnered with Broctagon. This partnership ensures that CTI traders benefit from tight spreads and lightning-fast execution in a reliable and secure environment. The company’s goal is to equip its traders with the best possible tools and infrastructure to support their long-term success.

City Traders Imperium Regulation and Legal Status

It is always a good idea to assess a company’s legal status before dealing financially with it. Fortunately, City Traders Imperium (CTI) is a licensed proprietary trading firm, operating under the Brokerage and Clearing House License (License No. L15969/CTI), regulated in the Union of the Comoros.

In terms of financial regulations, the Union of Comoros is not as established as other high-profile regulatory bodies such as the CySEC or ASIC. Still, this license is an indication of the firm’s commitment to upholding standards of compliance, security, and professionalism in the prop trading industry.

CTI also highlights that all client relationships are contractual in nature. When an individual becomes a funded trader, they do so as an independent market analyst, providing trading insights via their account under CTI’s evaluation or funding structure.

Final Verdict

City Traders Imperium (CTI) presents itself as a solid choice in the prop firm space. The company has been operating since 2018, which gives it a proven track record and helps build confidence among traders considering joining. Instead of relying on a single standout feature, CTI focuses on long-term credibility supported by years of consistent presence in the market.

The firm's commitment to trader development is evident through its extensive educational resources, active community, and transparent scaling plans. Its plans offer a clear path to growing one's capital. Furthermore, its partnership with an institutional liquidity provider ensures a professional trading environment.

However, traders may want to keep a few practical points in mind before joining. CTI is licensed under the Union of the Comoros, which is not considered a leading regulatory jurisdiction. Even so, its structured programs and overall transparency contribute positively to its credibility within the prop trading space.