Want to win $100,000 with your trading skills without risking your money? Forex trading competitions make this possible.
Our months of analyzing dozens of forex demo contests and real-money trading competitions led to an interesting discovery. Many traders miss these chances to earn substantial rewards and improve their skills. These competitions are free to enter mostly.
The guide covers 12 of the most rewarding forex trading competitions in 2025. You'll learn about each competition's format, prize structure, and entry requirements - from CloseOption's Trading Championship to Pepperstone's Trading Contest. This knowledge will help you pick the right platform to showcase your trading expertise.
CloseOption Trading Championship
Want to join a weekly trading challenge that's easy on your wallet? CloseOption's Trading Championship stands out as one of the most available competitions you'll find in the forex market.
CloseOption Competition Format
The platform provides a virtual balance of $10,000 through their web-based interface. Their unique accelerator coin feature makes this competition special. Your earnings can potentially double once your balance reaches $20,000. The weekly competition kicks off every Monday at 08:00.
CloseOption Prize Structure
Top 20 traders receive impressive rewards. Here's the prize breakdown:
Position Prize Amount 1st Place $300 2nd Place $200 3rd Place $100 4th Place $75 5th Place $50 6th-20th $10-$30 VIP members get additional perks. They receive a $10 daily waiting period award that can add up to $100 if they need to skip a round after winning.
CloseOption Entry Requirements
Getting started is simple:
- You'll need $5 to $10 to enter, though free entry promotions happen occasionally
- Your account might need verification
- Recharge packages help you continue trading if your balance falls below $1,000
The platform announces results within 48 hours after the competition ends. The withdrawal process works smoothly - you can get your prizes without meeting additional trading requirements. Winners must wait two rounds before competing again, while runners-up skip just one round. This ensures fair competition for everyone.
World Forex Global Contest
The World Cup Trading Championships® ranks among the most prestigious yearly forex trading competitions you'll find. Let me show you why this contest stands out from the rest.
World Forex Contest Rules
The contest runs through the entire year, from January 1 to December 31, 2025. The entry process couldn't be simpler - traders can jump in at any point during the contest. The best part is that traders can use any strategy they want, from day trading to holding long-term positions.
World Forex Prize Pool
Winners get some amazing rewards:
- Beautiful Bull & Bear crystal trophies for the top three spots
- Spotlight in the media through press releases and interviews
- A shot at joining the WorldCupAdvisor.com advisory team
The returns can blow your mind - Larry Williams holds the record with an incredible 11,376% net return from 1987. But the numbers can vary a lot - the 2001 champion won with a 53% return.
World Forex Trading Conditions
These rules make sure everyone plays fair:
- You need at least $5,000 to start
- Trading happens only through approved brokers
- You can have multiple accounts, but only your best one counts for ranking
The contest gives you plenty of room to breathe - traders can add more funds whenever needed, which helps handle margin calls. You can trade your way, and I've seen both gut-instinct traders and computer-guided systems do well here.
My years of studying forex competitions tell me this contest stands out. It's one of the few places where strong performance can launch your professional trading career through their advisor program.
Deribit Winter Trading Competition
Deribit's Winter Trading Competition 2024 has brought new excitement to the crypto world. This is one of the most complete trading contests I've seen in cryptocurrency. The competition offers an impressive $200,000 USDC prize pool and combines great rewards with learning opportunities.
Deribit Competition Structure
The competition runs as a 35-day trading marathon from November 4th to December 9th, 2024. Traders can participate individually or in teams, which accommodates different trading preferences. The contest stands out by including six master-level options AMAs and product training sessions with industry experts. These sessions are a great way to get deeper insights into trading.
Deribit Rewards System
The prizes really caught my attention:
Category Prize Details Individual Race Top 35 traders, champion wins 5,000 USDC Team Contest Top 5 teams win 1,000-5,000 USDC Daily Draws 111 winners daily Daily Lucky Ranks 9 traders win 10-300 USDC daily The sort of thing I love about this competition is its diverse reward structure. Winners can get:
- iPhone 16s and iPads
- PlayStation 5 consoles
- Luxury trips to Thailand
- Honorary certificates and team trophies
Deribit Registration Process
Registration started on October 23rd and runs until December 9th, 2024. The competition welcomes all retail participants who trade cryptocurrency options, futures, and spot on the SignalPlus platform. Early registrants had a chance at the US Election Option bonus if they signed up by November 5th.
The platform rewards new traders generously. You can win from over 10,000 bonus prizes just by completing simple actions like signing up and making your first trade. This makes it perfect for anyone starting their crypto trading experience.
IC Markets Demo Contest
My experience as a seasoned trader has shown that IC Markets' demo trading competitions are a great way to get both learning and earning opportunities. Their latest "Double the Fun Invite & Win" contest grabbed my attention because of its fresh take on forex trading competitions.
IC Markets Contest Format
The competition spans from October 1 to November 30, 2024, and creates opportunities for both new and existing traders. The rules are simple - new clients must deposit $200 minimum and complete 3 valid lots in FX and Metals CFDs. This contest stands out with its referral system that lets existing clients earn up to 10 lucky draw entries when they invite new traders.
IC Markets Prize Distribution
The prizes will make you want to participate:
- New qualified traders receive a $20 welcome bonus
- Lucky draw winners can take home up to $2,000
- You get multiple entries through referrals
IC Markets Platform Features
The demo accounts have impressed me with these standout features:
Feature Benefit Ultra-low latency execution Quick trade execution Raw Spread pricing Better pricing opportunities No demo restrictions Practice until ready for live trading The platform gives you full access to all account types and products in a risk-free environment. This demo account matches live trading conditions perfectly and handles over 500,000 trades each day. Their order matching engine sits in the New York Equinix NY4 data center and delivers superior execution speed.
The platform works exceptionally well with automated trading systems - more than two-thirds of all trades come from these systems. You can test your strategies without time limits since the demo account never expires.
XM Trading Competition
My experience with many forex trading competitions has shown me that XM's contest lineup stands out. They've given away over $1.5 million in cash prizes to traders worldwide.
XM Contest Guidelines
Their competition portfolio really stands out to me. The monthly championships are exciting with a $100,000 prize pool. Traders can join using demo or real accounts, which makes it perfect for everyone regardless of their experience. The US Election Mega Competition they're running now has a clever reward system - top traders share $90,000, and $10,000 goes to lucky draw winners.
XM Reward Structure
The prizes are quite generous:
Position Prize Amount 1st Place $15,000 2nd Place $7,500 3rd Place $5,000 Weekly demo tournaments are available with a $10,000 prize pool. Winners can take home between $750 to $1,500.
XM Trading Requirements
The entry rules are simple and clear:
- Verified XM standard or ultra-low standard trading account
- Minimum equity requirement of $100
- One registration per unique IP address
- No entry fees required
XM's steadfast dedication to fair play makes them special. They keep a close eye on prohibited trading activities and have strict verification processes. They're extra careful about multiple registrations from the same IP address to keep things fair for everyone.
Rankings update every 10 minutes, so you can always see how you're doing. The best part is that all prizes can be withdrawn, which beats other competitions that put restrictions on prize money.
FBS Trader's Contest
FBS's forex trading competition stands out because traders can compete both individually and as team members at the same time. This unique demo contest has grown popular among traders who want risk-free practice with actual rewards.
FBS Competition Format
The contest structure is simple and effective. Each match lasts two weeks, which gives enough time to test different trading strategies. The demo account comes with a $10,000 virtual balance and 1:100 fixed leverage. Traders can join solo and team categories at once, which doubles their chances of winning.
FBS Prize Categories
Both categories offer attractive prize money:
Solo Ranking Prize Amount Team Ranking Prize Amount 1st Place $450 1st Place $900 2nd Place $250 2nd Place $600 3rd Place $150 3rd Place $300 4th Place $100 4th Place $150 5th Place $50 5th Place $150 FBS Platform Features
The platform comes packed with useful features:
- More than 50 trading instruments for Forex, stocks, and commodities
- Up-to-the-minute market updates with live quotes
- Complete charting tools with built-in analytics
- Quick order execution with uninterrupted performance
FBS shows its steadfast dedication to trader education through regular market explanations in live streams and webinars. The platform's new face scanning technology has cut verification time by 40%. This makes contest registration much faster and easier.
OctaFX Champion Demo Contest
The OctaFX Champion Demo Contest stands out among monthly forex trading competitions. Its consistent schedule and easy entry requirements make it an attractive option for traders.
OctaFX Contest Rules
The contest has a simple and clear structure. Each round lasts a month, which gives you enough time to execute your trading strategies. Every participant gets a demo account with $1,000 USD to start. The organizers take fair play seriously - they will disqualify anyone who matches IPs or shows suspicious trading patterns.
OctaFX Prize Pool
The prizes each month are worth competing for:
Position Prize Amount 1st Place $500 2nd Place $300 3rd Place $100 4th Place $60 5th Place $40 Winners can withdraw their prizes right away as they go directly to their wallet. Just remember to claim your prize within one month after the contest ends.
OctaFX Trading Conditions
The contest offers several compelling features:
- A high 1:500 leverage on demo accounts
- Complete freedom to use any trading strategy or Expert Advisors
- Your open positions close automatically when the contest ends
The platform works well with different trading approaches. You can use scalping, hedging, or automated trading systems. The monthly reset lets you join again without creating new accounts.
Note: Winners split the prizes equally if their balances tie at the end.
Exness Trading League
I've looked at many forex trading competitions, and the Exness Trading League really catches my eye with its fresh take on trader rewards through their unique Exness Dollars (EXD) system.
Exness League Format
The Premier program at Exness runs differently from other trading competitions. They use a quarterly qualification system. Trading volume tracking happens between specific dates (January-March, April-June, July-September, and October-December), and traders get their tier assignments when each quarter begins. Their straightforward approach to trading conditions and monitoring really stands out to me.
Exness Reward System
Their EXD system brings something new to the table. The Premier tier rewards work like this:
Premier Level Quarterly Reward Preferred 200 EXD Elite 400 EXD Signature 600 EXD Each EXD equals 1 USD, which is great. These rewards can help cut your trading costs by up to 50%. My trading expenses dropped by a lot because of this system.
Exness Entry Criteria
The Premier program has some specific requirements I've noticed:
- Your Personal Area account needs to be over 30 days old
- You must have deposited more than USD 15,000 in total
- Trading volume should exceed USD 40 million
- Your documents need full verification
Exness's reliable platform offers access to financial instruments of all types with competitive spreads starting at 0.2 pips. Their regulation under major authorities like FCA and CySEC shows their steadfast dedication to security.
Note: The EXD rewards system makes this one of the most affordable trading competitions you'll find in the market, based on what I've seen.
FXTM Demo Contest
My research into forex trading competitions shows that FXTM's demo contest leads the pack with its yearly prize pool of $80,000 spread across quarterly competitions.
FXTM Contest Structure
The platform hosts quarterly competitions that offer substantial rewards. Their demo account caught my attention because it has no time limits. Most other platforms restrict demo access to 21 or 30 days. The platform maintains similar trading conditions between demo and live accounts.
FXTM Platform Features
My testing revealed these key features:
- Immediate market conditions with actual price movements
- Advanced charting capabilities and technical indicators
- Access to multiple financial instruments including forex, commodities, and indices
- 24/5 customer support for contest participants
FXTM stands out because of its focus on trader education. They let you open unlimited demo accounts, which helps when testing different strategies. The system tracks your progress automatically. They keep the competition fair by removing accounts that stay inactive for more than 14 days.
Note: The demo contest serves as a great stepping stone to live trading, especially since you can start with their micro account for just a $10 deposit.
HotForex Demo Competition
My analysis of dozens of forex trading competitions revealed HotForex's "Virtual to Real" demo contest stands out with its perfect balance of accessibility and substantial rewards.
HotForex Contest Rules
The monthly competition runs seamlessly from the first to the last day of each month. This contest excels with a generous $10,000 virtual deposit and fixed leverage of 1:200. The gain formula remains straightforward: [(Ending Balance - Beginning Balance) / Beginning Balance]*100.
HotForex Prizes
The rewards make this contest truly worthwhile:
Position Prize Amount 1st Place $2,000 2nd Place $1,000 3rd Place $500 The prize structure comes with a smart twist - while you can't withdraw the prize funds directly, all profits become available once you meet the trading requirements.
HotForex Trading Requirements
The contest's core participation criteria include:
- Age requirement of 18 years or older
- Verified account with proper documentation
- Minimum of 50 round-turn trades and 10 standard lots to withdraw profits
The competition maintains high integrity standards. Any prohibited trading results in immediate disqualification. The platform's commitment to fair play shows in their end-of-month process - all open positions close automatically before final calculations.
Traders can use different trading styles effectively. However, residents from countries like China and Bangladesh cannot participate. Each monthly round requires a new demo contest account.
eToro Trading Challenge
My experience with forex trading competitions shows eToro's virtual trading challenge stands out with its paper trading format that needs no upfront investment. The competition excels at education while rewarding participants generously.
eToro Challenge Format
Draft trading options are the competition's core feature, letting participants test different strategies risk-free. The platform's flexibility amazes me - traders can enter draft trades during market hours and see their results instantly. Each user gets one entry, but you can earn more through activities like joining options sessions (1 entry), making your first deposit (2 entries), or bringing friends on board (up to 10 entries).
eToro Reward Structure
The prizes are quite appealing:
Position Prize Amount 1st Place $2,500 2nd Place $1,000 3rd Place $500 Winners are picked based on their ROI percentage, which creates a level playing field for all traders whatever their volume.
eToro Platform Features
The mobile app's quality stands out with:
- Up-to-the-minute leaderboard updates
- Complete charting tools
- Social trading integration
The platform's educational focus sets it apart. It works as a learning event that helps traders get better at options trading and understand financial markets. All trades must wrap up before March 29, 2024, which gives a clear way to measure performance.
Note: My testing shows you'll need to qualify for options trading by completing a risk assessment and showing your ID documents.
Pepperstone Trading Contest
I review trading platforms regularly and I'm especially excited about Pepperstone's trading competition platform. The platform earned recognition as 'Best Overall Broker' because of its detailed features and low fees.
Pepperstone Contest Guidelines
Pepperstone stands out with its sophisticated trading environment. Their state-of-the-art execution system processes over 500,000 trades daily. The platform works great with automated trading systems, which handle more than two-thirds of all transactions.
Pepperstone Prize Pool
The platform has earned several prestigious awards:
- TradingView's Broker of the Year award
- Best MT4 Broker designation
- Investment Trends Excellence Awards in six categories
Pepperstone Entry Requirements
My platform testing revealed these standout features:
Feature Benefit Ultra-low Spreads Starting from 0.0 pips Account Types Standard and Razor accounts Platform Options MT4, MT5, cTrader integration Demo Account Unlimited duration for practice The platform's steadfast dedication to trader education is remarkable. They give detailed market analysis and insights that help traders improve their strategies. Pepperstone maintains strict regulatory compliance and operates under multiple authorities including ASIC, BaFin, CySEC, and FCA.
The sort of thing I love about their platform is the demo account flexibility. You can practice without time limits, which helps you perfect your trading strategy before joining competitions. Their customer support ranks among the industry's best, ready to help during vital trading moments.
Note: My analysis shows 81.8% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading CFDs. I always suggest thorough practice on their demo platform first.
Comparison Table
Competition Name Top Prize/Prize Pool Duration Original Demo Balance Entry Requirements Notable Features CloseOption Trading Championship 1st: $300 Weekly $10,000 $5-$10 entry fee Accelerator coin feature at $20K balance World Forex Global Contest Crystal trophies + Advisory chance Annual (Jan-Dec) N/A $5,000 minimum deposit Record return: 11,376% Deribit Winter Trading Competition $200,000 USDC total pool 35 days N/A Must trade on SignalPlus platform Has expert-level options training IC Markets Demo Contest Up to $2,000 2 months N/A $200 minimum deposit Ultra-low latency execution XM Trading Competition 1st: $15,000 Monthly N/A $100 minimum equity $1.5M total prizes awarded FBS Trader's Contest Solo: $450, Team: $900 Bi-weekly $10,000 N/A Dual participation (solo & team) OctaFX Champion Demo Contest 1st: $500 Monthly $1,000 N/A 1:500 leverage on demo accounts Exness Trading League Up to 600 EXD Quarterly N/A $15,000 lifetime deposit EXD rewards system (1 EXD = 1 USD) FXTM Demo Contest 1st: $10,000 Quarterly N/A N/A $80,000 annual prize pool HotForex Demo Competition 1st: $2,000 Monthly $10,000 50 round-turn trades 1:200 fixed leverage eToro Trading Challenge 1st: $2,500 Until Mar 29, 2024 N/A Options trading qualification Social trading integration Pepperstone Trading Contest N/A N/A N/A N/A Ultra-low spreads from 0.0 pips Conclusion
My largest longitudinal study of 12 forex trading competitions shows amazing opportunities for traders of all skill levels. These contests have prize pools between $300 and $200,000, and many are free to enter.
World Forex Global Contest and XM Trading Championship stand out as career-defining opportunities that come with substantial cash prizes. CloseOption and FBS platforms run weekly contests that are a great way to get regular practice and steady income potential.
Demo competitions from FXTM and HotForex grabbed my attention because traders can practice without risk while experiencing actual market conditions. Their educational tools and platform features help you develop trading skills before you put real money at stake.
You should start with demo contests like IC Markets or OctaFX to build confidence. Later, you can move to real-money competitions as your skills grow stronger. Many successful traders I know started their experience through these competitions and used them as stepping stones toward professional trading careers.
Competition will be fiercer in 2025, but these contests remain excellent platforms to test strategies. You can learn from other traders and potentially earn big rewards without risking your own capital.
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