Prop Firm Trading Rules at River Valley Capital
This is the full set of trading rules for every River Valley Capital evaluation and funded account. It covers the profit targets and drawdown for each programme, how the daily loss limit is measured, leverage by market, the news, weekend and automation rules, prohibited trading, and how payouts work. The same rules apply on your funded account as during the evaluation, apart from the profit target.
- Resets 5:00 PM New York
- No minimum trading days
- No consistency rule
- Up to 90% profit split
Last updated
Violations, Soft Breaches and Hard Breaches
River Valley Capital separates breaking the Terms & Conditions from breaking a challenge rule. Knowing the difference tells you what happens next.
- Violations break the Terms & Conditions, for example prohibited trading. They are treated as serious and can forfeit fees, close the account or suspend access.
- Soft breaches break a rule without ending your account. Opening a position inside the news window is a soft breach: the trade is closed and its profit or loss is removed, and you keep trading. Repeated news violations can be treated as a conduct violation.
- Hard breaches break a core risk rule, such as the daily loss limit or the maximum drawdown. A hard breach ends the account.
River Valley Capital may change leverage, margin or drawdown, force liquidation, or close an account at any time and without notice, as set out in the Terms & Conditions.
Profit Targets and Drawdown by Programme
Each programme has its own profit target and drawdown model. Daily loss limit, leverage and the trading conditions below are the same across all three.
| Rule | 1-Step | 2-Step | Instant Funding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluation phases | One | Two | None |
| Profit target | 10% | 8% then 5% | No target to get funded |
| Daily loss limit | 5% | 5% | 5% |
| Maximum drawdown | 6% static | 10% static | 8% trailing |
| Time limit | None | None | None |
| Minimum trading days | None | None | None |
| Weekend holding | Allowed | Allowed | Hold Weekends add-on |
| Profit split | 80%, or 90% add-on | 80%, or 90% add-on | 80%, or 90% add-on |
See the full fee tables and account sizes on the 1-Step, 2-Step and Instant Funding pages. The drawdown calculator works out your floor and today's limit in dollars.
How the Daily Loss Limit Is Measured
The daily loss limit is 5% on every programme, and it resets at 5:00 PM New York time. The level for each day is set from the greater of the prior day's closing balance or your equity at that reset, whichever is higher.
- Balance = starting balance + closed profit and loss.
- Equity = starting balance + closed profit and loss + open profit and loss.
- With no open positions, balance and equity are the same.
In practice the limit rises as your account grows: if you are holding positions in profit at the reset, equity sets the next day's limit; if you have no open positions or they are in loss, the closing balance sets it. Breaking the daily loss limit is a hard breach.
Static and Trailing Maximum Drawdown
Static drawdown (1-Step and 2-Step). A static floor does not move up as the account grows. On a $100,000 1-Step account the 6% floor is $94,000 and stays there, so your room to the floor increases as you make profit.
Trailing drawdown (Instant Funding). The Instant floor is 8% of your starting balance and trails on your closed balance. As your closed balance makes new highs the floor follows, until the closed-balance high reaches your starting balance plus 8%. At that point the floor locks permanently at your starting balance. On a $100,000 account, once your closed balance reaches $108,000 the floor locks at $100,000.
After a payout. On any funded account the maximum drawdown floor moves up to your starting balance once a payout is processed. The Remove Lock on Payout add-on switches this off, so the floor stays at its original level.
Leverage by Market
Leverage is set per market and is the same on every programme. River Valley Capital may change it without notice.
| Market | Leverage |
|---|---|
| Forex | 50:1 |
| Gold (XAUUSD) | 10:1 |
| Silver and other metals | 5:1 |
| Indices | 10:1 |
| Oil | 1:1 |
| Crypto | 2:1 |
News, Weekends, Automation and Trading Days
- News trading: do not open a position within 3 minutes before or after a news event. Doing so is a soft breach, so the trade is closed and its profit or loss removed.
- Trading days: there is no minimum and no maximum number of trading days, and no time limit on any evaluation.
- Overnight positions: allowed, with swap rates applied.
- Weekend holding: allowed by default on 1-Step and 2-Step. On Instant Funding it needs the Hold Weekends add-on.
- Expert advisors and bots: your own algorithms and strategies are allowed within the prohibited-trading policy. EAs that copy trades are not allowed.
- Copy trading: only between accounts you own yourself. Group trading, signal services, passing services and mirroring other traders are prohibited.
- Consistency rule: there is no consistency rule.
Prohibited Trading Practices
Proper trading strategies are allowed. Abusive trading is prohibited and is treated as a Terms & Conditions violation, which can forfeit fees and close the account.
- Exploiting pricing or platform errors, or latency.
- Using insider or non-public information.
- Front-running trades placed elsewhere.
- Trading that harms the broker relationship or creates regulatory problems for it.
- Third-party, off-the-shelf or "challenge-passing" strategies.
- Using one strategy to pass the evaluation and a different one once funded.
- Arbitrage against other accounts, at River Valley Capital or at other firms.
- Trading inside the 3-minute news window.
- Gambling, "all-in" trades and excessive leverage, such as consistently placing trades before news releases or other binary events.
- Opposing positions across accounts, and group hedging across accounts or firms. Hedging within a single account is fine.
Payout Rules
- Profit split: 80% by default, or 90% with the add-on, on every programme.
- First payout: can be requested at any time. After that, once every 30 days, counted from your previous request date.
- Minimum withdrawal: none on 1-Step and 2-Step. On Instant Funding it is the greater of $100 or 1% of your starting balance.
- Methods: bank wire transfer, Rise, or crypto.
- What can delay or block a payout: failed KYC, prohibited trading, gambling findings, or a hard breach such as inactivity or drawdown.
Withdrawing 100% of your profit is allowed, not prohibited, but after a payout the drawdown floor moves to your starting balance, so leaving no buffer can hard-breach the account. River Valley Capital recommends keeping a buffer at least the size of your daily loss limit. The calculator shows a recommended withdrawal.
The Five Add-ons
- 90% profit share: raises your split from 80% to 90%.
- Remove Lock on Payout: keeps the maximum drawdown floor at its original level after a payout instead of moving it to your starting balance. Condition: a successful payout.
- Payout Protector: keeps your share of gains after a hard breach, although the funded account still closes. Conditions: every withdrawal condition met apart from the breach, and no Terms & Conditions violations.
- BoGo (1-Step and 2-Step only): one free replacement account of the same size and type after a hard breach. Conditions: BoGo bought, evaluation passed, and at least one successful funded payout.
- Hold Weekends (Instant only): allows weekend holding, which 1-Step and 2-Step already allow.
All add-on and challenge purchases are non-refundable.
Common Questions About Our Rules
Is there a minimum number of trading days?
No. River Valley Capital has no minimum and no maximum number of trading days, and no time limit on any evaluation. Your account is only breached for inactivity if you do not trade for 30 days in a row.
When does the daily loss limit reset?
At 5:00 PM New York time on every programme. The level for the new day is the greater of the prior day's closing balance or your equity at that reset, so the limit rises as your account grows.
Is there a consistency rule?
No. River Valley Capital does not apply a consistency rule, so you are not required to spread your profit evenly across trading days.
Can I use expert advisors or copy trading?
Your own algorithms and strategies are allowed within the prohibited-trading policy, but EAs that copy trades are not. Copy trading is only allowed between accounts you own yourself; signal services, passing services and mirroring other traders are prohibited.
What happens if I trade during a news event?
Opening a position within 3 minutes before or after a news event is a soft breach. The position is closed and its profit or loss is removed, and you keep trading. Repeated news violations can be treated as a conduct violation.
Can I withdraw all of my profit?
Yes, withdrawing 100% is allowed and not prohibited. After a payout the drawdown floor moves up to your starting balance, so leaving no buffer can hard-breach the account. We recommend keeping a buffer at least the size of your daily loss limit.
Pick a Programme and Start
Choose the evaluation that fits your trading, check the add-ons, and trade to a funded account under these rules.