City Traders Imperium is preparing to launch a funding model that decouples trader payouts from challenge fee revenue, addressing what CEO Martin Najat calls the industry’s core conflict of interest. The Dubai-based firm, operating since 2018, is finalizing a structure that would pay traders independently of challenge sales, though no launch date or technical details have been disclosed. The announcement follows a permanent price cut effective June 1, dropping the $100,000 challenge to $449 from premium levels, as CTI moves to compete with budget rivals like FundedNext and Funding Pips.
The shift comes as the prop trading sector consolidates sharply, with over 80 firms closing between 2024 and 2026 following MetaQuotes platform restrictions. Najat indicated some current low-cost competitors may not survive the next six months, positioning CTI’s model as a long-term alternative to fee-dependent operations. The concept echoes efforts by Rhodium FX and a Singapore competitor to align firm profitability with trader performance rather than evaluation revenue.
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FXnCO Insight
** Traders should monitor whether CTI’s decoupled model actually launches and delivers sustainable payouts, as similar promises have surfaced before without fundamentally changing prop firm economics.
Source: Finance Magnates