cTrader US prop firms are facing new limits after Spotware said it restricted the onboarding of US-based traders following an internal regulatory assessment in the first quarter of 2026.
Over recent months, several US retail prop firms changed their onboarding rules. As a result, new US clients can no longer open cTrader accounts through those firms. Spotware, which develops cTrader, confirmed the shift in a statement to Finance Magnates.
The company said it had previously allowed prop firms to onboard traders living in the United States if certain criteria were met. However, after its review in early 2026, it chose to limit onboarding for US-based traders. Spotware said the move keeps its operations in line with its internal compliance and risk management framework.
Firms Revise cTrader US Prop Firms Policies
The5ers updated its guidelines in June. The firm now says only non-US clients can use cTrader. Meanwhile, FundedNext has kept a similar rule in place since spring.
FundedNext said that from 31.03.2026, US-based traders could no longer buy new accounts on cTrader. Instead, it directed US clients to Match-Trader for new account purchases. Goat Funded Trader also changed its terms in April, and it now offers Match-Trader, TradeLocker and Volumetrica as its main platforms for the US market.
Move Follows Earlier Platform Disruption
The latest change mirrors the MetaQuotes crackdown in 2024. When MT4 and MT5 access was limited for US-based prop traders, cTrader benefited from that shift. Spotware said in 2025 that live USD trading volume on cTrader rose by 105%, citing stronger activity in both brokerage and prop trading.
According to the source article, the MetaQuotes exit was linked to several factors. These included the grey-labelling of licences to prop firms, where retail brokers rented server space without clear authorisation from the developer. Furthermore, the article said the CFTC’s stance, including the 2023 raid and asset freeze of My Forex Funds, may have changed risk appetite for platform providers.
FM Intelligence estimated that about 100 prop firms shut down between early 2024 and late 2025. That marked a 14% drop in the market, with the MetaQuotes withdrawal described as a main driver of that consolidation.
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